How to create a crash dump for Axapta processes ?

Symptoms:

All clients lose connection to the AOS Server. If the Axapta AOS or client process crashes for any reason, it is recommended to create a crash dump, of the failing process.

Here are the steps to do so:

  1. Download the Microsoft debugging tools, from here:
    https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/installx86.Mspx
    The 64-bit Version is available here:
    https://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/install64bit.mspx

  2. Install the debugging tools on the problem machine.

  3. Switch to the install folder of the debugging tools using the command line.

  4. Attach the tracing tool(adplus) to the crashing process. 

  5. Use the following command line options to attach the debugger.

     adplus –crash –pn ax32.exe
    adplus –crash –pn ax32serv.exe
    

    or

     adplus –crash –p <PID>
    

    To enable the Process ID, go to Task Manager\View\Select Columns…

    PID (Process Identifier)

  6. Now the tracing tool is active and should generate a crash dump, once the process  crashes.

  7. You will find the dump file in the installation folder of the debugging tools.

  8. A correct crash dump file should look like this:

    PID-4580__AX32.EXE__2nd_chance_UnknownException__full_1810_2008-12-04_20-53-48-528_11e4.dmp

    Please focus on the 2nd_chance in the title. Please reattach the tracing tool again in case you get only 1st_chance exception, or just a log file(has a *.log extension).

    Example:

    example1

  9. Once you have created a second chance crash dump file, send it to the Microsoft MBS support to get the file analyzed in detail.

Martin Ch

Comments

  • Anonymous
    June 07, 2009
    PingBack from http://greenteafatburner.info/story.php?id=3864

  • Anonymous
    July 29, 2009
    Nice article, the only thing I'm missing a listing of when and how to use the "-fullonfirst" option.

  • Anonymous
    September 08, 2009
    Thanks for hint Balazs. I'll extend the article with description of this option.

  • Anonymous
    May 10, 2010
    Hi, I wonder How to manage the size of the dump file. I don't want the dump file to get larger and larger, and take all the space of my harddisk.