Troubleshooting and support

Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to solving a problem. The goal of troubleshooting is to determine why something does not work as expected and how to resolve the problem.

The first step in the troubleshooting process is to describe the problem completely. Problem descriptions help you and the IBM Support representative know where to start to find the cause of the problem. This step includes asking yourself basic questions:

  • What are the symptoms of the problem?
  • Where does the problem occur?
  • When does the problem occur?
  • Under which conditions does the problem occur?
  • Can the problem be reproduced?

The answers to these questions typically lead to a good description of the problem, which can then lead you a problem resolution.

Contacting Support

See the IBM Support Portal External link opens a new window or tab (www.ibm.com/support) to find fixes, product documentation, support contacts, and more.

Before you contact IBM® Software Support, your company must have an active IBM software subscription and support contract, and you must be authorized to submit problems to IBM. The type of software subscription and support contract that you need depends on the type of product you have. For information about the types of available support, see the IBM Support Guide External link opens a new window or tab.

If the problem that you submit is for a software defect or for missing or inaccurate documentation, IBM Support creates an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR). The APAR describes the problem in detail. Whenever possible, IBM Support provides a workaround that you can implement until the APAR is resolved and a fix is delivered. IBM publishes resolved APARs on the IBM Support website daily so that other users who experience the same problem can benefit from the same resolution.