Bootloader with Custom DFU

Question

We have an existing DFU to deliver the pending firmware in flash. I need to develop a custom bootloader that copies the pending firmware and activates it. I am close but getting stuck. 
 Issue : 
 - When app_activate() is called, it just skips over it. Even when I add __root to it. The function exists in the .map file, but I can't enter it in debugger. 
 Specs : 
 - nRF52840, SDK15.0.0, SD140, using IAR compiler 
 My memory layout is 
 
 My Steps to processing the hex files 
 1) To fake a pending firmware update, I offset the main application to place it in Bank-1: 
 - srec_cat.exe app.hex -Intel -offset 0x5F000 -o appOffset.hex -Intel 
 2) To create the bootloader settings, I use the nrfutil: 
 - `nrfutil.exe” settings generate --family NRF52840 --application appOffset .hex --application-version 1 --bootloader-version 1 --bl-settings-version 1 settings.hex 
 3) I use the NRF programmer to merge and program the MBR/SoftDevices, Pending FW, Bootloader, and Bootloader Settings 
 
 Debugging 
 I'm trying to reuse as much of the example bootloader. 
 int main(void)
{ 

	NOT_USED ret_code_t ret_val;
	
	/* Copy pending update then reboot
	1. Check if there is a pending fw update:
 - nrf_bootloader_fw_activate() checks 
 p_bank->bank_code == NRF_DFU_BANK_VALID_APP, then calls app_activate()
	2. Copies pending firmware to slot 0 via app_activate(), then checks the CRC
	3. If successful, bootloader_reset();
	*/
	
 ret_val = nrf_bootloader_init(NULL);
	
 // Should never be reached.
 NRF_LOG_INFO("After main");
 NRF_LOG_FLUSH();
}
 
 When debugging, I have to manually write to the s_dfu_settings. I assume this would typically be set by the DFU. 
 - When I created the bootloader settings, I used an offset copy of the app. So here, I copied the info from Bank 0 to Bank 1 to tell the firmware that there is a pending update to handle. 
 
 This works in getting me to app_activate(), the function that copies the pending firmware to the target address (0x26000). However, in the debugger, it just skips over this function. I checked the map file and the function is linked. What am I doing wrong?

I am manually setting s_dfu_settings. Can I write to this in the application? Is there a preferred way to do this?