Introduction to troubleshooting

In a complex environment such as the one in which OMEGAMON XE on z/OS operates, identifying the source and cause of problems can be difficult. A problem that you experience with OMEGAMON XE on z/OS data in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal might ultimately be traced to a component such as a Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server or Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server, rather than to the monitoring agent.

The IBM Tivoli Monitoring: Troubleshooting Guide provides extensive information about resolving problems you might experience with Tivoli Management Services components and describes in detail the tools available to help you collect and analyze diagnostic data. This guide, in contrast, focuses on collecting and analyzing data specific to the OMEGAMON XE on z/OS monitoring agent.

This chapter introduces a systematic approach to troubleshooting that can help you determine which problems are caused by those common components and which are associated with the monitoring agent. It also provides an overview of the tools available for collecting and analyzing diagnostic data and for documenting problems and reporting them to IBM Software Support.

Troubleshooting is not the same as problem solving, although during the process of troubleshooting, you can often obtain enough information to solve a problem. Sometimes, however, you might encounter a problem that you cannot solve by yourself, even after determining its cause. If you are unable to solve a problem on your own, you can contact IBM Software Support for a solution.