IBM Support

Utility to collect ClearCase logs and diagnostic data on Windows

Question & Answer


Question

How can you collect IBM Rational ClearCase logs and diagnostic data on Microsoft™ Windows™ to assist IBM Rational Client Support?

Answer


There are 2 options you can use to proactively collect general information and diagnostic data on a problem machine to assist technical support in troubleshooting your problem.

     

CLEARBUG 64

Name of Utility: Clearbug64



What does it do? Clearbug64 collects various pieces of information that assist Rational Support in gathering diagnostic data of your problematic environment.

Usage:  clearbug64 -help | -ver | -nowinmsd | -liconly | -longvobs | -longviews

Switches:
  '-help'      = This help menu
  '-ver'       = Display the Clearbug Version
  '-nowinmsd'  = Skips the collection of Winmsd
  '-liconly'   = Collect only RCL/FlexLM information
  '-allvobs'   = Include vobs not on this host.
  '-longvobs'  = Collect lsvob -long listing.
  '-allviews'  = Include views not on this host.
  '-longviews' = Collect lsview -long listing.
  '-fulllogs'  = Collect cleartool getlog -all -full.
  '-hosttag'   = Add host name to archive name.

Any or all of the latter 8 switches can be used in any combination. -nowinmsd, -longvobs, -longviews, and -fulllogs can be used. However, -liconly bypasses all but license data collection.

Where can I get it? The file is in the "Downloads" section at the end of this technote.
This is a new, 64-bit, release of the "Clearbug" utility. This release requires the Microsoft™ Visual™ Studio™ 2022 runtime libraries. See the "related information" section for download information.

On Windows™, this information includes:
  • WinMSD (optional)
  • Host information
  • ClearCase Version information
  • Network information
  • System Logs
  • ClearCase information
  • Flexnet Publisher license Data, including
    • Flexnet Publisher Registry data
    • Flexnet Publisher license server status, including keys in use ("lmutil lmstat -a" output)
    • Flexnet Publisher license server log if run on a Windows license server.
    • Flexnet Publisher license files for IBM License Key Server products
  • (Optionally) Expanded VOB and view registry data.
  • Windows™ memory management keys related to pool usage
  • Server and Workstation service "parameter" keys that can impact paged pool usage.
Version 3.0.1 released 2 December 2021: Resolves a possible crash in clearbug64 if host has no IBM Common Licensing servers defined.
Version 3.0.2 released 5 April 2022: Resolves a crash when the albd service is not present, but ClearCase is installed.
Version 3.0.3 released 26 April 2023.
  • Resolves an issue where clearbug64 reports multiple failures on ClearCase 9.1 and 10 hosts.
  • Collects java runtime information for ClearCase 10 hosts
  • Uses powershell to create and clearbug.zip file if zip.exe is not present

How to execute:
  1. Copy the Clearbug64.zip archive to the server whose diagnostic data you want to collect.
     
  2. Extract the Clearbug64.zip archive to a location on the host.
     
  3. Execute Clearbug64.exe (double-click the program icon). The following console window opens:

    image-20200318175121-1

    Note 1: The time to collect the WINMSD report varies as the tool collects a great deal of information. Clearbug64 will wait up to 7 minutes for the collection to complete. To omit the collection of the WINMSD, run clearbug2 from the command line by using the following syntax:

    clearbug64 -nowinmsd

    Example:

    C:\temp>clearbug2 -nowinmsd

    **Skipping collection of winmsd information**


    Note 2: Collecting the tracert information can take some time when there are many network "hops" to reach the wanted remote hosts (Domain controller, license, and registry servers). There is no way to avoid this delay.


    Note 3: In order to improve clearbug2 runtime in environments with many VOBs and views, clearbug2 now collects local view and VOB information with the -quick option for the "cleartool lsview -host ..." checks. As a result, the tool might not collect the full list of local VOBs and views. Two new options -- -longvobs and -longviews -- collect full cleartool lsvob -long and cleartool lsview -long output in cases like these.
  4. When complete, a file called clearbug.zip is created on the desktop. If the clearbug2 tool cannot create the archive, a warning similar to the following is displayed:

    image-20200320172136-1

If this warning appears, the directory listed contains the data collected by clearbug64 and its log file. Archive the mentioned directory and send the archive to IBM.
 
WINMSD (Msinfo32)

Name of Utility: winmsd.exe (Windows™ Management System Diagnostic)

Found in: C:\WINDOWS\system32/winmsd.exe

What does it do? WinMSD, is a utility used to gather detailed configuration information about computers running Windows™. It can be beneficial for Support to use this information to troubleshoot ClearCase issues.

Note: You can start Microsoft System Information with Winmsd.exe as in Windows™ NT 4.0, but the difference under Windows 2000, XP and 2003 is that Winmsd.exe is a stub file that starts Msinfo32.exe. Msinfo32.exe is located in the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo folder.



How to execute:

  1. Go to Start > Run type “winmsd” and hit enter.
     
  2. Go to File > Save and save as System Information File. (.nfo)
     
  3. Add this file to the clearbug.zip file.

View Microsoft articles for more information:
 

MANUAL COLLECTION:

If you cannot or do not want to run the automated utilities, the manual instructions to collect the most basic logs and information required to initially troubleshoot most problems follow.

  • Collect the output of cleartool getlog -all -last 50

    Note: If the ALBD service is not running, the following error will occur albd_contact call failed and the logs will not be collected.
  1. Collect the Windows System and Application logs using the Event Viewer.

    Start > Run type eventvwr.msc /s

    Use the "action" menu to save the application, system and security log as a .evt file.
    Review Microsoft
    KB article 308427 for more details.
  2. Collect the output of cleartool hostinfo -long -properties -full
  3. Collect the installed programs by running grabber.exe. The readme file and grabber.exe program are contained in the grabber.zip file attached t the end of this note.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Component":"Utilities and Tools","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"8.0;8.0.1;9.0","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}},{"Product":{"code":"SSSH27","label":"Rational ClearCase"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Component":"Utilities and Tools","Platform":[{"code":"","label":""}],"Version":"","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
26 April 2023

UID

swg21131335