Exchanging information with IBM

To diagnose or identify a problem, we might need to provide IBM Support with data and information from the system. In other cases, IBM Support might provide you with tools or utilities to use for problem determination.

Parent topic: Support Information

Sending information to IBM Support

To reduce the time required to resolve your problem, we can send trace and diagnostic information to IBM Support.

To submit diagnostic information to IBM Support:

Steps

1. Open a problem management record (PMR).
2. Collect the diagnostic data that we need. Diagnostic data helps reduce the time that it takes to resolve your PMR. We can collect the diagnostic data manually or automatically:
   • Collect the data manually.
   • Collect the data automatically.

3. Compress the files using the .zip or .tar file format.
4. Transfer the files to IBM. We can use one of the following methods to transfer the files to IBM:
   • IBM Support Assistant
   • The Service Request tool
   • Standard data upload methods: FTP, HTTP
   • Secure data upload methods: FTPS, SFTP, HTTPS
   • Email

   All of these data exchange methods are explained on the IBM Support website.

Receiving information from IBM Support

Occasionally an IBM technical-support representative might ask us to download diagnostic tools or other files. We can use FTP to download these files.

Before you begin

Ensure that your IBM technical-support representative provided you with the preferred server to use for downloading the files and the exact directory and file names to access.

To download files from IBM Support:

Steps

1. Use FTP to connect to the site that your IBM technical-support representative provided and log in as anonymous. Use your email address as the password.
2. Change to the appropriate directory:
   1. Change to the /fromibm directory.

      cd fromibm

   2. Change to the directory that your IBM technical-support representative provided.

      cd nameofdirectory

3. Enable binary mode for your session.

   binary

4. Use the get command to download the file that your IBM technical-support representative specified.

   get filename.extension

5. End your FTP session.

   quit