Step 3 - System Dump

If steps 1 and 2 do not help you determine the cause of a code failure, step 3, system dump, is the recommended final step. This is the primary tool used by service personnel to solve system code problems and application code problems. Use a debugger for application problems. OS/2 Warp Version 4 has the technology to initiate a system dump when code fails. The dump information that is stored on disk provides information about the reasons for the code failure. Use this step as a final step because your system will restart after it stores the dump.

This third step of problem analysis has three phases:

• Configure: involves adding the TRAPDUMP statement to the CONFIG.SYS file, selecting the Enable System Dump choice on the Probe Control Table, and allocating disk space by using a disk partition for storing the system dump. System dumps can be stored on diskettes but the number of diskettes required will depend on the amount of main storage memory your system has.

• Trigger: the way you start a system dump:

  • by a keyboard sequence
    
  • by calling the DosForceSystemDump API
    
  • by using the Probe Control Table (PCT) to override the values that are specified in a call to FFSTProbe
    
  • when an unhandled trap occurs.
  3.
  Format and view: the step where you look at the system dump data using the PM Dump Facility dump formatter.

  Refer to Capturing and Saving Failure-Related Information through Dumps for more information about System Dumps and the PM Dump Facility.

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