Product Features

• dump-to-disk

• restart

• autoboot

• mini-dump

Dump-to-disk feature

The dump-to-disk feature enables MPE/iX to write system dump information directly to a preallocated disk file. This feature is an addition to the dump-to-tape feature available on all MPE/iX-based systems.

Use the BLDDUMP utility to configure and manage the dump-to-disk feature. Using BLDDUMP, you can create, manage, and purge dump files.

Use the DTODSIZ utility to predict the dump-to-disk file size that you need. The file should be large enough to store the largest dump that your system can generate. Use this information to create dump files large enough to store system dumps that occur even when your system is busiest.

Restart feature

AutoRestart/iX provides special enhancements to the system abort feature available on MPE/iX-based systems, allowing an automatic nondestructive reboot (memory contents are preserved) following a system abort. The restart feature is activated when your system is started (either interactively or through an autoboot file) using the -R option with the START command, at the ISL prompt.

	NOTE: If you don't use the -R option, your system will not reboot after a system abort.

Autoboot feature

AutoRestart/iX provides a FORMAT utility that enables you to create a specially formatted autoboot format file that contains your own sequence of ISL startup commands. The system automatically executes these ISL commands in sequence during system startup (if you have activated the autoboot feature and installed the autoboot file). System startup needs no operator.

A typical autoboot file contains the DUMP command followed by the START-R command. For example:

   DUMP

   START -R

This sequence of ISL commands guarantees that a dump will occur prior to subsequent MPE/iX startups.

Mini-dump feature

In an environment with many systems with similar configurations and operating system versions, duplicate problems can occur. This feature is used to bypass a full memory dump for system failures. When a system failure occurs, the mini-dump feature enables MPE/iX to write the system failure information to a disk file, which can be analyzed at a later time. Specifically, a mini-dump is an ASCII file containing output from the SAT utility summarizing the system failure. The summary information contains a date and time stamp, the MPE/iX version identification, the system failure number, and a stack trace.

With the mini-dump feature, new problems cannot be diagnosed; however, repeat problems can be identified and system recovery time minimized. This feature can also function in an operator-less environment, where full dumps can be preconfigured to dump to disk.

	NOTE: Mini-dump is not intended to replace a full memory dump; it provides only a summary of the system failure. When a system failure occurs, to diagnose it, a full memory dump must be taken.