Troubleshooting basics

To troubleshoot a problem, gather information about the problem for IBM® Software Support, use logging data, and consult the lists of identified problems and workarounds.

For general troubleshooting information, see the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Troubleshooting Guide. .

You can resolve some problems by ensuring that your system matches the system requirements. The most up-to-date requirements are in the Software product compatibility reports (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/prodguid/v1r0/clarity/index.html).

The following activities can help you find a solution to the problem you are having:

Gathering product information for IBM Software Support

Before contacting IBM Software Support about a problem you are experiencing with this product, gather the information shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Information to gather before contacting IBM Software Support
Information type Description
Log files Collect trace log files from failing systems. Most logs are located in a logs subdirectory on the host computer. See Table 1 for lists of all trace log files and their locations.

For general information about the IBM Tivoli® Monitoring environment, see the Tivoli Enterprise Portal User's Guide.
DB2 Universal Database information Version number and patch level

Sample application data file (if monitoring a file)
Operating system Operating system version number and patch level
Messages Messages and other information displayed on the screen
Version numbers for IBM Tivoli Monitoring Version number of the following members of the monitoring environment:
  • IBM Tivoli Monitoring. Also provide the patch level, if available.
  • DB2® agent
Screen captures Screen captures of incorrect output, if any
(UNIX systems only) Core dump files If the system stops on UNIX systems, collect the core dump file from the install_dir/bin directory, where install_dir is the directory where you installed the monitoring agent.

You can use the pdcollect tool to collect the most commonly used information from a system. This tool gathers log files, configuration information, version information, and other data. For more information about using this tool, see pdcollect tool in the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Troubleshooting Guide.

For information about working with IBM Software Support, see IBM Support Portal Service Requests and PMRs (http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Open_service_request/Software/Software_support_(general)).

Using logging

Logging is the primary troubleshooting feature in the monitoring agent. Logging refers to the text messages and trace data that is generated by the agent. Messages and trace data are sent to a file.

Trace data captures transient information about the current operating environment when a component or application fails to operate as designed. IBM Software Support personnel use the captured trace information to determine the source of an error or unexpected condition. See Trace logging for more information.

Consulting the lists of identified problems and workarounds

Known problems are organized into types such as those in the following list to make them easier to locate:
  • Installation, configuration, uninstallation
  • Remote deployment
  • Agent
  • Workspace
  • Situation
  • Take Action commands
See Problems and workarounds for information about symptoms and detailed workarounds for these types of problems.
For general troubleshooting information, see the IBM Tivoli Monitoring Troubleshooting Guide.