Troubleshooting

You can use log commands to discover and isolate problems with the system. For information on using the log commands, see Chapter 11, Logging System Events. You can also use dump files to troubleshoot line module failures.

Creating Core Dump Files

You can enable the system to create a core dump file if a module fails.

You can choose to send the core dump file to an FTP server or save the file in a compressed form to NVS. Juniper Networks Customer Service can then access the core dump file and analyze it to determine what went wrong. The core dump is disabled by default. You can enable the core dump from Boot mode or Global Configuration mode.

Caution: Create a core dump file only under the direction of Juniper Networks Customer Service. Network function can be disrupted if you create a core dump file while the system is running in a network.

Boot Mode

To enable the core dump from Boot mode:

1. Access Boot mode by reloading the SRP module; then press the <mb> key sequence (case insensitive) during the countdown.
2. Specify where the system should transfer the core dump file.
3. Set the IP address and mask of the system interface over which you want to send the core dump file.
4. Specify the gateway through which the system sends the core dump file to the FTP server.
5. (Optional) Set a username and password for FTP access to the server where you transferred the core dump file.
6. Reload the operating system.

Example

:boot##exception dump 192.168.56.7 CORE_DUMPS

:boot##exception protocol ftp user_name user_password

:boot##exception gateway 192.168.12.3

:boot##exception source 10.10.33.8 255.255.255.0

:boot##reload

Global Configuration Mode

To enable the core dump from Global Configuration mode:

1. Access Global Configuration mode.
2. Specify where the system should transfer the core dump file.
3. Set the IP address and mask of the system interface over which you want to send the core dump file.
4. Specify the gateway through which the system sends the core dump file to the FTP server.
5. (Optional) Set a username and password for FTP access to the server where you want to transfer the core dump file.
6. (Optional) View parameters associated with creating a core dump file.

Example

host1(config)#exception dump 192.168.56.7 CORE_DUMPS

host1(config)#exception protocol ftp username userpassword

host1(config)#exception gateway 192.168.12.3

host1(config)#exception source 10.10.33.8 255.255.255.0

host1(config)#reload

    exception dump

• Use to specify where the system should transfer the core dump file.

• To send the file to an FTP server, enter the IP address of the FTP server and the name of the directory on the server to which the system will transfer the file.
• To send the core dump file to NVS memory, use the local keyword.

• Example

host1(config)#exception dump 192.168.56.7 CORE_DUMPS

• Use the no version to disable the core dump.

    exception gateway

• Use to specify the gateway through which the system sends the core dump file to the FTP server.
• Example

host1(config)#exception gateway 10.10.1.15

• There is no no version.

    exception protocol ftp

• Use to set a user name and password for FTP access to the server where you transferred a core dump file. The default settings are the username anonymous and no password.
• Specify the number 8 before the user name and before the password to encrypt these values. By default, the user name and password are not encrypted.
• Example

host1(config)#exception protocol ftp 8 user_core 8 
user_password 

• Use the no version to restore the default settings.

    exception source

• Use to set the IP address and mask of the system interface over which you want to send the core dump file to the FTP server.
• You can optionally include an IP address mask.
• Example

host1(config)#exception source 192.168.1.33 255.255.255.0

• There is no no version.

    reload

• Use to reload the software on the router immediately.
• Reloads the system software (.rel) file and the configuration (.cnf) file.
• Example

host1#reload

• There is no no version.

    show exception dump

• Use to display the parameters associated with the core dump operation.
• Field descriptions

• Dump host IP address - address of the host where the system is configured to transfer the dump file
• Dump directory - name of directory on the host where the system is configured to transfer the dump file
• Dump protocol - protocol used to send the core dump file; currently only FTP is supported
• User name - name configured for access to the core dump file on the FTP server
• Password - password configured for access to the core dump file on the FTP server
• Interface IP address - address of the system interface configured to send the core dump file
• Interface netmask - mask of the system interface configured to send the core dump file
• Gateway IP address - address of gateway configured between the system and the FTP server

• Example

host1#show exception dump

Dump host IP address: 192.168.56.7

Dump directory:CORE_DUMPS/

Dump protocol: FTP

User name: user_name

Password: user_password

Interface IP address:

Interface netmask:

Gateway IP address: 

Accessing the Core Dump File

If a module fails and saves a core dump file to NVS memory (which can take several minutes), you must transfer the file to a network host to examine it. You can transfer the core dump file when the module is back online or has assumed a redundant status. For information about the status of modules, see ERX Installation and User Guide, Chapter 8, Troubleshooting. To transfer the core dump file to a network host, use the copy command.

In a system with two SRP modules, the following behavior applies if you have configured the SRP modules to save core dump files to an FTP server:

• If the primary SRP module fails, it saves the core dump file to the FTP server before the standby SRP module assumes control.
• If the standby SRP module fails, it must save the core dump file to NVS because it has no access to any configured network host.

The show version command output indicates the failed SRP module state as "not responding" during the save process. Consequently, when the failed SRP module recovers and assumes the role of redundant module, the show version command output indicates the SRP module state as "standby." You can now transfer the core dump file to a network host for examination. For example, to transfer the file SRP_1_SC_05_24_2000_02_20.dmp from NVS of the failed SRP module to the host server1, enter the following command:

host1#copy SRP_1_SC_05_24_2000_02_20.dmp 
host:/public/server1/SRP-5G_1_SC_05_24_2000_02_20.dmp

    copy

• Use to copy a core dump file.
• You cannot use wildcards.
• The file can be either a local or network file.
• You cannot create or copy over files generated by the system; however, you can copy such files to an unreserved filename.
• Example

host1#copy fault.dmp host:/public/server1/fault.dmp

• There is no no version.

Understanding the Core Dump File

The dump file indicates which module has failed by referencing that module's hardware slot number. The hardware slot number is the slot number designation on the systems's backplane. This slot number is different from the chassis slot number that appears on the front of the chassis and in screen displays (for example, in the display resulting if you issue the show version command). Table 4-6 shows how the chassis slot numbers relate to the hardware slot numbers.

Table 4-6 Chassis slot numbers vs. hardware slot numbers 

ERX-700 series Hardware Slot Number	Slot Number on Chassis	ERX-1400 series Hardware Slot Number
1	0	0
3	1	1
4	2	2
5	3	3
6	4	4
7	5	5
8	6	7
	7	9
	8	10
	9	11
	10	12
	11	13
	12	14
	13	15