IBM Support General Guidelines and Limitations

IBM Support Guidelines and Limitations

Support lifecycle considerations

Clients for Life encapsulates IBM’s commitment to long-term client satisfaction. It’s a principle that prioritizes creating enduring relationships over short-term gains. IBM’s vision isn’t limited to a successful sale or implementation; it is rooted in the belief that clients should feel supported and valued throughout their journey. For more information about the Software Support Lifecycle, refer to Clients for Life: IBM Software Support – Base, Extended, Sustained.

IBM support for software on unsupported operating systems

IBM will provide support for IBM software, assuming that software is still within its support period. That support will continue until the back-level operating system is identified as a probable cause of the problem or a contributing factor, at which time IBM might ask the client to re-create the problem on a supported level of the operating system.

What you can expect regarding defect communication and resolution

Support case limitations

Unless otherwise stated, IBM Support offerings allow an unlimited number of technical support cases. Each case should be specific to a unique problem to maintain clear objectives and timelines.

Response Goals

IBM will use commercially reasonable efforts to respond to cases raised by authorized contacts within the criteria outlined in this document: the IBM Support Guidelines and Limitations. IBM's initial response might resolve the request, or it will form the basis for determining the additional actions that might be required to achieve a resolution. 

Depending on the complexity of the request, the next response might take days. Agreement between clients and IBM Support professionals is vital to determine what the next action is and when the next checkpoint will be. Severity 2, 3, and 4 problems reported outside business hours will be responded to the next business day, unless the client purchased a 24x7 support option where available.

To review the response level objectives for a specific product, select one of the following links:

IBM Software

IBM Appliances

IBM Storage

IBM Power

IBM Z

IBM Cloud Products

Open-source Software

IBM Software as a Service

Proactive and placeholder cases

Open support cases only for issues that are currently occurring and that IBM and the client can actively work on. Unless previously agreed on with your IBM Support representative, cases should not be opened before planned maintenance activities or as placeholders for potential future issues.

If a problem occurs during a planned maintenance activity and requires IBM Support assistance, open a new support case for that specific issue. Do not update or escalate a pre-existing proactive case to report a new problem because delays reaching the appropriate support team might result.

Note: Formalized proactive support engagement is available as part of premium IBM Support offerings. For more information, contact your IBM Account Manager.

Resolution process and tracking

When IBM validates a defect that a client identified, IBM creates an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) or Known Issue, depending on the product. Both APARs and Known Issues are known as defect records. Each defect record describes the details of the issue, provides the necessary diagnostic information to verify the defect, and documents viable workarounds when available. Because of the complexities of the environments IBM supports, APARs and Known Issues often take several weeks, possibly months, to debug, fix, test, package, and distribute.  

For high-impact problems, IBM Support makes every effort to develop a bypass or workaround that the client can use until the APAR is resolved and a fix is created. Code fixes for IBM products might be distributed with software subscriptions, service packages, or in a future release of the product.

Client's responsibility to provide information

IBM Support endeavors to fix problems in its products preventing them from working as intended, providing assistance and guidance. As part of this relationship, clients must provide IBM Support information about their systems and details about the failing components so that IBM can quickly and accurately resolve the problem. This information includes (but is not limited to)

• capturing documentation at the time of a failure
• applying a trap or trace code to a system
• formatting the output from the trap or trace (if needed)
• sending documentation or trace information (in hardcopy or digital copy) to the remote support center

Exchanging data

To ensure the data exchange is secure while troubleshooting problems, IBM Support primarily uses IBM Assist On-site (AOS) and Microsoft Teams screen-sharing tools. 

IBM offers Blue Diamond for US-based healthcare clients and Enhanced Secure Support for clients in other industries around the world with highly secure data requirements. Blue Diamond and Enhanced Secure Support provide extra physical, logical, and administrative security controls, over and above IBM Core Security Practices. For more information about IBM Enhanced Secure Support, refer to the IBM Enhanced Secure Support Overview document.

IBM Support might request that problem information or test cases be provided to help troubleshoot problems. By the terms and conditions set forth in a support agreement, this information must not be confidential (for example, not labeled “your company confidential”) and must not contain personally identifiable markers. IBM will use the information only to fix defects or to provide support for IBM products or services. IBM will not disclose this information to other parties, except to contractors of IBM who might be used to help resolve technical problems. 

IBM will delete, destroy, or return the data when it is no longer required. If the client elects to have IBM return physical media, the client is responsible for arranging the transport and delivery of the physical media. IBM will give the media to a client-designated carrier from an IBM location, but IBM is not responsible or liable for returning the media. For more information about exchanging diagnostic data with IBM, refer to Enhanced Customer Data Repository (ECuRep) - Terms of use.

Subscribing to defect records

When a defect record (APAR or Known Issue) is opened, IBM Support notifies the client and provides the relevant reference. To receive the latest status updates and fix availability information, the client might be asked to subscribe directly to the defect record. Because the issue is actively tracked through the defect-management process, the support case might be closed when appropriate, with future updates provided through the defect record.

