Terminal Snapshot Dump

 

• Terminal snapshot dump allows select memory areas to be dumped to the controller while the terminal continues to run.
• By default, the InSightterminal agent registers its own circular history buffers and other important data areas.
• A typical snapshot dump might be 250KB and take less than 1 second to write.
• Snapshot dump can be taken by pressing CLEAR 5 times in a row (default) or by command from an InSightclient application.  FORCESNP is a utility that comes with InSightand provides a command line way to force a snapshot dump.  The DEVCHAN utility has a snapshot dump option.
• The Automatic Application Hang Detect feature can also generate snapshot dumps.
• Snapshot dumps are written to the QSA_DMPT: directory (c:\qsa\dmpt).  
• The controller agent maintains snapshot dumps by automatically running the formatter and compressing the original and formatted output.  Up to 5 (default) archives are kept per controller.
• Related controller file information:

·          QSA_DMPT: - logical name for directory c:\qsa\dmpt

·          QSA_BIN: - logical name for directory c:\qsa\bin

·          QSA_DMPT:tttSNAPD.nnn – terminal snapshot dump file.  ‘ ttt ’ is terminal number and ‘ nnn’ is archive number.  ‘ nnn ’ = 001 is most recent.

·          QSA_DMPT:SDtttnnn.out – formatter output for snapshot dump tttSNAPD.nnn.

·          QSA_DMPT:SDtttRPT.nnn – terminal snapshot dump archive file.  This file is created by the controller agent.  When the controller agent detects a new snapshotddump file, the controller agent will run the formatter against the file then compress both the formatter output and the snapshot dump into one of the report files.  Once the report file is generated, the original snapshot dump will be erased.  ‘ ttt ’ is terminal number and ‘ nnn’ is archive number with nnn=001 being the most recent.

·          QSA_BIN:DEVCHAN.286 – utility that can be used to collect real-time device channel trace data.   Output goes to file devchan.outin current directory.  Note that a windows .EXE is also available as part of the InSightSDK.

·          Optional CDI keywords: tagentSnapDumpClearKeys , tagentMaxSnapDumpArchives, tagentSnapDumpClearKeys

·          When a snapshot dump is generated, the terminal agent logs that fact and the reason to the terminal agent log file on the controller.  Terminal agent log files can be found in c:\qsa\logt.  Note that these log files are archived and removed during controller agent startup.  When log files are archived, the resultant archives are placed in c:\qsa\log.

·          The terminal agent is able to generate snapshot dumps without assistance from the controller agent.  For example, you can shutdown the controller agent and still get a snapshot dump after pressing clear 5 times.

·          The terminal agent renames/deletes tttSNAPD.nnn files as necessary to keep an archive history.  Normally, there is not more than one unarchivedsnapshot dump because of the controller agentmaintenanceactivity.  But there can be if the controller is busy or if two snapshot dumps are requested very close in time to one another.

·          While writing a snapshot dump file, the terminal agent first writes to a . tmpfile.  The . tmpis renamed after all data is successfully written.  The terminal agent cleans up leftover . tmpfiles at ipland prior to creating a new snapshot dump.

·          Future snapshot dump capabilities: application invoked snapshot dump and application debug logging which can be snapshot dumped.

·          Feature verification steps:

1.      Install insight on the primary 4690 controller by running insighti.286

2.      Reload terminal(s)

3.      Run transaction on a terminal

4.      Press clear 5 times on the terminal,

5.      Check for a snapshot dump file.  The snapshot dump file will either be named c:\qsa\dmpt\tttSNAPD.nnn or SDtttRPT.nnn.   ‘ ttt ’ is terminal number and ‘ nnn’ is archive number with nnn=001 being the most recent.   tttSNAPD.nnnis the raw snapshot file written by the terminal agent.  SDtttRPT.nnn is a .jar (.zip) created by the controller agent.  The controller agent looks for new snapdumpfiles every 30 seconds.  When found, the CAGENT runs the formatter and compresses/moves the formatter output and raw snapshot file to SDtttRPT.001 after rolling (renaming) any older archives.