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Oracle® x86 Servers Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Guide

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Updated: January 2020
 
 

Troubleshoot a Hung System

This procedure describes how to troubleshoot a hung system by using the Oracle Solaris serial console.

  1. Verify that the system is hanging.
    1. Type the ping command to determine whether there is any network activity.
    2. Type the ps -ef command to determine whether any other user sessions are active or responding.

      If another user session is active, use it to review the contents of the /var/adm/messages file for any indications of the system problem.

    3. Try to access the system console through Oracle ILOM.

      If you can establish a working system console connection, the problem might not be a true hang but might instead be a network-related problem. For suspected network problems, use the ping or ssh commands to reach another system that is on the same sub-network, hub, or router. If NFS services are served by the affected system, determine whether NFS activity is present on other systems.

  2. If there are no responding user sessions, record the state of the system LEDs.

    The system LEDs might indicate a hardware failure in the system. You can use Oracle ILOM to check the state of the system LEDs. For more information about how to interpret system LEDs, refer to the server Service Manual.

  3. To force a kernel core dump on an x86 system, go to My Oracle Support at https://support.oracle.com, and refer to the Knowledge Article Doc ID 1003085.1.
  4. Review the contents of the /var/adm/messages file.

    Look for the following information about the system state:

    • Any large gaps in the time stamp of operating system software or application messages

    • Warning messages about any hardware or software components

    • Information from last root logins to determine whether any system administrators might be able to provide any information about the system state at the time of the hang

  5. If possible, verify whether the system saved a core dump file.

    Core dump files provide invaluable information to your support provider to aid in diagnosing any system problems. For further information about saving core dump files, see Core Dump File.