Collecting data in console mode with IBM Support Assistant Data Collector

You can use the IBM® Support Assistant Data Collector in console mode to collect diagnostic documents for submission to IBM.

Before you begin

Before contacting IBM Software Support, ensure that your company has an active IBM software subscription and support contract, and that you are authorized to submit problems to IBM. See Contacting IBM Software Support for more details.

About this task

Procedure

To run the IBM Support Assistant Data Collector and collect diagnostic documents, complete the following steps:

  1. Ensure that the IBM Integration Bus run time variables are set correctly for your environment by using the mqsiprofile command. See Setting up a command environment for more information.
  2. At a command prompt, enter the mqsidc command.
    Note: You can ensure that the script is executable by entering the following command to change the file permissions: chmod 755 mqsidc

    The IBM Support Assistant Data Collector starts in console mode.

  3. Start the data collection. Available options are presented as numbered lists.
    1. Type a fully qualified file name for saving the collected data, or press Enter to generate a unique file name.
    2. At the input field prompts, type the number of the required option and press Enter.
  4. Choose a data transfer method.
    1. Type the number of the required option for transferring the diagnostic documents to IBM and press Enter. The available options are:
      1. Send the documents to IBM Software Support using secure transfer (HTTPS). You require a problem management record (PMR) number obtained through IBM Software Support.
      2. FTP the documents to IBM Software Support (unencrypted). You require a PMR number obtained through IBM Software Support. This option is less secure than option i.
      3. FTP the documents to another location (unencrypted). You are required to provide a target FTP location and appropriate authentication to access the documents.
      4. End the collection without sending.

      If you choose any of the first three options above, you are required to enter additional information to complete the upload.

    2. Type the number of the required option to confirm the data collection.

    When the IBM Support Assistant Data Collector completes, a .zip file is created at the location specified during the collection. You can extract the compressed files and examine the collected data by using a suitable tool.

What to do next

Note: The IBM Support Assistant Data Collector is not supported for z/OS®.
Note:

The mqsidc command might not run successfully if your home drive is a mapped network drive, or if the user is running mqsidc on UNIX or Linux® systems does not have write permission on '/tmp'. The IBM Support Assistant Data Collector is provided on a 'as-is' basis and support is not guaranteed. An alternative way to collect the docs under these conditions is to run the command manually instead of with mqsidc.