Setting Up a Core Dump Server
You can use any Mac OS X v10.5 or later computer to be a core dump server that fits the following criteria. The core dump server must:
ÂÂ Have a static IP address.
ÂÂ Be IPv4
You cannot put the core dump server behind a firewall or NAT unless all clients using it are also behind it. You cannot use
ÂÂ Have enough disk storage space for multiple dumps.
In general, core dumps are large. Core dumps can be as small as 200 MB to 500 MB but they can be much larger, depending on the kernel map size, physical memory size, memory usage during the panic, and other factors. Make sure you have enough free disk space.
To set up a core dump server on a computer running a system earlier than Mac OS X v10.5, more extensive configuration is needed. See Developer Technical Note #2118at developer.apple.com/technotes/tn2004/tn2118.html.
Setting up a core dump server:
1Create a core dump directory named “PanicDumps,” owned by user “root,” and group “wheel,” which is writable by everyone.
Using the command line, type:
sudo mkdir /PanicDumps
sudo chown root:wheel /PanicDumps sudo chmod 1777 /PanicDumps
2Activate the core dump server process (kdumpd).
Using the command line, type:
sudo launchctl load
After this command is executed, the core dump server process starts. This step does not need to be repeated when the server restarts.
3Verify that the core dump server process is running.
Using the command line, type:
sudo launchctl list grep kdump
The result should list com.apple.kdumpd.
4Make sure UDP port 1069 is open for core dump connections.
When the core dump server is active, configure Mac OS X computers as clients to send their kernel panic information to this server. See “Setting Up a Core Dump Client” on page 179.
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Chapter 8 Monitoring Your System
