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+.. _reportingissues:
+
+Reporting Bugs
+==============
+
+Although every situation is different, this section describes how to
+collect data which will help make efficient use of everyone's time
+when dealing with vpp bugs.
+
+Before you press the Jira button to create a bug report - or email
+vpp-dev@lists.fd.io - please ask yourself whether there's enough
+information for someone else to understand and to reproduce the issue
+given a reasonable amount of effort. **Unicast emails to maintainers,
+committers, and the project PTL are strongly discouraged.**
+
+A good strategy for clear-cut bugs: file a detailed Jira ticket, and
+then send a short description of the issue to vpp-dev@lists.fd.io,
+perhaps from the Jira ticket description. It's fine to send email to
+vpp-dev@lists.fd.io to ask a few questions **before** filing Jira tickets.
+
+.. toctree::
+
+ reportingissues
diff --git a/docs/contributing/reportingissues/reportingissues.rst b/docs/contributing/reportingissues/reportingissues.rst
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+.. _reportingbugs:
+
+.. toctree::
+
+Data to include in bug reports
+==============================
+
+Image version and operating environment
+---------------------------------------
+
+Please make sure to include the vpp image version and command-line arguments.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ $ sudo bash
+ # vppctl show version verbose cmdline
+ Version: v18.07-rc0~509-gb9124828
+ Compiled by: vppuser
+ Compile host: vppbuild
+ Compile date: Fri Jul 13 09:05:37 EDT 2018
+ Compile location: /scratch/vpp-showversion
+ Compiler: GCC 7.3.0
+ Current PID: 5211
+ Command line arguments:
+ /scratch/vpp-showversion/build-root/install-vpp_debug-native/vpp/bin/vpp
+ unix
+ interactive
+
+With respect to the operating environment: if misbehavior involving a
+specific VM / container / bare-metal environment is involved, please
+describe the environment in detail:
+
+* Linux Distro (e.g. Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS, CentOS-7, etc.)
+* NIC type(s) (ixgbe, i40e, enic, etc. etc.), vhost-user, tuntap
+* NUMA configuration if applicable
+
+Please note the CPU architecture (x86_86, aarch64), and hardware platform.
+
+When practicable, please report issues against released software, or
+unmodified master/latest software.
+
+"Show" command output
+---------------------
+
+Every situation is different. If the issue involves a sequence of
+debug CLI command, please enable CLI command logging, and send the
+sequence involved. Note that the debug CLI is a developer's tool -
+**no warranty express or implied** - and that we may choose not to fix
+debug CLI bugs.
+
+Please include "show error" [error counter] output. It's often helpful
+to "clear error", send a bit of traffic, then "show error"
+particularly when running vpp on noisy networks.
+
+Please include ip4 / ip6 / mpls FIB contents ("show ip fib", "show ip6
+fib", "show mpls fib", "show mpls tunnel").
+
+Please include "show hardware", "show interface", and "show interface
+address" output
+
+Here is a consolidated set of commands that are generally useful
+before/after sending traffic. Before sending traffic:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ vppctl clear hardware
+ vppctl clear interface
+ vppctl clear error
+ vppctl clear run
+
+Send some traffic and then issue the following commands.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ vppctl show version verbose
+ vppctl show hardware
+ vppctl show interface address
+ vppctl show interface
+ vppctl show run
+ vppctl show error
+
+Here are some protocol specific show commands that may also make
+sense. Only include those features which have been configured.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ vppctl show l2fib
+ vppctl show bridge-domain
+
+ vppctl show ip fib
+ vppctl show ip neighbors
+
+ vppctl show ip6 fib
+ vppctl show ip6 neighbors
+
+ vppctl show mpls fib
+ vppctl show mpls tunnel
+
+Network Topology
+----------------
+
+Please include a crisp description of the network topology, including
+L2 / IP / MPLS / segment-routing addressing details. If you expect
+folks to reproduce and debug issues, this is a must.
+
+At or above a certain level of topological complexity, it becomes
+problematic to reproduce the original setup.
+
+Packet Tracer Output
+--------------------
+
+If you capture packet tracer output which seems relevant, please include it.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ vppctl trace add dpdk-input 100 # or similar
+
+send-traffic
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ vppctl show trace
+
+Capturing post-mortem data
+==========================
+
+It should go without saying, but anyhow: **please put post-mortem data
+in obvious, accessible places.** Time wasted trying to acquire
+accounts, credentials, and IP addresses simply delays problem
+resolution.
+
+Please remember to add post-mortem data location information to Jira
+tickets.
