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In this part we see how we can load memory dumps into ParaView data analysis and visualization system. First we need to download the latest version from here. If we have a memory dump we need first to calculate its dimensions and for a square we can use this simple formula: (int)sqrt(file_size/4). For example, the dump file I use here has the size of 1,746,853 bytes, therefore we have 660×660.

1. Launch ParaView:

2. Go to File \ Open and select All Files (*.*) and choose your .dmp file. The following dialog appears:

Choose Raw (binary) Files option.

3. If nothing changes on the screen go to View menu and select Object Inspector. The following panel should appear:

4. Here we should carefully specify parameters for our dump file:

Data Scalar Type: unsigned long
File Dimensionality: 2
Data Extent:

0 659
0 659

5. We then Apply and get the dump loaded:

6. We might want to uncheck File Lower Left at the bottom of the Object Inspector properties to get lower memory addresses start from the left-top corner of the image:

7. Also Data Byte Order LittleEndian obviously changes the color of RGB triplets or RGBA quadruplets but the large scale structure remains the same:

8. We can select View \ Show Color Legend to see how unsigned long values from the dump file are mapped continuously to colors:

I prefer to choose BigEndian because we get similar layout as we get from ImageMagick RGBA conversion or from Dump2Picture:

  

9. ParaView can even load large dumps, for example, this is a screenshot of 1.5Gb dump in big endian and little endian byte orderings respectively:

 - Dmitry Vostokov @ DumpAnalysis.org -

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Resume and CV: As a Book

Fundamentals of Complete Crash and Hang Memory Dump Analysis

Management Bits: An Anthology from Reductionist Manager

Crash Dump Analysis: Practical Foundations (Windows Edition, Systematic Software Fault Analysis Series)

Crash Dump Analysis for System Administrators and Support Engineers

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Debugged! MZ/PE: MagaZine for/from Practicing Engineers

New Books:

Advanced Windows Memory Dump Analysis with Data Structures: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes

Accelerated .NET Memory Dump Analysis: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes

Accelerated Windows Memory Dump Analysis: Training Course Transcript and WinDbg Practice Exercises with Notes

Introduction to Pattern-Driven Software Problem Solving

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Color Supplement for Volumes 4-5

Windows Debugging Notebook: Essential User Space WinDbg Commands

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 5

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 4

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology: Color Supplement for Volumes 1-3

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 3

First Fault Software Problem Solving: A Guide for Engineers, Managers and Users

x64 Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

Also available:

Windows Debugging: Practical Foundations

DLL List Landscape: The Art from Computer Memory Space

Dumps, Bugs and Debugging Forensics: The Adventures of Dr. Debugalov

WinDbg: A Reference Poster and Learning Cards

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 2

Memory Dump Analysis Anthology, Volume 1

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Baby Turing

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 10:33 pm and is filed under Fun with Crash Dumps, Memory Visualization, Tools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.