IBM Support Assistant

The IBM® Support Assistant is a stand-alone serviceability workbench, provided at no cost, to help you with problem determination. The IBM Support Assistant uses product-specific add-ons and provides a central location for you to search for fixes, gather data for troubleshooting problems, and manage problem submissions.

You can download the IBM Support Assistant at www.ibm.com/software/software/support/isa/download.html.

The add-ons to the IBM Support Assistant provide a quick way to learn more about the product. If you encounter a problem while your product is running, use the add-ons to search support documents for fixes and gather relevant logs for diagnosis. Use the Log Analyzer to view, filter, and analyze the logs.

You can use the IBM Support Assistant to perform these tasks:

Search documents concurrently: Rapidly search IBM documentation in different locations at the same time for answers to your questions or problems. The IBM Support Assistant returns results that are categorized by source for easy review.
Access product information: Quickly access product information, such as the product support page, product documentation, and RSS feeds for the latest flash notes, APARs, fixes, and technotes.
Gather data: Collect files to document problems related to installation, databases, security, integration, and general problems that are relevant to troubleshooting your environment. The collected data is packaged in compressed form for transmission to IBM.
Analyze log data: Use the Log Analyzer to review collected log files and troubleshoot problems.
Report problems: Connect to the IBM Service Request tool to open and update problem management records (PMRs). Send the information that the data collection scripts gather to IBM for diagnosis.

To learn more about the IBM Support Assistant, go to www.ibm.com/software/support/isa/.