DSTrace Commands

DSTrace is a set command available on Novell NetWare 4 servers. DSTrace enables the Directory Services debug screen and was used by Novell developers during the development process. It can be used to view Directory Services "in action".

The functionality of DSTrace can be divided into three parts: basic functions, choice of which trace statements to view, and initiation of background processes.

Basic Functions

Controls the general status of the Directory Services Trace screen in NetWare 4. An example would be Set DSTrace = ON

ON	Enables the Directory Services debug screen

OFF	Disables the debug screen

NODEBUG	Turns off all debugging messages, but leaves the screen enabled

Choice of Trace Statements

Debugging messages related to different processes are enabled in the following manner. An example using Miscellaneous as the statement choice would look like this.

Type "Set DSTrace = +MISC" at the server console to begin viewing these messages.

Type "Set DSTrace = -MISC" to quit displaying the miscellanous debug messages.

Debugging messages are available individually for the following processes or functions in Directory Services. The processes and DSTrace statements are:

INIT

Enables messages during initialization of the database

FRAG/FRAGGER

Enables fragger debug messages

MISC

Additional messages

RES/RN

Resolve Name requests

STREAMS

Stream Attributes

LIMBER

Verification of server name/address/replica tree connectivity

J/JANITOR

Removal of deleted entries, status of NCP servers, misc record mgmt

BACK/BACKLINK

Verification of backlinks and external references

S/SYNC

Synchronization process

SAP

Enable SAP messages

SCHEMA

Schema Synchronization

COLL/COLLISION

Entry/Attribute collisions

I/INSPECTOR

Verification of entry and entry references on the local server

E/ERR/ERRORS

Displays Errors

PART

Partitioning process

EMU

Bindery Emulator

VC/VCLIENT

Server to Server virtual client

AUTHEN

Enables authentication messages

RECMAN

Hashing/Iteration state handling

TV/TIMEVECTOR

Synchronization timestamp exchange

DSA/DSAGENT

Requests to the server agent

ERRET

Displays errors Slashes indicate alternate command line statements. Enable trace statements for a process with a "+" and disable with a "-".

Initiation of Background Processes

Each of these preceeded with an asterisk will cause an action in Directory Services. Example would be Set DSTrace = *b

B	Backlink - Causes the backlink process to run.

F	Flatcleaner - Begins the process which removes deleted entries from the files.

H	Heartbeat - Causes Directory Services to try to exchange timestamps with any server with which it participates in replica operations.

L	Limber - Causes the Directory to verify theserver name, server address and tree connectivity of replicas.

R	Reset - Causes the trace file to be reset.

S	Synchronization - Causes the Directory to check to see if synchronization is necessary on any of the replicas on that server. If so, schedules the synchronization process to run sooner than normal.

Saving to a File

The trace statements may be saved to a disk file.

Set ttf = ON	Begins saving screen messages at the current file pointer.

Set ttf = OFF	Ends saving screen messages and closes the file.

Reseting the file to the beginning is done through the *r command mentioned above.

The name of this file is SYS:System\DSTrace.DBG. It will grow to 1M and will then wrap text to the beginning of the file when it reaches the end.

Examples

Set DSTrace = INIT +MISC	Displays messages about initialization and miscellaneous functions.

Set DSTrace = +j	Adds to the current trace messages those about the janitor process.

Set DSTrace = Schema	Displays messages about the schema process. Note that this does not add to the current messages displayed, but replaces the current DSTrace display with only schema messages.

Set DSTrace = *f	Causes the flatcleaner process to run. This does not affect the current set of debugging messages being displayed.

Set DSTrace = -SAP	Removes the trace messages about SAP from the current set of messages being displayed.