Generating a Trace

How to:

If you encounter a server problem, you can run a set of traces that will help you assess the problem, and, if necessary, communicate it to Customer Support Services for further troubleshooting. This topic describes trace options and provides instruction for creating the traces.

There are two types of traces you can run to troubleshoot a problem:

Under normal conditions, applications are run in a server context. However, if you run your trace in a non-server context (that is, you run a non-server trace), and produce the necessary diagnostic information, you can significantly reduce the amount of material that needs to be reviewed. Running a non-server trace also rules out server communications as a cause of a problem.

If you prefer to use native IBM i commands, a number of CMD/CL programs are created during installation in the server administrator comment library and can be used to start traces, turn traces off, and perform edastart -savediag functions. The commands are, respectively, ITRCON, ITRCOFF, and ISAVEDIA. To use them (instead of using edastart under QSH), enter the required command and press F4 for prompted mode, then edit parameters, as needed, and press Enter. For related information, see CL and CMD Programs.


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Procedure: How to Generate a Server Trace

To generate a server trace:

  1. Turn tracing on by doing one of the following:
    • Go to the Web Console menu bar, select the Main Web Console Other Options control icon and then Enable Traces.
    • Start the server by issuing the following command:

      edastart -traceon

      You must preface edastart with the appropriate path, or place the directory in your system PATH variable.

  2. Reproduce the problem.
  3. Stop the server.
  4. Issue the following command:
    edastart -savediag
  5. Respond to the prompts to capture, and optionally archive and ship diagnostic information.

    Diagnostic information will commonly contain user data. If the release of that data is considered a security concern when shipping to Customer Support Services, the -savediag feature also allows a diagnostic to be saved and shipped later to allow the site the opportunity to review and cleanse the traces of data of this nature before shipping.

    For information about sending the diagnostic information to Customer Support Services, see Information You Should Have and Customer Support.


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Procedure: How to Generate a Non-Server Trace

To generate a non-server trace:

  1. Create an directory under APPROOT to reproduce the problem.
  2. Copy any files required for the reproduction to the directory.
  3. Switch to the directory.
  4. Reproduce the problem using edastart -traceon and one of switches -t, -x, or -f.
  5. Switch to a directory other than the problem reproduction directory.
  6. Issue the following command
    edastart –savediag

    You must preface edastart with the appropriate path, or place the directory in your system PATH variable.

  7. Respond to the prompts to capture, and optionally archive, diagnostic information.

    Diagnostic information will commonly contain user data. If the release of that data is considered a security concern when shipping to Customer Support Services, the -savediag feature also allows a diagnostic to be saved and shipped later to allow the site the opportunity to review and cleanse the traces of data of this nature before shipping.

    For information about sending the diagnostic information to Customer Support Services, see Information You Should Have and Customer Support.


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