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Using Backup Exec's BEDBG tool to create crash dumps for Backup Exec processes.

Article: 100004214
Last Published: 2023-05-09
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Product(s): Backup Exec

Problem

Using Backup Exec's BEDBG tool to create crash dumps for Backup Exec processes

Solution

BEDBG in Backup Exec was introduced as a tool that generates a crash dumps of a Backup Exec process(s) that terminates unexpectedly.  BEDBG is by default installed as a service during the Backup Exec installation and continuously monitors the Backup Exec processes.  BEDBG can also be launched through the command prompt, and is located in the install folder for Backup Exec (by default C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec\). 
BEDBG runs as a service by default .
BEDBG can be configured to capture a onetime crash dump. The crash dumps will be put into the BEDBG folder inside the Backup Exec install folder (by default C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec\BEDBG\). The contents of this BEDBG folder can be used by Backup Exec technical support to determine the cause of the crash.
 
Note : From Backup Exec 21 onwards, the bedbg command requires that 'Disk storage lockdown' to be temporally  disabled (via Backup Exec Settings - Network and Security - Disk storage lockdown setting). This is a security feature and is by-design; when lockdown is enabled the bedbg command results in an  "Access is denied" error message.
Further details may be found in the Administrator's Guide.
 
 
Usage:

Generates a user dump of a process that shuts down unexpectedly.

     bedbg                 Starts bedbg in console mode
     bedbg --sc+           Creates bedbg service
     bedbg --sc-           Deletes bedbg service
     bedbg --I             Registers bedbg as a post-event debug tool
     bedbg --UI            Unregisters post-event debugger
         bedbg --p               BE 2010, 2010 R2, 2010 R3 - Captures memory dump of a running process
       bedbg --pid         BE 2012 and higher - Captures memory dump of a running process
               bedbg --wer+                 Enables local archiving of WER collected dumps
     bedbg --wer-          Disables WER local archiving
     bedbg --?             Displays bedbg usage information
     bedbg --??            Displays bedbg help  

Optional arguments:

     --max #         Maximum number of dump files in a folder (def: 10)
     --type #        Memory dump type: 0 - custom (def), 1 - mini, 2- full.
     --path arg      The path where the dump files are to be stored.

Examples:

1. To attach BEDBG to a running process just follow this for a process crash not creating a dmp output automatically)

To perform this, you first need to determine the processes PID. This can be determined using Window's Task Manager.
Launch Task Manager and go to View > Select Columns (FIGURE 1):

(FIGURE 1):
 

Select PID (Process Identifier) from the list (FIGURE 2):
(FIGURE 2):
 

Now Task Manager will show you the PID for all processes (FIGURE 3):
 (FIGURE 3):
 

Running the following will allow you to attach to just a single process (FIGURE 4):
(FIGURE 4):


NOTE: The command window must be left open in order for BEDBG to stay running and capture the crash. Closing the command prompt window or logging off of the server will cause BEDBG to close.
 
2.  Setting BEDBG to create FULL crash dumps and as the Default Post-Mortem Debugger:
 
Open a command prompt to the Backup Exec install folder (by default C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec\)
 
Issue the following command (FIGURE 5):
 
C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec>bedbg --I --type 2
  
(FIGURE 5):
 

 

 

In case dump is not created in Backup Exec 2012 and later versions, bedbg needs to be attached to a crashing process (similarly to the step 1) with the following command:

C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec>bedbg --pid <PID>

 

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