Support bundle data collection tips

This article is intended to help you collect a support bundle for an issue that requires further investigation.  Below you will find a summary of steps and tips for the GUI and the CLI.

GUI data collection tips

CLI data collection tips

General data collection steps:

1. Identify the timeframe of interest.
       Unless otherwise directed, keep the total bundle time collected to 5 minutes or less.

2. Generate a debug support bundle using the UI or vCLI.
       A debug bundle will include verbose logging used for troubleshooting.

3. Verify that support has received the bundle.
       Reference an existing support ticket or submit a new request.

Note: There is an option to upload the bundle to VAST support once it has been collected under the advanced options.  Please add this flag to upload the bundle.  The upload can be performed after the bundle has been created and should always be done before starting another bundle collection. 

Under advanced, choose upload (this is optional, but recommended):

GUI data collection tips:

• The time displayed in the charts in the UI are in the local timezone

  • A toggle may be available to change the time entered in the UI.
  • The toggle is not available in some versions and time must be entered in UTC.

Note: The Start time header below shows UTC-4:00:

When the toggle is deselected, the timezone is adjusted to UTC+00:00: 

Please select the time in UTC unless it is inconvenient to do so.  This typically helps to reduce timezone-related confusion.  You can copy and paste the values into the start and end time fields.

• Do not collect more than 5 minutes at a time

  • The bundles can be rather large when generating bundles for a time that includes a lot of activity on the cluster.

Start the 5-minute collection period before the start of the issue as you can:

• e.g. -  If an issue occurs on 2022-09-27 from 03:36:00 to 03:37:30 UTC:
  • Capture from 2022-09-27T19:33:00 UTC to 2022-09-27T19:38:00 UTC    

• Aggregated vs Unaggregated

Bundles are not aggregated by default.  Please do not aggregate unless that is your preference or you are directed to do so by VAST Support.

• • Aggregated bundles: 
    • The selected nodes generate bundle data to a single bundle on the VMS node.
    • The VMS node then uploads the bundle to VAST Support.
  • Unaggregated bundles:
    • Bundle data is generated and uploaded by the selected nodes.
    • The bundle may be automatically removed by the next unaggregated bundle that is run.

CLI data collection tips:

1. SSH to the VAST management IP as the vastdata user. 
2. Log into the VAST Management CLI using the command vcli.
3. Execute the following command to capture the timeframe of interest.

supportbundle create --preset debug --prefix ZD-NEW --start-time <2 minutes before in UTC time> --end-time <2 minutes after in UTC time> --send-now --delete-after-send

Using the example provided earlier:

supportbundle create --preset debug --prefix ZD-NEW --start-time 2022-09-27T19:33:00 --end-time 2022-09-27T19:38:00 --send-now --delete-after-send

Support Bundle Documentation:

https://support.vastdata.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409619140114-Sending-a-Support-Bundle-from-the-VAST-Web-UI