6.2. Creation of a system dump

To generate a system dump from the CLI, issue the commands debug generate dump (with the possible options of stats to include the statistics and all-logs to include all the log files). Then use the command file debug <system dump> upload <URL> to upload the system dump to a remote FTP server or SSH server. To see a list of all system dumps from the CLI, use the command show files debug-dump.

Figure 6.1. Create a system dump from the CLI

SH # debug generate dump
Systemdump sysdump-SH-20111010-163012.tgz generated
SH # show files debug-dump
sysdump-SH-20111010-163012.tgz
SH # file debug-dump sysdump-SH-20111010-163012.tgz upload ftp://192.168.1.1/incoming/sysd \
    ump-SH-20111010-163012.tgz
SH # 

Since RiOS version 8.5, the system dump can be directly uploaded to the Riverbed FTP server if Steelhead appliance has direct access to the Internet:

Figure 6.2. Upload a system dump directly to the Riverbed FTP server

SH # file debug-dump sysdump-SH-20111010-163012.tgz case 123456

To generate a system dump from the GUI, go to Reports -> Diagnostics -> System dumps and click on the Generate System Dump button. When the system dump is completed you can download it to your computer.

Figure 6.3. Create a system dump from the GUI

Create a system dump from the GUI

If there is not enough disk space available or there are too many system dumps, the Steelhead appliance will complain:

Figure 6.4. Not being able to generate a system dump

SH # debug generate dump all-logs
% Insufficient disk space to perform sysdump.

SH # debug generate dump
% Limit on number of sysdumps on the system is 10,
please remove some before generating new ones

Use the commands in the section about Partitions running out of space to free up the disk space.

As can be seen from the name, the system dump is a gzip compressed tar-ball. The filename contains the hostname of the Steelhead appliance and the date and time the system dump was created.

Note that over time, new features are added to the system dump process. It could be possible that some files or sections described here are not available in earlier RiOS versions.

6.2.1. Dealing with a system dump

As the extension shows, the system dump is a gzip compressed tar-ball. The standard tar command can be used to extract it: tar zxvf <system dump>. Some of the files in it will still be compressed, use the gunzip command to decompress them: gunzip sydump*/*.gz.