Enabling Service and Support Manager

When enabled, Service and Support Manager allows IBM® Cloud Pak System Software for Power® to open a service ticket with IBM Support and automatically collect required trace logs when a Call Home event occurs on the system. The trace information can be automatically uploaded to IBM Support to expedite problem resolution. Alternatively, you might choose to upload the trace files manually.

1. Click System > System Settings.
2. Expand Service and Support Manager.
3. In the Service and Support Level section, select the Edit icon and select the appropriate level:
   • Collect troubleshooting information and open a service request with all required data: With this option, when a Call Home event is detected, a service ticket is opened automatically. The context-specific log collection set is generated immediately and then uploaded as soon as it becomes available. Log collection times vary.

     This option is the recommended option as it expedites service ticket processing with IBM Support.

   • Collect troubleshooting information and open a service request, but do not post the log files: With this option, when a Call Home event is detected, a service ticket is opened and the context-specific log collection set is immediately generated. However, the collection set is not uploaded to IBM Support.

     With this option, you can download the collection set for review before manually uploading it to IBM Support. IBM Support uses your preferred method of contact to request the collection set so that the service request can be processed. Because this option is not fully automated, it might delay sending the required information to IBM Support.

     Note: Collection sets do not remain available on the system indefinitely and they must be uploaded before they expire. The expiration date is typically within three days, but if storage space is required, collection sets might be removed sooner.
   • Do not collect troubleshooting information and do not open a service request. The administrator will open a service request and collect and post the log files manually: With this option, Call Home events are set with the category Call Support on the console Events page.

     The administrator must open a service ticket and request collection of log files manually, and provide them to IBM Support.

     This option is not recommended because of the time delay between event detection and manual collection of log information, which might cause important debug information to be missed.

   Note: If your system is running out of disk space, then the Call Home log collections do not complete successfully. To resolve this issue, clean up the disk and retry.
4. Optional: In the Automatic Health Check section, review the Disable automatic health check option. By default, this check box is selected, and so the automatic upload of health and analytics data to IBM is disabled.

   If you select the option Collect troubleshooting information and open a service request with all required data, this check box becomes clear, which means that the automatic health check function is enabled.

   When this function is enabled, it checks whether the system is online and sends a notification periodically to IBM, together with system health data. IBM uses this information to find common issues and improve the product.

   By enabling this function, you agree to the enablement and activation of automatic transmission of health and analytics information to IBM. Health and analytics information might include collection and retention of system utilization, performance, health, system failure logs, part feature codes, part number, part serial number, part locations, software inventory, operating system applications, PTFs, maintenance levels, and configuration values. Service information does not otherwise include the collection or transmission of your workload data, company's financial statistical or personnel data, nor your business plans.

   To see the health and analytics data that is collected and transmitted to IBM, create and examine a Cloud Pak System Analytics collection set on the System Troubleshooting page.

5. In the Company Contact section, enter the information about the contact person and the company, and click Next.
   The required fields are: the contact and company names, the telephone number, and the country or region. Enter the information in English. National language characters are not supported.
6. In the System Information section, enter the information about the system location and click Next.
   The required fields are: the telephone number, the country or region, the street address, the city, the state or province, the postal code, and the building. Enter the information in English. National language characters are not supported.
7. In the Connection section, specify the connection settings to be used by Cloud Pak System Software to contact IBM Support.
   Configure the following settings:

   • If Cloud Pak System Software has direct access to the internet, select the option Connect to the Internet directly
   • If Cloud Pak System Software must use a proxy server for HTTP communication with IBM Support, select HTTP proxy server. Specify the IP address for the proxy server in the Proxy server host name field (do not include an https:// prefix) and the Proxy server port number.

     If authentication is required, select Proxy servers require authentication and specify the credentials.

8. In the Send Notification section, specify users and email addresses to which to send the notification emails when new problems are opened.
   Configure the following settings:

   • Select the Send notification check box to enable email notification.
   • From the Available Users list, select one or more users or enter a valid email address in the Add Extra Emails box.
   • To add users to the notification list, click the right arrow. To remove users from the notification list, select them and click the left arrow.
9. Test that all options are set correctly:
   • To test that a network connection can be established, click Test Connection.
   • To send a test service ticket to IBM Support to verify that the information entered is correct, click Send Test Service Ticket.
     Note: This operation tests the call home function, but does not send a notification email even if email notification is enabled. To test problem notification, use the Test Send notification operation.
   • To send a test notification email to verify that email messages are sent to the notification list, click Test Send notification.
10. Click OK to save your settings.