Generate a Full Crash-Dump on Windows

Products

• SITEMINDER

Issue/Introduction

Occasionally processes crash.  This KB addresses generating a User Mode Process Dump (Crash-Dump) on a Windows Server.

In the case of Siteminder, the Policy Server process is 'smpolicysrv.exe'.  If we see that an 'smpolicysrv.exe' process is crashing, such as from the Windows System and Application Event Logs on Windows we will need to analyze a user mode process dump in order to determine the root cause and ultimately a solution.  Windows Server is not configured to generate user mode process dumps by default.

Environment

Siteminder Policy Server: ANY

Resolution

Create user-mode process dump settings for ALL processes on the server

1) Log onto the Windows Server hosting the Siteminder Policy Server.

2) Open the Windows Registry

Start -> Run -> regedit.exe

3) Browse to the following registry hive:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps

4) Create the following registry keys:

Name: DumpFolder

Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Value: %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps

____________________________

Name: DumpCount

Type: REG_DWORD

Value: 2

____________________________

Name: DumpType

Type: REG_DWORD

Value: 2

____________________________

 

Create user-mode process dump settings for specific processes on the server

1) Log onto the Windows Server hosting the Siteminder Policy Server.

2) Open the Windows Registry

Start -> Run -> regedit.exe

3) Browse to the following registry hive:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps

4) Create a folder with the name of a specific application process.  

Example: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\smpolicysrv.exe

5) Within the 'smpolicysrv.exe' folder, Create the following registry keys:

Name: DumpFolder

Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

Value: %LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps

____________________________

Name: DumpCount

Type: REG_DWORD

Value: 2

____________________________

Name: DumpType

Type: REG_DWORD

Value: 2

____________________________