Tracing custom servers

You can use custom server trace to debug problems, even when the custom server is in production.

When AIX system tracing is turned on, Blueworx Voice Response traces entry and exit from all custom server library subroutine calls. You can use this trace to see if an error occurs in processing a custom server function, or if the wrong parameters are being passed to a custom server library subroutine. This might help to explain unexpected behavior.

If you want to trace specific events occurring in a custom server, see Trace points.

  1. Log on to AIX and Blueworx Voice Response: Log on to AIX. If no AIX window is open, open one by selecting an area on the screen background and clicking AIX Login.
  2. Log on to the Blueworx Voice Response AIX account. The system displays the User Login Menu.
  3. Type 2 and press Enter. The system displays the system prompt, usually a dollar sign ($).
  4. Start AIX tracing: To start AIX tracing on trace channel 1 (Blueworx Voice Response uses channel 1) type the following command: 
    trace -a -1
    If you are only interested in custom server trace, use the following command to tell AIX to record only Blueworx Voice Response custom server trace events: 
    trace -a -1 -j 456

    The -a flag indicates that the trace is to be started in the background.

    See the Blueworx Voice Response for AIX: Problem Determination information for other ways you can start and stop Blueworx Voice Response trace.

  5. Trace the problem: Do whatever you need to do to re-create the custom server problem you are trying to solve.
  6. Use the following command to stop AIX tracing on channel 1 (used by Blueworx Voice Response) and write the output to file. 
    trcstop -1

    AIX writes the binary output to /var/adm/ras/trcfile.1.

  7. Format the trace output: Use the following command to format the trace output. 
    print_trace | grep CA_LIB > ca.trace
    It filters the entries for custom server library subroutine calls, and writes them to the file ca.trace.
  8. View the trace: Use the following command to view the trace: 
    view ca.trace

    For an explanation of the entries in the trace file, see How to interpret a custom server trace.

Parent topic: Developing a custom server