Description

When IBM Notes Client is running, there are multiple processes that are started. Whenever any of the Notes processes terminates abnormally, ( by gpf or any unhanded exception or divide by zero error ), NSD runs and collects the diagnostic data related to the crash & also system diagnostic data.

After NSD finishes the data collection, It will identify the type of the client user was running ( like basic, standard, designed or admin ) and then restart the same client by creating the command line argument specific for that client, and launching that command line. This feature is available in IBM Notes 9.0 and later releases.

This restart can be controlled using notes.ini parameter FaultRecoveryOnClient with following values.

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 2

( Default Value, automatic restart ) In Default behavior, upon any Notes abnormal termination, the client will be automatically restarted. NSD dialog will automatically close once finished. The first client (Standard or Basic Notes/admin/designer) started during the earlier session will be restarted.

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 1

( Manual Restart ) When this value is set in notes.ini then in event of a crash NSD will run, but after completion this dialog will not close. It will have Restart button enabled. User can choose to either click Restart button to close NSD dialog and restart Notes client. Alternatively user can choose to click Close button and close NSD dialog without restarting Notes client.

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 0

( Disabled Restart ) When this value is set in notes.ini, in event of a crash NSD will run, but after completion this dialog will not close and Notes will not restart. Also Restart button will remain disabled. User can only close NSD dialog in this case. This was the default behavior in previous Notes releases.

If Notes client crashes within 180 seconds of the last crash then restart option is not provided. In such cases NSD dialog remains open after it completes collecting the diagnostic data. In above scenario it is observed that the Notes client is crashing too frequently hence Restart button will remain disabled even if the parameter is set to default or manual restart option.

If the Notes client crashes after 180 seconds of previous crash then the restart feature works as per the value set in notes.ini for the parameter FaultRecoveryOnClient.

User can also change this default 180 seconds time using notes.ini parameter FRClientRestartTimeLimitSecs. User can set the number of seconds.

Platform support

This feature is supported on Windows and Linux platform. On Mac, the OS provides Send crash report to Apple, Reopen application dialog from where Notes can be relaunched.

Windows Behavior

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 2 - (Default) For auto restart, NSD dialog will get automatically closed.

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 1
A Restart button will get enabled on NSD dialog which user can click to restart client.



FaultRecoveryOnClient = 0
Restart button will get disabled on NSD dialog. Close button will remain enabled which user can click to close the client.

Linux Behavior

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 2 - (Default) For auto restart, NSD dialog will get automatically closed.

FaultRecoveryOnClient = 1
NSD shows a dialog "NSD is running, please wait" and when it finishes "NSD Complete" dialog is shown with nsd file path. Restart button is enabled in this case.




FaultRecoveryOnClient = 0
Initially it will display dialog 'NSD is running, please wait...'. After NSD completes another dialog will be shown with path to nsd logs. Restart button is not provided in this case.

Known Limitation

When Notes crashes for the first time after Notes installation it does not restart automatically. In this case NSD dialog remains open with only Close button enabled. Manual restart is also not an option since the Restart button is disabled.

The work around is to manually restart Notes after the first time Notes crash. For subsequent crashes Notes will restart automatically.

About the Authors

Swapnil Nimbalkar is working with IBM - India Software Labs, as Staff Software Engineer and currently working with Notes Client Core/Infra team since September 2012. You can reach Swapnil at snimbalk@in.ibm.com.

Mandar Dhas is working with IBM - India Software Labs, as Senior Staff Software Engineer and currently working with Notes Client Core/Infra team since April 2012. You can reach Mandar at manddhas@in.ibm.com.