Developing your keyword string

This section helps you to develop a keyword string to describe your program failure. The keyword string is used to search an IBM software support database, explained in Searching the problem reporting databases. The number of keywords within a keyword string depends on the type of failure being described. The types of failures include:

System abend
User abend
Wait
Loop
Message
Incorrect output
Performance
Document

Before contacting the IBM Support Center for assistance, ensure that your keyword string contains all the required keywords for your particular type of failure.

Figure 1 shows the steps you need to follow, depending on the type of failure you describe. The following are the keywords you might need to use:

Keyword: When required
Component Identification: Always required
FMID: Always required
Type-of-Technique: Required for all except document errors
Type-of-Application: Required for all except document errors
Type-of-Failure: Always required
Module: Required for system abend, user abend, wait, and loop
Offset: Required for system abend, user abend, wait, and loop
Message Variable: Required for messages ICE061A and ICE117A
Order Number: Required for document error

Begin with Constructing keyword strings and follow the procedures until the keyword string is developed and you are instructed to use it as a search argument.

Figure 1. Keyword String Flowchart