You can search for Known Issues and APARs and subscribe to them directly from the IBM Support Portal search page. IBM Support is the official channel to share case information, recommendations, and action plans for problem resolution with clients. Although IBM participates in calls and meetings as needed, clients should always refer to their current, open support case for the most up-to-date and accurate case details.

Applying fixes

Clients are responsible for obtaining and applying fixes to their systems and testing the fixes to ensure their success. Occasionally, removing installed fixes might be necessary to isolate problems. Sometimes fixing a problem requires the installation of a later release of the software because some fixes cannot be retrofitted to earlier code. If a client does not have the required skills or cannot otherwise complete the work necessary to resolve the problem, they can engage a services provider, such as IBM Technology Lifecycle Services or a business partner to assist, for an additional fee.

Closure process

IBM's default practice is to close the support case after a defect record (APAR or Known Issue) is in place. Clients may discuss keeping a case open with their IBM Support representative.

IBM hardware maintenance agreement

IBM services entitled IBM equipment according to an IBM hardware maintenance agreement. As of January 1, 2025, client requests for maintenance support on IBM equipment not covered by an IBM hardware maintenance agreement will be offered the opportunity to add the products to an existing contract or to create a new agreement.  Products added to an existing hardware maintenance agreement might be subject to an IBM re-establishment fee or a similar charge, as well as a Maintenance Eligibility Inspection. For more information about the IBM maintenance terms, refer to the IBM Technical Services Attachment.

The following support tasks are not covered by IBM Technology Lifecycle Services maintenance offerings; however, IBM might provide these support tasks under the terms of an hourly billable service engagement:

• Data Collection: Requests requiring data collection by an onsite IBM server-side rendering (SSR) or requests requiring runtime system (RTS) guidance during screen-sharing sessions
• RTS Standby: Requests for dedicated standby support or participation in live, customer-led sessions for client-owned tasks
• Live Client Task Guidance (RTS Assisted Support): Requests for RTS involvement step-by-step instructions for client-owned tasks  
• Password Recovery (Flash Systems and SAN): Password re-generation and recovery requests that require RTS or SSR involvement beyond publicly available sources and procedures 

Change to the support level for IBM hardware

To ensure IBM clients, partners and sellers accurately understand the product lifecycle that informs our Clients for Life commitment, IBM is changing how the support lifecycle is communicated, especially what happens at the completion of standard support. Instead of announcing an End of Service for support purposes, IBM refers to a Change of Support Level from the standard Hardware Maintenance to a Hardware Service Extension. 

IBM hardware standard support is available until IBM announces the Change of Support Level. After the Change of Support Level is reached for an eligible product, Hardware Service Extension support is provided, which includes remote and break or fix onsite support, as well as access to existing patches and fixes. At the end of a client's current contract, the contract either auto-renews under Hardware Service Extension terms, or a client without auto-renewal provisions can renew support by purchasing a Hardware Service Extension without a lapse in coverage.

For machines that are under Hardware Service Extension support, coverage is provided until parts and skills are no longer available, at which time IBM will notify clients of full support withdrawal.

For the current status of products, check the Product Lifecycle page.

Removing a machine from maintenance coverage

If a client wants to terminate service on a machine currently under support because that machine is being permanently removed from productive use or decommissioned, the client must provide evidence that the machine was permanently powered off and is not used by the client or on behalf of the client's enterprise, such as with a certificate of destruction or proof of sale. If the client cannot provide sufficient documentation, the client must cooperate with IBM's onsite verification of the status if IBM deems this verification necessary. [LS1] Verification will be conducted after reasonable notice[LS2] [LS3] , in a manner that minimizes disruption to the client's business, possibly on the client's premises during regular business hours. If the machine’s status is not verified, IBM will continue to charge the client according to the transaction documents applicable to that machine.

IBM Installation of IBM Z Machine Code

For IBM machine types 8561, 8562, 3931, 3932, 9174, and subsequently announced IBM Z machines, installation of Machine Code is entitled under the warranty or an IBM hardware maintenance agreement. Machine Code is installed remotely by using the IBM Z Remote Support Facility or onsite by IBM or an IBM Authorized Service Provider.

For IBM machine types 2827, 2828, 2964, 2965, 3906, 3907, 8561, 8562, 3931, 3932, and 9175, the warranty or hardware maintenance agreement stipulates that IBM or an IBM Authorized Service Provider will install Machine Code onsite.

Note: There are no changes to IBM Z product offerings, such as MES Upgrades, On/Off Capacity or others that might be affected by End of Service (EOS) designation; for those purposes, “EOS” might continue to be used instead of “Change of Support Level".

Local language

IBM Support strives to provide services in local language for most countries. For specific language support based on products and services, refer to the IBM Support Guide – product details page.

Business hours

Business hours reflect regular country business hours in each time zone. For example, in North America regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding national or statutory holidays.

Local language

IBM Support hours cover the prevailing business hours in the country where the product is licensed, the contract is registered, or both. Keep this in mind if operations are outsourced to a help desk or firm that is overseas or working in another time zone.