8.3.17.0 - Force10 Networks

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TCP Dumps
TCP dump captures CPU bound control plane traffic to improve troubleshooting and system
manageability. When enabled, a TCP dump captures all the packets on the local CPU, as specified in the
CLI.
You can save the traffic capture files to flash, FTP, SCP, or TFTP. The files saved on the flash are located in
the flash://TCP_DUMP_DIR/Tcpdump_/ directory, and labeled tcpdump_*.pcap. There can
be up to 20 Tcpdump_ directories. The file after 20 overwrites the oldest saved file. The
maximum file size for a TCP dump capture is 1MB. When a file reaches 1MB, a new file is created, up to
the specified total number of files.
Maximize the number of packets recorded in a file by specifying the snap-length to capture the file headers
only.
The tcpdump command has a finite run process. When you enable the command, it runs until the
capture-duration timer and/or the packet-count counter threshold is met. If no threshold is set, the system
uses a default of five minute capture-duration and/or a single 1k file as the stopping point for the dump.
You can use the capture-duration timer and the packet-count counter at the same time. The TCP dump stops
when the first of the thresholds is met. That means that even if the duration timer is 9000 seconds, if the
maximum file count parameter is met first, the dumps stop.
Task Command Syntax Command Mode
Enable a TCP dump for CPU bound traffic. tcpdump cp [capture-duration time | filter
expression | max-file-count value | packet-count
value | snap-length value | write-to path]
266 | Debugging and Diagnostics
CONFIGURATION