Troubleshooting Guide

Using the FFST for OS/2 Utility

The First Failure Support Technology/2 (FFST for OS/2) program captures error data at the point of occurrence, provides immediate problem notification to predefined locations, and furnishes unique error code identification. Because it remains passive until a software error is detected, its impact on system performance is minimal.

FFST for OS/2 provides the following functions:

Error logging in a SYSLOG file called LOG00001.DAT. For more information about this file, see Using the OS/2 Logging Facility.
System Network Architecture (SNA) generic alerts

Currently, FFST for OS/2 is accessed by LAN Adapter and Protocol Support (to log messages only) and by DB2 (to log error data and generic alerts).

Adding the FFST for OS/2 Program Group to the Desktop Manager Window

The FFST for OS/2 program group must exist on your Desktop Manager window. If it has not already been added, type the following command at the OS/2 command line:

EPWINST

This command presents you with a series of windows that allow you to specify the FFST for OS/2 configuration parameters and enter the workstation parameters. (To reset the parameters to the default values, select Reset.) After specifying the appropriate parameters in each window, select OK.

For more information about the FFST for OS/2 configuration parameters, see Configuring and Enabling the FFST for OS/2 Utility.

Configuring and Enabling the FFST for OS/2 Utility

You can modify FFST for OS/2 operations and configuration with the epw command. For example, you can:

Enable and disable FFST for OS/2
Enable and disable the FFST for OS/2 message display
Select the maximum number of dump data sets of a given type (either system dumps or application dumps) that may exist at one time in the current subdirectory for that type of dump
Select the subdirectory in which to place FFST for OS/2 dump data files
Select the path and file name of the FFST for OS/2 message log

FFST for OS/2 is enabled by the presence of the epw command in the CONFIG.SYS file. All of the command parameters are optional and may be specified in any combination or order.

This command operates in two modes:

Initialization mode: FFST for OS/2 has not yet been enabled.
Configuration mode: FFST for OS/2 is enabled (ON) and new values for the parameters are being specified.

The syntax of the FFST for OS/2 epw command follows:

        .-----------------------------------------------------------.
        V                                                           |
>>-epw-----+-----------------------------------------------------+--+->
           +-+-on--+---------------------------------------------+
           | '-off-'                                             |
           +-msg--=--+-on--+-------------------------------------+
           |         '-off-'                                     |
           +-maxsysdump--=--nn-----------------------------------+
           +-maxapldump--=--nn-----------------------------------+
           +-sysdumppath--=--+--------+---+-------+--------------+
           |                 '-drive:-'   '-\path-'              |
           +-apldumppath--=--+--------+---+-------+--------------+
           |                 '-drive:-'   '-\path-'              |
           '-mlogname--=--+--------+---+-------+---+-----------+-'
                          '-drive:-'   '-\path-'   '-\filename-'
 
>--------------------------------------------------------------><

ON|OFF

Specifies whether FFST for OS/2 will be enabled or disabled:

ON

Enables all of the data-capturing capabilities of the FFST for OS/2 program, which include customized dump, error logging, generic alerts and message logging.

(This parameter is the default when you type EPW without specifying any parameters.)

OFF

Disables the FFST for OS/2 program's data-capturing capabilities.

Notes:

In order for FFST for OS/2 to produce error logs, the operating system LOG function must be enabled. For more information, see Using OS/2 Logging Facility Commands.
The syslog command impacts operations. Enter syslog /s at the OS/2 command prompt to suspend FFST for OS/2 error logging, and syslog /r to resume it.

MSG={ON|OFF}

Specifies whether FFST for OS/2 will display messages:

ON: Displays messages
OFF: Suppresses message display

MAXSYSDUMP=nn

Specifies the maximum number of system software dumps that may occur in the current system dump directory. System software dump files are named OS2SYSxx.DMP, where xx ranges from 01 to nn.

Notes:

When FFST for OS/2 is initialized, xx is initialized to the index of the newest dump file in the current dump directory plus one. Whenever xx exceeds nn, it is reset to 01. The value nn must be between 08 and 99. Its predefined default value is 32.
If the epw command is invoked in initialization mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the default value of 32 will be used.
If the epw command is invoked in configuration mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the current value remains unchanged.

MAXAPLDUMP=nn

Specifies the maximum number of software dumps that may occur in the current dump directory. System software dump files are named OS2APLxx.DMP, where xx ranges from 01 to nn.

