VAX/VMS System Dump Analyzer Reference Manual

This document is the "VAX/VMS System Dump Analyzer Reference Manual," published in March 1980. It serves as a comprehensive guide to the System Dump Analyzer (SDA), a VAX/VMS utility crucial for diagnosing the causes of operating system failures.

The manual is intended for advanced users with in-depth knowledge of VAX/VMS data structures, including system developers, support specialists, device driver programmers, and system managers.

Key areas covered in the document include:

• Introduction to SDA: Explains SDA's role in examining and formatting system dump files (created after OS crashes) and its ability to analyze a running system non-invasively.
• The System Dump File: Details how to configure the size of the SYSDUMP.DMP file and best practices for saving dump files after a system failure.
• Running SDA: Provides instructions on invoking SDA through various methods, including the RUN command, as a foreign command, or via site-specific startup procedures. It also outlines the necessary system parameters and virtual space requirements.
• SDA Command Strings: Explains the general format for SDA commands, expressions, operators, and how symbols are used.

• SDA Commands Reference: A detailed description of all SDA commands, such as:

  • EXAMINE and FORMAT for inspecting memory and data blocks.
  • DEFINE and EVALUATE for symbol manipulation and computations.
  • SHOW commands to display various system and process information, including crash details, device data structures, memory management (page tables, PFN data, memory pools), process contexts (PCBs, PHDs, registers, working sets, stacks), and system symbol tables.
  • COPY for saving dump files and SET OUTPUT for directing command output.

• Analyzing System Failures: Offers guidelines and a step-by-step example for debugging system crashes, focusing on identifying bugchecks, locating the source of exceptions, and tracing defective code.

• Error Messages: Lists and explains error messages encountered during SDA initialization and operation.

In essence, the manual provides the essential information and tools for experienced VAX/VMS users to understand, analyze, and troubleshoot system behavior and failures using the SDA utility.