OS/2 Shareware BBS: 10 Tools/10-Tools.zip/snapdmp.zip/READ.ME

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 5KB | 127 lines

AVAILABLILITY of IBM SNAPDUMP for OS/2
      A tool FREE to All


DESCRIPTION:
    The SnapDump and the SnapDump Formatter are tools for software
defect support on OS/2 product.  They provide the ability
to easily capture a wide variety of data and data types into a
single file and display this data in a formatted, user friendly
fashion.

INSTALLING SNAPDUMP:
    Use SnapDump/2 from this Diskette or
    install with either method:
      Create a directory for SNAPDUMP (e.g. 'mkdir SNAPDUMP).
      Copy this diskette into the directory just created and
      execute from this directory.
    Or
      Copy the diskette into the directory 'OS2\SYSTEM'.
      This will allow  execute of SNAPDUMP must every where.


HOW DOES SNAPDUMP WORK:
   The SnapDump facility consists of a SnapDump Data Collector and
a SnapDump Format Utility.

SnapDump Data Collector
   The SnapDump Data Collector provides the ability to collect:
*  Files (typically containing configuration and error data)
*  Data Areas (that may contain key control blocks or buffers)
It also has the ability to invoke programs that will aid in the
collection  of system statistics and other system information.  In
addition, SnapDump automatically gathers environment information and
key system data areas and buffers (e.g. system trace buffer, process
status, semaphore usage etc).  The SnapDump Data Collector utilizes
a flat ASCII file as input.  This file contains the instructions
that specify what data is to be collected (e.g. files, memory areas),
or what data gathering program is to be invoked. This flat file
approach makes the SnapDump Data Collector very flexible in that it
can be easily tailored to add or remove items to be collected.
CLI for SnapDump Data Collector:
   The Command Line Interface (CLI) follows:

   'SNAPDUMP {input_flat_file output_captured_data}'

Both input_flat_file and output_captured_data are optional.
input_flat_file defaults to SNAPDUMP.DAT.
output_capture_data defaults to SNAPDUMP.DMP.

SnapDump Format Utility:
   The SnapDump Format Utility provides an easy to use menu interface
to select and display the contents of the SnapDump output file.
Because all of the data items collected in the dump file are tagged
with "entry titles", it is very easy to select a specific item of
data for display, thus alleviating the need to display the entire
dump file.  The PF12 key is used to toggle the data display between
these formats hexadecimal and ASCII, hexadecimal EBCDIC and text.
In addition, the SnapDump Format Utility allows for the
ability to extract that piece of data and place it back into its
native format. This is particularly useful for binary files that
require specialized formatters. The binary file can be extracted
from the dump file and placed back onto the DASD medium for use
by the specialized format utility.
CLI for SnapDump Format Utility:
   The Command Line Interface (CLI) follows:

   'SNAPDF {output_captured_data}'

The output_captured_data parameter is optional; output will be displayed
in the open dialog box by default.

DOCUMENT FILE
   The documentation file is SNAPDUMP.DOC.  The file may be printed with
'print snapdump.doc'.

PROBLEM SOLVED WITH SNAPDUMP:
   An end user having a software problem needs to be able to easily
capture all the problem related information requested by support
personnel.  This information is currently dispersed throughout the
end user's system and presently requires a lot of work by the end
user to locate and gather it all up to send to the support
personnel.  The execution of SnapDump will capture file needed
by the support team.
   Example:
   A customer's running IBM OS/2 ES Communications Manager changes
the STARTUP.CMD to use a different configuration file.  The next day
the customer starts the PS/2 and finds the Communications Manager is
not running the same as the day before.  The customer, forgetting he
had changed configuration files, calls level 2 support team.  Level 2
support requests a list of 8 files in different directories which the
customer needs to provide.  The customer now must find each file, then
send this to the Level 2 support team.  With SnapDump the customer
executes SnapDump, which collects all the files plus the configuration
file from the day before.  The Level 2 support team is able to find
the changes in the two configurations file then inform the customer.
This is one of the ways SnapDump may help perform
Problem Determination/Problem Source Identifier (PD/PSI).


USAGE SUPPORT:
  Usage support, for Customers  and SEs, will be provided through
EQUAL/ASKQ.  Keyword for entries should be "SNAPDUMP".

DEFECT SUPPORT:
  Defect support for SnapDump will be handled through SNAPDUMP FORUM
on IBMPC which will be monitored.  Defect will be answered with in 2
weeks.

SUPPORT PROGRAMS:
  NETSESS2.EXE
     Session statistical and status
  NCBSTAT.EXE
     Network control block information.
  DIRSTAT.EXE
     Adapter status information (SAPS, Link Stations, etc.)
  QMC.EXE
     Workstation hardware configuration.
  FINDSEG.EXE
     Environment loaded into the system.
  TRADUMP.EXE
     Adapter Shared Ram Dump if TRADUMP.SYS device driver was loaded
  LAPSDUMP.EXE
     Adapter Shared Ram Dump and Netbios Dump if TRADUMP.SYS device driver
     was loaded.