IBM TotalStorage SAN256N Director 2045-N16, Installation And Maintenance Manual, Page: 121 / 157

Appendix A. Data collection and troubleshooting
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Appendix A. Data collection and troubleshooting
This appendix describes requirements for collecting data that can be used for problem
analysis, and provides guidelines and procedures for troubleshooting and problem
determination.
Collecting data for problem analysis
Before submitting any problem to IBM technical support for analysis, gather as much
information as possible with as much detail as possible. Field engineers must have
access to at least one TCM Ethernet port for attachment of a PC. The PC must have
HyperTerminal configured to access the TCM module, and the HyperTerminal Capture
Text facility must be active. This interface is required for accessing and gathering
information requested by IBM technical support. Refer to Appendix C. on page 125 if
you are unfamiliar with HyperTerminal.
The gathered troubleshooting information must be kept available for reference,
especially when talking to technical support personnel and performing the
troubleshooting procedures. The following topics address information requirements for
problem reporting.
Problem description
Provide a detailed description of the problem, including the following:
• The IBM problem number, and, if applicable, the partner problem number
• The customer name and location
• The date and time of the problem
• A detailed list of the events that lead up to the problem. Include user actions and times
and any other events that seem relevant. Include times and symptoms if possible.
• Your analysis of the problem
System configuration information
Provide as much system configuration information as possible, including the following:
• Servers, HBAs, and devices attached to the SAN256N director by vendor name and
operating system
• HBA and device information, including drivers, code, and micro-code levels
• Zoning information
• If you are using a fibre channel analyzer, such as the Finisar, provide the capture of
every frame, including lower level ordered set information
• If possible, supply a configuration diagram showing server/device connections to the
SAN256N director
Debug port capture and debug backup files
Enterprise Manager is used to collect debug port and debug backup information, as
described below.