OSF

NAME

savecore − Saves a core dump of the operating system

SYNOPSIS

savecore [-cefv] directory [system] The savecore command saves the most recent core dump of the system and writes a reboot message in the shutdown log. 

FLAGS

-cDoes not copy the dump, but simply marks it invalid. 

-e[Digital only] Saves only the kernel syslog and binary event log buffers from the dump.  If this flag is specified, core or namelist images are not saved. 

-fCopies the dump even if it appears to be invalid.  If both -c and -f are specified, -f is ignored. 

-vPrints more verbose information. 

DESCRIPTION

The savecore command is usually invoked during system startup (before the dump partition is accessed). 

savecore checks that a dump has been made recently (during the last 3 days) and that there is enough space to save it (see the following information about minfree).  These conditions are overridden by the -f flag. 

Both the dump and the system (default /vmunix) are saved to files in directory under the names vmcore.n and vmunix.n.  The variable n is the number specified by the file directory/bounds and incremented by savecore (if this value does not exist, it is created and initialized with the value 0).  The file directory/minfree specifies the minimum number of kilobytes left on the filesystem containing directory after the dump is taken (default is 0). 

savecore also logs a reboot message using facility LOG_CRIT (see syslog).  If the system crashed as a result of a panic, savecore logs the panic string too. 

If the core dump was from a system other than /vmunix, the name of that system must be supplied as the system argument. 

[Digital only]

The savecore command attempts to save the kernel syslog and binary event log buffers from the dump.  The "msgbuf.err" entry in /etc/syslog.conf file and the "dumpfile" entry in the /etc/binlog.conf file specify the buffer file names and locations.  The default file specifications are as follows:

msgbuf.err              /var/adm/crash/msgbuf.savecore
 dumpfile                /var/adm/crash/binlogdumpfile

If the "msgbuf.err" or "dumpfile" entry is not specified in the /etc/syslog.conf or /etc/binlog.conf file, respectively, the buffer will not be saved.  You cannot specify that a buffer be saved by forwarding it to any system. 

The syslog messages or binary event log records that were not processed due to a system crash are recovered on the subsequent reboot.  The savecore command runs during the system reboot, checks for the presence of a system core dump, and saves the syslog and binary event log buffers. 

When the syslogd and binlogd deamons are initialized, they check for the saved buffer files; if found, the daemons process the files and then delete them. 

FILES

/usr/sbin/savecore
Specifies the command path.

/vmunixSpecifies the current system. 

directory/bounds
Specifies the number of next dump files.

directory/minfree
Specifies the minimum number of kilobytes to be left after a dump.

ENVIRONMENT NOTES

This section describes system features that are not generic to OSF/1 but that are provided in this OSF/1 implementation. 

ULTRIX Compatibility

The savecore command has the following flag:

-eSaves only the kernel syslog message buffer from the dump.  If this flag is specified, core or namelist images are not saved. 

The savecore command has the following description:

The savecore command attempts to save the kernel syslog message buffer from the dump.  The "msgbuf.err" entry in /etc/syslog.conf file specifies the file name and location for the msgbuf dump file.  The default /etc/syslog.conf specification is as follows:

msgbuf.err              /var/adm/crash/msgbuf.savecore

If the "msgbuf.err" entry is not specified in the /etc/syslog.conf file, the msgbuf dump file will not be saved.  The msgbuf dump file can not be forwarded to any system. 

Unprocessed syslog messages due to a system crash are recoverd on the subsequent reboot.  The savecore command runs during the system reboot, checks for the presence of a system core dump, and saves the syslog message buffer. 

When the syslogd is initialized, it checks for a the msgbuf dump file; if found, syslogd proceseses the file and then deletes it. 

RELATED INFORMATION

Functions:  syslog(3)