Notes:

When FFST for OS/2 is initialized, xx is initialized to the index of the newest dump file in the current dump directory plus one. Whenever xx exceeds nn, it is reset to 01. The value nn must be between 8 and 99. Its predefined default value is 32.
If the epw command is invoked in initialization mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the default value of 32 will be used.
If the epw command is invoked in configuration mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the current value remains unchanged.

SYSDUMPPATH=[drive:][\path]

Specifies the drive and directory where a system software dump file should be placed once it is generated.

Notes:

If a drive is not included in the path, the boot drive will be used. The default value for the directory is OS2\SYSTEM. Dump file names cannot be set using this command.
If this command is invoked in initialization mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the default value will be used.
If this command is invoked in configuration mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the current value remains unchanged.

APLDUMPPATH=[drive:][\path]

Specifies the drive and directory where a software dump file will be placed once it is generated.

Notes:

If a drive is not included in the path, the boot drive will be used. The default value for the directory is OS2\SYSTEM. Dump file names cannot be set using this command.
If the epw command is invoked in initialization mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the default value will be used.
If the epw command is invoked in configuration mode and this keyword is not specified or is invalid, the current value remains unchanged.

MLOGNAME=[drive:][\path][\file_name]

Specifies the fully qualified file name to be used for the message log file. If a drive is not included in the file name, the default drive will be used. (The default drive is the drive the system was booted from.)

If a directory is not specified, the default directory will be used. The default directory is OS2\SYSTEM.

If a file name is not specified, the default file name OS2MLOG.DAT will be used.

The first invocation of the epw command defines the values that will be used until the machine is rebooted or the values are reset.

For example, assume you enabled FFST for OS/2 by placing the following line in the CONFIG.SYS file:

RUN=C:\OS2\EPW.EXE MAXAPLDUMP=75

If you later disable FFST for OS/2 by issuing EPW OFF, the value for MAXAPLDUMP in a subsequent EPW ON command will be 75 rather than 32.

This applies to all of the epw keywords listed above.

Accessing FFST for OS/2 Error Records

Error records logged through FFST for OS/2 are recorded in the OS/2 System Error Log (SYSLOG). This is the same log to which the OS/2 logging facility writes error records. For information about the syslog command, see Using the OS/2 Logging Facility. You can also select System Error Log in the FFST for OS/2 program group window to access this log.

DB2 will always write a symptom record when using any of the FFST for OS/2 services. The symptom record includes:

Hardware and software information
A timestamp
Error code information
The name of the dump file, if one was produced
A problem identifier generated by FFST for OS/2
The message number and the first 32 characters of the message string if message services was requested (DB2 does not use this service)
A symptom string, which uniquely identifies the error and is used by DB2 Customer Support to determine exactly which portion of DB2 caused the error to be logged.
This string is generated in the following format:
```
PIDS/ccccccccc LVLS/lll RIDS/ssssssss PCSS/nnnn PRCS/pppppppp 
PRCS/scscscsc MS/mnmnmnmn
```
A message "ALERT: Y" if an alert was generated

Routing Generic Alerts

In order to route generic alerts over an SNA session to a host (such as SystemView) or to a LAN alert collection facility, you must enable the Generic Alert Router function of the FFST for OS/2 program and specify a destination. To do this, use the epwrout command.

Its syntax is as follows:

epwrout [Destination] [Option]

The parameters of this command are optional and positional. If only one parameter is specified, it is assumed to be the Destination parameter. This parameter is a numeric value to specify an action. It supports the following values:

-1: The router is enabled, and alerts will be routed to a dump file called EPWALERT.DMP. The path is set by the SYSDUMPPATH parameter of the epw command.
0: The router is terminated if it is active.
1: The router is enabled, and alerts will be routed to the default destination. The alerts will be sent over an SNA session to the host using the SNA component of Communications Server. (If no destination value is specified, this value is the default.)
2: The router is enabled, and alerts will be routed over a LAN 802.2 session to a LAN alert collection facility. If you use this value, you may need to specify the Option parameter.

The Option parameter is needed only if the destination value is "2". It specifies the LAN adapter used to route alerts. If it is not specified, its value is assumed to be "0", and adapter 0 will be used. Values 0 through n are supported, where n is the number of LAN adapters available for your system. (The first LAN adapter is identified as Adapter 0.)

Start the router by placing a RUN= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file, or with the start or detach commands at the command line.

For example, to route the alerts to a dump file called EPWALERT.DMP, do one of the following:

Include RUN=EPWROUT -1 in the CONFIG.SYS file
Use the command start epwrout -1
Run detach epwrout -1 at the command line

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