Reasons for Collection Server Core dump - Collection server crash

  • 3856101
  • 20-Dec-2007
  • 27-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell ZENworks Asset Management 3.3 - ZAM3.3
Novell ZENworks 7 Asset Management - ZAM7
Novell ZENworks 7.5 Asset Management - ZAM7.5

Situation

Collection server(s) are responsible for sending updates, ugrades and scan messages to a client. Each collection server uses multiple threads to accomodate the different processes (COLSVRCORE.EXE) .
Two of the most common reasons for the a collection server crash due to a core dump are the increased setting of threads(setting per collection server) and or the Lost and Found setting (global setting) enabled.

Resolution

Disable the check box for the Lost and Found setting within Tools, Enterprise Options. Along with the removal of the checkbox a Lost and Found query should be run and any lost and found components should be deleted from the resulting list. Lost and Found components are stored and cached in memory for the Collection server's loading process.
ZAM 7.5 IR5 removed the Gui that allowed a user to set threads for the collection server and set all threads to 1. If something prior to that IR is applied and the Gui present, doubleclick on the collection server and on the main tab be sure that all threads are set to 1.

Additional Information

Collection servers will have a symptom of going Unavailable or scans slowing down or seeming to not take place. Collection server core.dmp files will be found within the collection severs install \logs directory along with the ColsvrcoreEvent.log files.
What is Lostand Found and what will be lost if disabled?
Lost and Found tracks any workstation component with a Serial number of Asset tag associated with it. On a subsequent scan if we find that either of those have changed we place the prior component record into the Lost and Found table. If the lost and found function is not being used or not maintained then the data is not going to be worth much to anyone.
If you decide you want to continue to use the Lost and Found function but only on hardware then at the minimum deselect the SW checkbox of Lost and Found and be sure to run queries periodically to clean out any record that does not need to be there to keep the data returned of worth.