First Failure Support Technology (FFST

First Failure Support Technology (FFST) for IBM® MQ provides information about events that, in the case of an error, can help IBM support personnel to diagnose the problem.

First Failure Data Capture (FFDC) provides an automated snapshot of the system environment when an internal event occurs. In the case of an error, this snapshot is used by IBM support personnel to provide a better understanding of the state of the system and IBM MQ when the problem occurred.

The information about an event is contained in an FFST file. In IBM MQ, FFST files have a file type of FDC. FFST files do not always indicate an error. An FFST might be informational.

Monitoring and housekeeping

Here are some tips to help you with managing FFST events:

Monitor FFST events for your system, and ensure that appropriate and timely remedial action is taken when an event occurs. In some cases, the FDC files might be expected and can therefore be ignored, for example FFST events that arise when IBM MQ processes are ended by the user. By appropriate monitoring, you can determine which events are expected, and which events are not.
FFST events are also produced for events outside IBM MQ. For example, if there is a problem with the IO subsystem or network, this problem can be reported in an FDC type file. These types of event are outside the control of IBM MQ and you might need to engage third parties to investigate the root cause.
Ensure that good housekeeping of FFST files is carried out. The files must be archived and the directory or folder must be cleared to ensure that only the most recent and relevant FDC files are available, should the support team need them.