Data Domain: Enabling DD Boost API Logging | Precert Logs

Reasons to Enable API-Level (precert) Logging:

• DD Boost or BoostFS operations are failing or behaving unexpectedly.
• Engineering or Support requests detailed API-level logs for analysis.
• No logs are generated despite expected Boost activity.

General Notes:

• Only enable precert logging when explicitly requested by Engineering or Support.
• Monitor disk space closely; logs can grow rapidly.
• Ensure correct permissions and file placement.
• Remove the .ini file to disable logging.
• BoostFS must be unmounted and remounted for changes to take effect.

File Locations by OS

For BOOST/BoostFS Versions Prior to 7.0

Create an empty file named ddboost_precert.ini at the appropriate location (see table above). This enables logging to the default path.

For BOOST/BoostFS Version 7.0 and Later

Create a configured ddboost_precert.ini file with the following contents:

precert_enabled=true
num_log_files=4
log_file_size=512
log_file_name=ddboost_precert.log
log_file_dir=/DDLog
ddcl_logs_include=true
ddcl_logs_sev=4

• This configuration creates four log files of 512MB each (2GB total).
• Adjust num_log_files and log_file_size as needed.
• Logs can be redirected to a different location if disk space is limited.

Linux BOOSTFS Client Setup

1. Create /DDLog directory:
   • mkdir /DDLog
chmod 777 /DDLog

2. Create /ddboost_precert.ini with the configuration above.

3. Ensure BoostFS is unmounted and remounted:

   • mount -o log-level=debug <mount_point>

Windows BOOSTFS Client Setup

1. Create C:\ddboost_precert.ini with the following content:

   • precert_enabled=true
     num_log_files=3
     log_file_size=500
     log_file_name=ddboost_precert.log
     log_file_dir=C:\DDLog
     ddcl_logs_include=true
     ddcl_logs_sev=4

2. Create C:\DDLog and assign full read/write permissions.

3. Unmount and remount BoostFS with debug logging enabled.

Cleanup and Disabling Logging

1. Delete the ddboost_precert.ini file.
2. Delete the DDLog directory and its contents.
3. Remount BoostFS to apply changes.
4. Collect BoostFS logs from /opt/emc/boostfs/log.