Starting problem analysis

 

If you are having a problem on your system, follow this procedure to narrow down the problem and to gather the necessary information to report it to your next level of support.

  1. Can you turn on your system?

  2. Does the Function/Data display on the system control display start with Function 11-3, or is the System Attention light on? Use the up and down arrow buttons to cycle through the functions to determine if an 11-3 exists. Press Enter to alternate between function and data.

    • Yes: Go to step 19 to determine if an 11-3 exists.

    • No: Continue with the next step.

  3. Is the system logically partitioned?

    • Yes: Continue with the next step.

    • No: Go to step 5.

  4. Using system service tool (SST)/dedicated service tool (DST) from the primary partition console, select Work with system partitions, then select Work with partition status. Is there a partition with the state of Failed or Unit Attn?

    • Yes: Go to step 19.

    • No: Continue with the next step.
  5. Does the console show a Main Storage Dump Manager display?

  6. Does the display station that was in use when the problem occurred (or any display station) appear to be operational?

    The display station is operational if there is a sign-on display or a menu with a command line. If another display station is operational, use that display station to resolve the problem.

  7. Is a message related to this problem shown on the display station?

    • Yes: Continue with the next step.

    • No: Go to step 12.

  8. Is this a system operator message?

    It is a system operator message if the display indicates that the message is in the QSYSOPR message queue. Critical messages can be found in the QSYSMSG.

    • Yes: Continue with the next step.

    • No: Go to step 10.

  9. Is the system operator message highlighted, or does it have an asterisk (*) by it?

    • Yes: Go to step 18.

    • No: Go to step 14.
  10. Move the cursor to the message line and press F1 (Help), or use option 5 (Display details and reply). Does the Additional Message Information display appear?

    • Yes: Continue with the next step.

    • No: Go to step 12.

  11. Record the message information that is shown on the problem summary form. If possible, follow the recovery instructions on the Additional Message Information display. Did this solve the problem?

    • Yes: This ends the procedure.

    • No: Continue with the next step.
  12. Type dspmsg qsysopr on any command line and press Enter to display system operator messages. Did you find a message that is highlighted or has an asterisk (*) by it?

    • Yes: Go to step 18.

    • No: Continue with the next step.

      Management Central's Message monitor can also inform you when a problem has developed.

  13. Did you find a message at or near the time that the problem occurred?

    Use option 5 (Display details and reply) on the Work with Message display to determine the time that a message occurred.

    If the problem appears to affect only one display station, you might be able to use information from the JOB menu to diagnose and solve the problem. Type GO JOB and press Enter on any command line to find this menu.

    • Yes: Continue with the next step.

    • No: Go to step 16.
  14. Perform the following steps:

    1. Use option 5 (Display details and reply) to display additional information about the message.

    2. Record the message information that is shown on the problem summary form. If it indicates that you need to run problem analysis, go to step 18.

    3. If possible, follow any recovery instructions that are shown.

    Did this solve the problem?

    • Yes: This ends the procedure.

    • No: Continue with the next step.

  15. Were you instructed by the message information to look for additional messages in the system operator's message queue (QSYSOPR)?

    • Yes: Press F12 (Cancel) to return to the list of messages and look for other related messages. Then, return to step 12.

    • No: Continue with the next step.
  16. Do you know which input/output device is causing the problem?

    • No: Continue with the next step.

    • Yes: Perform the following steps:

      1. Type ANZPRB on the command line and press Enter.

      2. Report the problem. This ends the procedure.

  17. If you do not know which input/output device is causing the problem, describe the problems that you have observed by performing the following steps:

    1. Type go userhelp on any command line and press Enter.

    2. Select option 10 (Save information to help resolve a problem) on the Information and Problem Handling (USERHELP) menu. Type a brief description of the problem and press Enter on the Save Information to Help Resolve a Problem display. If you specify the default Y for the Enter notes about problem field and press Enter, the Select Text Type display appears that allows you to enter more text to describe your problem.

      To describe your problem in greater detail, see Using the Analyze Problem command. This command also might run a test to further isolate the problem.

  18. Perform the following steps:

    1. Use option 5 (Display details and reply) to display additional information about the message.

    2. Press F14, or use the Work with Problem (WRKPRB) command.

    3. If this does not solve the problem, see Symptom and recovery actions.
  19. Perform the following steps:

    1. Make sure that you have collected all of the system reference codes.

    2. Go to the System reference code list, find the system reference codes that you collected, and perform the actions indicated.

 

Parent topic:

Problem analysis procedures

Related concepts
Gathering information with the problem summary form Reporting problems detected by the system

Related tasks
Scenario: Message monitor Collecting system reference codes System reference code list Using the Analyze Problem command Using the Work with Problems command Symptom and recovery actions
Related reference
Creating message queue QSYSMSG for severe messages