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== How To Test ==
== How To Test ==
Testing will be possible using a new version ABRT with the retrace server support, which will land in Rawhide when stabilised.
CLI retrace client can be built from [http://git.fedorahosted.org/git/?p=abrt.git ABRT Git repository]. CLI is integrated into latest ABRT GUI (analyze_RetraceServer).


At the moment, testing is possible using the [http://git.fedorahosted.org/git/?p=abrt.git;a=blob;f=retrace/test-uploader/upload.py;h=db75da16d9e07d82168162065f1e2b74c07286e0;hb=refs/heads/retrace {{filename|upload.py}}] script from the retrace branch of [http://git.fedorahosted.org/git/?p=abrt.git ABRT Git repository]. The script is only designed for test purposes and does not handle all possible errors.
'''Usage'''


'''Usage'''
<pre>
$ abrt-retrace-client
Usage: abrt-retrace-client <operation> [options]
Operations: create/status/backtrace/log/batch
 
    -v, --verbose        Be verbose
    -s, --syslog          log to syslog
    -k, --insecure        allow insecure connection to retrace server
    --url URL            retrace server URL
    --headers            (debug) show received HTTP headers


The script {{filename|upload.py}} takes the following two arguments:
For create and batch operations
    -d, --dir DIR        read data from ABRT crash dump directory
    -c, --core COREDUMP  read data from coredump (not yet implemented)
    --no-unlink          (debug) do not delete temporary archive created from dump dir in /tmp


; ABRT crash directory (mandatory)
For status, backtrace, and log operations
: A directory containing the ABRT crash information.  By default, the directory can be found as a sub-directory of {{filename|/var/spool/abrt}}.
    -t, --task ID        id of your task on server
; Retrace server (optional)
    -p, --password PWD    password of your task on server
: Retrace server address.  Not important at the moment since there is only one test machine running retrace server: {{filename|retrace01.fedoraproject.org}}.
</pre>


Running {{filename|upload.py}} with the no arguments will display the following help message.
Create a new retrace job:
<pre>
<pre>
$ python ./upload.py
$ abrt-retrace-client create -d ~/.abrt/spool/ccpp-whatever
ABRT Retrace Uploader
Task ID: 123456789
For test purposes only
Task Password: qwerty123456
Usage: 'upload.py crash_directory server_address'
  Crash directory is the directory created by ABRT (default /var/spool/abrt/crash_directory/).
  Crash directory must contain analyzer, architecture, coredump, executable, package, release and uid files.
  If no server address is specified, default testing machine is used.
  Only binary crashes (caught by CCpp) need retrace.
  The script shows raw HTTP output including X-Task-Id and X-Task-Password headers.
    The tester is supposed to know what he's uploading and should handle task id and password on his own.
</pre>
</pre>


The retrace server at {{filename|retrace01.fedoraproject.org}} is configured to handle crashes for the following releases:
Ask for status:
* Fedora 13 x86_64
<pre>
* Fedora 14 i686
$ abrt-retrace-client status -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
* Fedora 14 x86_64
PENDING / FINISHED_SUCCESS / FINISHED_FAILURE
</pre>
 
Ask for log:
<pre>
$ abrt-retrace-client log -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
log (text/plain)
</pre>


After successfully running the {{filename|upload.py}} script, it will display a raw HTTP response containing <code>X-Task-Id</code> and <code>X-Task-Password</code> headers.  Sample output is shown below:
Ask for backtrace:
<pre>
$ abrt-retrace-client backtrace -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
backtrace (text/plain)
</pre>


Batch processing (all-in-one):
<pre>
<pre>
[raw data]
$ abrt-retrace-client batch -d ~/.abrt/spool/ccpp-whatever
---------
[create]
Connecting to retrace server @ ssl://retrace01.fedoraproject.org:443... OK
[status] PENDING
Sending request... OK
[status] PENDING
Receiving response... OK
[status] PENDING
----------
[status] FINISHED_SUCCESS
HTTP/1.1 201 Created
[backtrace]
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:32:21 GMT
Server: Apache/2.2.15 (Red Hat)
Content-Length: 0
X-Task-Id: 756381245
X-Task-Password: 72MOLQD3s3AI3EpcLibzUGsLtOuubLxf
AppTime: D=4891493
AppServer: retrace01.fedoraproject.org
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/plain
</pre>
</pre>


Using the information returned by {{filename|upload.py}}, you can query the retrace server for the following crash information using the {{command|wget}} command.
The retrace server at {{filename|retrace01.fedoraproject.org}} (used by default) is configured to handle crashes for the following releases:
; Status
* Fedora 14 i686
: HTTP response contains <code>X-Task-Status</code> header with one of three values 'PENDING', 'FINISHED_SUCCESS', 'FINISHED_FAILURE'. The command {{command|wget}} may be used to show the output (the HTTP response body is the same as <code>X-Task-Status</code> header's value):
* Fedora 14 x86_64
: <pre>wget -S --no-check-certificate -O /dev/null --header="X-Task-Password: <Task-Password>" "https://retrace01.fedoraproject.org/<Task-Id>/"</pre>
* Fedora 15 i686
; Log
* Fedora 15 x86_64
: After retrace is finished (FINISHED_SUCCESS or FINISHED_FAILURE) the log is available.  The {{command|wget}} command may be used to download the log:
 
