MustGather: Microsoft Windows GPF

This technote is intended to provide a detailed description of the documentation required by the WebSphere Transformation Extender support team to diagnose your problem. It contains the following sections:

• Gathering General Information
• Gathering GPF Information
• Submitting Information to IBM Support

   

Gathering general information

You must open a PMR or ETR, and every problem record (PMR or ETR), regardless of problem type must include the following:

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1. A complete description of the problem
2. The WebSphere Transformation Extender version and release
3. The Operating System version, release, and maintenance level
4. Related products version, and release levels
5. A valid contact phone number and email address

Gathering GPF information

An unhandled exception within any of the WebSphere Transformation Extender products will cause a General Protection Fault (GPF) in Microsoft Windows. Dr. Watson is a Microsoft Windows program that automatically collects information about the fault.

Most of the time when an unhandled exception occurs, an error message window will display that indicates a General Protection Fault error. In this case, the Dr. Watson program will automatically place diagnostic information in the drwtsn32.log file.

A GPF may sometimes also occur without visual notification. In this case, a GPF*.txt file is created in the WebSphere Transformation Extender installation directory but the GPF information is not captured in the drwtsn32.log file. WebSphere Transformation Extender can force this type of GPF to place diagnostic information in the drwtsn32.log file.

Diagnostic information contained within the drwtsn32.log file is most beneficial as a debug tool when the GPF is reproducible.

How to capture diagnostic information for support:

1. Delete or re-name the existing drwtsn32.log file.
2. If necessary, force the WTX application to write to the drwtsn32.log file:
   • open the dstx.ini or dtx.ini file (depending on WTX version) for edit
   • find the [Connections Manager] section
   • uncomment (delete the semi-colon [;]) the IgnoreGPFs option
   • set the IgnoreGPF option to 0 if it is not already (1 causes all GPFs to be ignored)
   • save and close the file
3. Reproduce the problem.

 

Note: The location of the drwtsn32.log file varies by version of Microsoft Windows and local configuration. Please see your Microsoft Windows administrator for assistance on locating the file.

Required document(s):

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• drwtsn32.log file
• Any GPF*.txt file(s) found in the installation directory with a date and time near the GPF occurrence.

Submitting information to IBM Support

Submitting documentation to the WebSphere Transformation Extender support team

• You can use ESR to attach files to your PMRs. Visit the ESR help page to learn more about Electronic Service Request (ESR)
• You must open a problem record (PMR- ESR or ETR) prior to sending doc to the WebSphere Transformation Extender support team.
• Please see the following instructions for using ECuRep to FTP files:

 

1. ftp to ftp.emea.ibm.com.
2. Login as anonymous and enter your email ID as password.
3. Change directory to /toibm/other.
4. Enter: bin at command prompt.
5. Use the following file naming convention to name your file and put it on the server. Your PMR will be updated to list where files are stored, using the format: xxxxx.bbb.ccc.yyy.yyy
   
   where:
   xxxxx = PMR Number
   bbb = Branch
   ccc = Country codes
   yyy.yyy = Description of the file type. Users should compress the file to be transferred using ZIP or TAR format.
   
   NOTE: If the file can NOT be associated with a existing PMR, it will be tagged and deleted.
6. Enter quit command.

For additional details please see:

http://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/739283
Please note the syntax that must be used in order for the tool to update the PMR correctly below.
Rules for the PMR number recognition (FTP download and file move processes):
http://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/739283
 

• Email documentation

Documents such as problem descriptions, screen prints or small excerpts of message logs may be emailed to the WebSphere Transformation Extender team at:

websphere_support@ecurep.ibm.com.

All emails must have the pmr number on the subject line or they will be rejected. Please do not send email to wdisupport@us.ibm.com as this will delay response and will not update your pmr.

Acceptable formats for the subject line are limited to:

PMR xxxxx bbb ccc text

where
xxxxx = PMR Number
bbb = Branch Office
ccc = IBM Country Code
text = Any other text

Note: Files that do not fulfill the naming criteria are removed after seven (7) days.

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