| name | tiger-crash-dump |
| description | Identify and access crash dumps from CI test failures in Azure DevOps, for both normal test runs and Helix-based tests. |
Tiger Crash Dump Analysis Skill
This skill helps identify crash dumps produced during CI test failures and guides you to access them.
Detecting Crash Dumps
Crash dumps are indicated by examining error messages or stack traces in the test_results table. Look for:
- The phrase "Test host crash detected" in
error_message or stack_trace
- A file name ending in
.dmp in the error_message or stack_trace
Example queries to find crash dumps
SELECT tr.organization, tr.run_id, tr.result_id, tr.test_case_title, tr.error_message
FROM test_results tr
WHERE tr.error_message LIKE '%Test host crash detected%'
OR tr.error_message LIKE '%.dmp%'
OR tr.stack_trace LIKE '%.dmp%';
SELECT tr.organization, tr.run_id, tr.result_id, tr.test_case_title,
tr.error_message, tr.helix_job_name, tr.helix_work_item_name
FROM test_results tr
JOIN test_runs r ON r.organization = tr.organization AND r.run_id = tr.run_id
WHERE r.build_id = @buildId
AND (tr.error_message LIKE '%Test host crash detected%'
OR tr.error_message LIKE '%.dmp%'
OR tr.stack_trace LIKE '%.dmp%');
Accessing Crash Dumps
The method for retrieving the dump file depends on whether the test ran on Helix or not.
Normal (non-Helix) tests
When helix_job_name is NULL, the crash dump is uploaded inside an Azure DevOps pipeline artifact associated with the test job.
Download dump files directly:
# Download all dump files from a build
tiger azdo download-dumps <build-id>
# Download dumps only from a specific test run
tiger azdo download-dumps <build-id> --run-id <run-id>
# Specify output directory
tiger azdo download-dumps <build-id> --output ./dumps
This command scans build artifacts, finds .dmp files, and downloads them individually without downloading entire artifacts.
The tiger CLI is available at ../../tiger (relative to this skill).
How it works under the hood:
- Lists all artifacts for the build
- If
--run-id is provided, filters to the artifact matching that test run's name
- Fetches the file manifest for each artifact (supports both Container and PipelineArtifact types)
- Downloads only files ending in
.dmp
Fallback — download the full artifact:
If download-dumps doesn't work, you can download the entire artifact containing the dump:
# List artifacts to find the right one
tiger azdo artifacts <build-id>
# Download the full artifact (artifact name = test run name with underscores + "Attempt N Logs")
tiger azdo download <build-id> --artifact "<artifact-name>" --output ./logs.zip
As a last resort, use the AzDO REST API or the build's Artifacts tab in the web UI.
Helix tests
When helix_job_name is NOT NULL, the crash dump is stored as a file in the Helix work item.
Use the helix_work_items table to find the dump file:
SELECT hwi.job_name, hwi.work_item_name, hwi.files
FROM helix_work_items hwi
WHERE hwi.job_name = @helixJobName
AND hwi.work_item_name = @helixWorkItemName;
The files column contains a JSON array of file entries. Look for entries with a file name ending in .dmp. Each entry has a download URI.
helix_work_items Table Schema
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|
| job_name | TEXT | Helix job ID (matches test_results.helix_job_name) |
| work_item_name | TEXT | Helix work item name (matches test_results.helix_work_item_name) |
| state | TEXT | Work item state (e.g. "Passed", "Failed") |
| exit_code | INTEGER | Process exit code (non-zero often indicates a crash) |
| console_output_uri | TEXT | URI to the console log for the work item |
| files | TEXT | JSON array of uploaded files with download URIs |
Primary key: (job_name, work_item_name)
Parsing the files column
The files column is a JSON array of objects. Each object has:
fileName — the file name (look for .dmp suffix)uri — download URI for the file
Example:
[
{"fileName": "core.12345.dmp", "uri": "https://helix.dot.net/api/..."},
{"fileName": "console.log", "uri": "https://helix.dot.net/api/..."}
]
Example: finding dump URIs from Helix
SELECT hwi.job_name, hwi.work_item_name, hwi.files
FROM helix_work_items hwi
JOIN test_results tr ON tr.helix_job_name = hwi.job_name
AND tr.helix_work_item_name = hwi.work_item_name
JOIN test_runs r ON r.organization = tr.organization AND r.run_id = tr.run_id
WHERE r.build_id = @buildId
AND hwi.files LIKE '%.dmp%';
Then parse the JSON in the files column to extract the URI for the .dmp file.
Summary
| Scenario | Where to find the dump |
|---|
Normal test (helix_job_name IS NULL) | AzDO build artifact named after the test run |
Helix test (helix_job_name IS NOT NULL) | helix_work_items.files JSON array |
