Typical uses of the Core Dump Subsystem

Observing all the threads in one or more processes

The Core Dump Subsystem (CDS) enables you to observe all the threads in one or more processes. To do this, you must configure CDS using the configuration UI and select the processes you want to observe. For information on how to do it, refer to Configuration.

Observing a subset of the threads within a process

CDS enables you to observe a subset of the threads in a process. To do so, you must configure CDS using the configuration UI and select the threads you want to observe. For information on how to do it, refer to Configuration.

Configuring the Core Dump Server and plug-in parameters

In addition to configuring CDS to observe threads and processes, you can also configure the core dump server and plug-in parameters. The core dump server configuration UI enables you to configure the failure event trigger, the action to be taken when a failure event is reported, and the action to be taken after the core dump is created. For information on how to do it, refer to Configuration.

Creating the core dump

Create the core dump for an application by configuring the core dump UI to observe the application process for failure. In case of system crashes, configure the core dump UI to capture the crash data from the SCM. You must specify the core dump format by selecting an appropriate formatter and writer plug-in combination while configuring CDS.

For details on creating the core dump for application failure, refer to Creating the Core Dump for Application Failure. For system crashes, refer to Processing the System Crash.

Retrieving the core dump when the system crashes

You can retrieve the core dump when the system crashes either at boot time or due to the failure of an application running on the system. The following sections provide details on retrieving the core dump in the two cases.

When the system crashes due to application failure

When the system crashes because of an application failure, you can retrieve the core dump after a restart. Configure the CDS to process the system crash logs stored in the reserved crash partition, and access the core dump. For details on processing the system crash information, refer to Processing the System Crash.

When the system crashes at device boot time

If Symbian platform crashes while you attempt to load it on the device, you can retrieve the core dump by connecting the device to the communication port of a PC. This helps in transferring the core dump to the PC through the communication port.

Developing and installing plug-ins

To generate a core dump file, you must use a formatter and a writer plug-in. You can develop your own formatter and writer plug-ins to create a core dump in the format you want. The following sections provide more details about developing and installing these plug-ins.

Developing a formatter plug-in

The plug-ins are provided to format the core dump information in Symbian ELF format and D_EXC format. A plug-in is also available to format raw trace data present in the core dump into a .utf file. If you want the core dump information in any other format, you must develop a plug-in that formats the core dump information the way you want. For more information on how to develop a formatter plug-in, refer to Developing a Formatter Plug-In.

Developing a writer plug-in

A file writer plug-in is provided that can be used by the formatter plug-ins to save the core dump information into a file. To store the core dump information to any other output media, you must develop a writer plug-in that stores the core dump information to the output media you want. For more information on how to develop a writer plug-in, refer to Developing a Writer Plug-In.

Installing the plug-ins

You can install your formatter and writer plug-ins using the SIS files. For more information on installing these plug-ins, refer to Installing the Plug-Ins.