+
+Syslog Output
+-------------
+
+The vpp signal handler typically writes a certain amount of data in
+/var/log/syslog before exiting. Make sure to check for evidence, e.g
+via "grep /usr/bin/vpp /var/log/syslog" or similar.
+
+Binary API Trace
+----------------
+
+If the issue involves a sequence of control-plane API messages - even
+a very long sequence - please enable control-plane API
+tracing. Control-plane API post-mortem traces end up in
+/tmp/api_post_mortem.<pid>.
+
+Please remember to put post-mortem binary api traces in accessible
+places.
+
+These API traces are especially helpful in cases where the vpp engine
+is throwing traffic on the floor, e.g. for want of a default route or
+similar.
+
+Make sure to leave the default stanza "... api-trace { on } ... " in
+the vpp startup configuration file /etc/vpp/startup.conf, or to
+include it in the command line arguments passed by orchestration
+software.
+
+Core Files
+----------
+
+Production systems, as well as long-running pre-production soak-test
+systems, **must** arrange to collect core images. There are various
+ways to configure core image capture, including e.g. the Ubuntu
+"corekeeper" package. In a pinch, the following very basic sequence
+will capture usable vpp core files in /tmp/dumps.
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ # mkdir -p /tmp/dumps
+ # sysctl -w debug.exception-trace=1
+ # sysctl -w kernel.core_pattern="/tmp/dumps/%e-%t"
+ # ulimit -c unlimited
+ # echo 2 > /proc/sys/fs/suid_dumpable
+
+If you start VPP from systemd, you also need to edit
+/lib/systemd/system/vpp.service and uncomment the "LimitCORE=infinity"
+line before restarting VPP.
+
+Vpp core files often appear enormous, but they are invariably
+sparse. Gzip compresses them to manageable sizes. A multi-GByte
+corefile often compresses to 10-20 Mbytes.
+
+When decompressing a vpp core file, we suggest using "dd" as shown to
+create a sparse, uncompressed core file:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ $ zcat vpp_core.gz | dd conv=sparse of=vpp_core
+
+Please remember to put compressed core files in accessible places.
+
+Make sure to leave the default stanza "... unix { ... full-coredump
+... } ... " in the vpp startup configuration file
+/etc/vpp/startup.conf, or to include it in the command line arguments
+passed by orchestration software.
+
+Core files from Private Images
+==============================
+
+Core files from private images require special handling. If it's
+necessary to go that route, copy the **exact** Debian packages (or
+RPMs) which correspond to the core file to the same public place as
+the core file. A no-excuses-allowed, hard-and-fast requirement.
+
+In particular:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ libvppinfra_<version>_<arch>.deb # vppinfra library
+ libvppinfra-dev_<version>_<arch>.deb # vppinfra library development pkg
+ vpp_<version>_<arch>.deb # the vpp executable
+ vpp-dbg_<version>_<arch>.deb # debug symbols
+ vpp-dev_<version>_<arch>.deb # vpp development pkg
+ vpp-lib_<version>_<arch>.deb # shared libraries
+ vpp-plugin-core_<version>_<arch>.deb # core plugins
+ vpp-plugin-dpdk_<version>_<arch>.deb # dpdk plugin
+
+For reference, please include git commit-ID, branch, and git repo
+information [for repos other than gerrit.fd.io] in the Jira ticket.
+
+Note that git commit-ids are crypto sums of the head [latest]
+**merged** patch. They say **nothing whatsoever** about local
+workspace modifications, branching, or the git repo in question.
+
+Even given a byte-for-byte identical source tree, it's easy to build
+dramatically different binary artifacts. All it takes is a different
+toolchain version.
+
+
+On-the-fly Core File Compression
+--------------------------------
+
+Depending on operational requirements, it's possible to compress
+corefiles as they are generated. Please note that it takes several
+seconds' worth of wall-clock time to compress a vpp core file on the
+fly, during which all packet processing activities are suspended.
+
+To create compressed core files on the fly, create the following
+script, e.g. in /usr/local/bin/compressed_corefiles, owned by root,
+executable:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ #!/bin/sh
+ exec /bin/gzip -f - >"/tmp/dumps/core-$1.$2.gz"
+
+Adjust the kernel core file pattern as shown:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+ sysctl -w kernel.core_pattern="|/usr/local/bin/compressed_corefiles %e %t"
+
+Core File Summary
+-----------------
+
+Bottom line: please follow core file handling instructions to the
+letter. It's not complicated. Simply copy the exact Debian packages or
+RPMs which correspond to core files to accessible locations.
+
+If we go through the setup process only to discover that the image and
+core files don't match, it will simply delay resolution of the issue;
+to say nothing of irritating the person who just wasted their time.