: <pre> wget -S --no-check-certificate --header="X-Task-Password: <Task-Password>" "https://retrace01.fedoraproject.org/<Task-Id>/log"</pre>
There is no trusted HTTPS certificate on {{filename|retrace01.fedoraproject.org}} yet. You need to use {{filename|-k}} option.
; Backtrace
: After successful retrace (FINISHED_SUCCESS) the backtrace is available. Once again, the {{command|wget}} command may be used to download the backtrace:
: <pre>wget -S --no-check-certificate --header="X-Task-Password: <Task-Password>" "https://retrace01.fedoraproject.org/<Task-Id>/backtrace"</pre>


== User Experience ==
== User Experience ==

Revision as of 10:14, 11 March 2011

Retrace Server

Summary

Retrace server allows ABRT users to get better backtraces from their crashes by retracing coredumps remotely, on a server owned by Fedora Project.

Owner

  • Email: mtoman@redhat.com

Co-workers

Current Status

  • Targeted release: Fedora 15
  • Last updated: 2011-02-21
  • Percentage of completion: 95%

Detailed description

When ABRT generates a backtrace from a coredump, it needs debuginfo data to be available for the binary and all libraries involved in the crash. Debuginfo packages require a lot of storage space, and sometimes they are not available at all -- a package update causes the removal of older updates of the same package and their debuginfo.

Another problem is that GDB (which generates the backtrace from the coredump) needs data from the binary and libraries that were involved in the crash. If a user updated some relevant package between observing the crash and reporting it, he might be unable to generate a good quality backtrace because of the updates. This happens often, because Fedora is updated frequently.

Retrace server is one possibility to solve these issues. ABRT offers user to upload her coredump to a remote server, then the retracing step happens there. The server creates an environment identical to what was on the user's computer at the time of the crash, by installing all the required packages and their debuginfo. The retrace server is able to do that because it keeps all the older packages from updates, and relevant part of updates-testing locally on the server.

After creating the backtrace, only the submitter is allowed to download/view it.

Benefit to Fedora

Users:

  1. Less disk space and processing time needed to use ABRT to report crashes.
  2. Possibility to report older crashes.
  3. Lower chance of failure, less time spent on crashes which cannot be retraced because debuginfo is no longer available.

Developers:

  1. Higher quality of ABRT reports.
  2. Possibility to quickly get a backtrace from any/random Fedora coredump.

Scope

ABRT is extended to support Retrace Server.

Retrace server is installed on https://retrace01.fedoraproject.org.

The server implementation consists of three parts:

  • HTTP Interface: Receives the archive with a coredump from user, unpacks all files, puts new task into the queue.
  • Analyzer: Takes a task from queue, creates a virtual root with all required packages and debuginfos installed and runs GDB to create the backtrace.
  • Repository Synchronizer: Downloads packages to a local repository containing all versions of all packages (no removal of older updates).

How To Test

CLI retrace client can be built from ABRT Git repository. CLI is integrated into latest ABRT GUI (analyze_RetraceServer).

Usage

$ abrt-retrace-client
Usage: abrt-retrace-client <operation> [options]
Operations: create/status/backtrace/log/batch

    -v, --verbose         Be verbose
    -s, --syslog          log to syslog
    -k, --insecure        allow insecure connection to retrace server
    --url URL             retrace server URL
    --headers             (debug) show received HTTP headers

For create and batch operations
    -d, --dir DIR         read data from ABRT crash dump directory
    -c, --core COREDUMP   read data from coredump (not yet implemented)
    --no-unlink           (debug) do not delete temporary archive created from dump dir in /tmp

For status, backtrace, and log operations
    -t, --task ID         id of your task on server
    -p, --password PWD    password of your task on server

Create a new retrace job:

$ abrt-retrace-client create -d ~/.abrt/spool/ccpp-whatever
Task ID: 123456789
Task Password: qwerty123456

Ask for status:

$ abrt-retrace-client status -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
PENDING / FINISHED_SUCCESS / FINISHED_FAILURE

Ask for log:

$ abrt-retrace-client log -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
log (text/plain)

Ask for backtrace:

$ abrt-retrace-client backtrace -t 123456789 -p qwerty123456
backtrace (text/plain)

Batch processing (all-in-one):

$ abrt-retrace-client batch -d ~/.abrt/spool/ccpp-whatever
[create]
[status] PENDING
[status] PENDING
[status] PENDING
[status] FINISHED_SUCCESS
[backtrace]

The retrace server at retrace01.fedoraproject.org (used by default) is configured to handle crashes for the following releases:

  • Fedora 14 i686
  • Fedora 14 x86_64
  • Fedora 15 i686
  • Fedora 15 x86_64

There is no trusted HTTPS certificate on retrace01.fedoraproject.org yet. You need to use -k option.

User Experience

ABRT reporting wizard offers a possibility to use retrace server instead of local retracing to generate a backtrace. Local retracing is still the default action.

Dependencies

  • new version of ABRT, supporting the retrace server option
  • a server with the retrace server application up and running

Server code dependencies:

Contingency Plan

Hide the possibility of using the retrace server from users in ABRT's graphical user interface.

Documentation

Release Notes

ABRT, a crash reporting tool in Fedora, now allows to prepare a part of crash processing remotely, on a server owned by Fedora Project. Remote coredump retracing leads to better quality of reports. Retrace server can generate good backtraces with much higher success rate than local retracing.

Comments and Discussion