Technical data

Programming Features
5.11 New Process Dump Tools (Alpha)
5.11.4 Analyzing Process Dumps on Different Systems
You can analyze a process dump file on a system different from the one on which
it was generated. However, if there is a base image link date/time mismatch
between the generating system and analyzing system, you must copy SYS$BASE_
IMAGE.EXE from the generating system and point to it with the SDA$READ_
DIR logical name. For example:
$ COPY other_node::SYS$LOADABLE_IMAGES:SYS$BASE_IMAGE.EXE my_disk$:[my_dir]
$ DEFINE/USER SDA$READ_DIR my_disk$:[my_dir],SYS$SYSROOT:[SYS$LDR],SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSLIB]
$ ANALYZE/PROCESS_DUMP mycrash.dmp
For threaded process dump analysis on a system different from the one on which
it was generated, it may also be necessary to copy and logically point to the
generating system’s PTHREAD$RTL and PTHREAD$DBGSHR (POSIX Threads
Library debug assistant). For example:
$ COPY other_node::SYS$LOADABLE_IMAGES:SYS$BASE_IMAGE.EXE my_disk$:[my_dir]
$ COPY other_node::SYS$SHARE:PTHREAD$RTL.EXE my_disk$:[my_dir]
$ COPY other_node::SYS$SHARE:PTHREAD$DBGSHR.EXE my_disk$:[my_dir]
$ DEFINE/USER SDA$READ_DIR my_disk$:[my_dir],SYS$SYSROOT:[SYS$LDR],SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSLIB]
$ DEFINE/USER PTHREAD$RTL my_disk$:[my_dir]PTHREAD$RTL.EXE
$ DEFINE/USER PTHREAD$DBGSHR my_disk$:[my_dir]PTHREAD$DBGSHR.EXE
$ ANALYZE/PROCESS_DUMP mycrash.dmp
5.11.5 Forcing a Process Dump
You can force a process dump with the DCL command
SET PROCESS/DUMP=NOW process-spec. This command causes the contents of
the address space occupied by process-spec to be written immediately to the file
named image-name.DMP in the current directory (image-name is the same as the
file name).
For more information about the DCL SET PROCESS/DUMP command, refer to
the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary: N–Z.
5.11.6 Process Dumps: Security and Diskquota Guidelines
A process dump is either complete or partial. A complete process dump
contains all of process space and all process-pertinent data from system space.
A partial process dump contains only user-readable data from process space
and only those data structures from system space that are not deemed sensitive.
Privileged or protected data, such as an encryption key in third-party software,
might be considered sensitive.
In general, nonprivileged users should not be able to read complete process
dumps, and by default they cannot do so. However, certain situations require
nonprivileged users to be able to read complete process dumps. Other situations
require enabling a user to create a complete process dump while at the same time
preventing that user from being able to read the complete process dump.
By default, process dumps are written to the current default directory of the
user. The user can override this by defining the logical name SYS$PROCDMP to
identify an alternate directory path. Note that the name of the process dump file
is always the same as the name of the main image at the time the process dump
is written, with the file extension .DMP.
5–10 Programming Features