Searching the IBM database

 

IBM keeps records of all known problems with its licensed programs on its software support database (RETAIN). IBM support center staff continually update this database as new problems are found, and they regularly search the database to see if problems they are told about are already known.

If you have access to one of IBM's search tools such as INFORMATION/ACCESS OR INFORMATION/SYSTEM we can look on the RETAIN database yourself. If not, we can contact the IBM support center to perform the search for you.

We can search the database using a string of keywords to see if a similar problem already exists. This section explains how to search the database using keywords.

We can use the keyword string (also called the symptom string) that appears in a dump or SYS1.LOGREC record to search the database, or we can build your own keyword string from the procedure described in Building a keyword string. Before you use the procedures in this section, work through Preliminary checks to check that the problem does not have a simple solution.

If the search is successful, you find a similar problem description and, usually, a fix. If the search is unsuccessful, you should use these keywords when contacting IBM for additional assistance, or when documenting a possible authorized program analysis report (APAR).

Searching the IBM software support database is most effective if you:

• Always spell keywords the way they are spelled in this book

• Include all the appropriate keywords in any discussion with your IBM support center