IBM Support Assistant for WebSphere eXtreme Scale

You can use the IBM® Support Assistant to collect data, analyze symptoms, and access product information.

IBM Support Assistant Lite

IBM Support Assistant Lite for WebSphere® eXtreme Scale provides automatic data collection and symptom analysis support for problem determination scenarios.

IBM Support Assistant Lite reduces the amount of time it takes to reproduce a problem with the proper Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability tracing levels set (trace levels are set automatically by the tool) to streamline problem determination. If you need further assistance, IBM Support Assistant Lite also reduces the effort required to send the appropriate log information to IBM Support.

IBM Support Assistant Lite is included in each installation of WebSphere eXtreme Scale Version 7.1.0

IBM Support Assistant

IBM® Support Assistant (ISA) provides quick access to product, education, and support resources that can help you answer questions and resolve problems with IBM software products on your own, without needing to contact IBM Support. Different product-specific plug-ins let you customize IBM Support Assistant for the particular products you have installed. IBM Support Assistant can also collect system data, log files, and other information to help IBM Support determine the cause of a particular problem.

IBM Support Assistant is a utility to be installed on your workstation, not directly onto the WebSphere eXtreme Scale server system itself. The memory and resource requirements for the Assistant could negatively affect the performance of the WebSphere eXtreme Scale server system. The included portable diagnostic components are designed for minimal impact to the normal operation of a server.

You can use IBM Support Assistant to help you in the following ways:
  • To search through IBM and non-IBM knowledge and information sources across multiple IBM products to answer a question or solve a problem
  • To find additional information through product-specific Web resources; including product and support home pages, customer news groups and forums, skills and training resources and information about troubleshooting and commonly asked questions
  • To extend your ability to diagnose product-specific problems with targeted diagnostic tools available in the Support Assistant
  • To simplify collection of diagnostic data to help you and IBM resolve your problems (collecting either general or product/symptom-specific data)
  • To help in reporting of problem incidents to IBM Support through a customized online interface, including the ability to attach the diagnostic data referenced above or any other information to new or existing incidents

Finally, you can use the built-in Updater facility to obtain support for additional software products and capabilities as they become available. To set up IBM Support Assistant for use with WebSphere eXtreme Scale, first install IBM Support Assistant using the files provided in the downloaded image from the IBM Support Overview Web page at: http://www-947.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Overview/Software/Other_Software/IBM_Support_Assistant. Next, use IBM Support Assistant to locate and install any product updates. You can also choose to install plug-ins available for other IBM software in your environment. More information and the latest version of the IBM Support Assistant are available from the IBM Support Assistant Web page at: http://www.ibm.com/software/support/isa/.