Using the Error Message Diagnostic Aid


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management

Overview

When do you use the Error Message Diagnostic Aid?

You use the Error Message Diagnostic Aid to find solutions related to specific error message your callers may see on their systems. This Diagnostic Aid is helpful if you provide support for computer-based applications, or for hardware that displays error message to users.

Error Message records

Your system administrator must create the database of Error Message records. Error Message records are organized in hierarchies which help you quickly locate the Error Message record containing the solution you need. There are two kinds of Error Message records: group and individual.
  • Group Error Message records organize individual Error Message records into categories. For example, all Error Message records containing solutions to personal computer hardware problems could belong to an Error Message group called "PC System Errors."
  • Individual Error Message records contain the solutions that you apply to problems. For example, you could have an Error Message record containing a solution that explains what an "Allocation error" is and what you can do to solve the problem.

Group organization of Error Message records is especially helpful if your database contains many Error Message records, because it narrows the list of selections that appear at each level of the hierarchy.

In-context search

If you access the Error Messages tab from the Call Registration dialog box and you specify component and location information, or if you access it from the Problem Status dialog box, Tivoli Problem Management performs an in-context search for Error Message records that match the component and location values.

Out-of-context search

You can perform an out-of-context search for Error Message records and not use location and component information with the Call Registration dialog box or the Problem Status dialog box open from the toolbar or Diagnostic menu. Also, you can search through all the Error Message records when you are not registering a call or resuming a problem.

When you perform an out-of-context search, the Work with Error Message dialog box contains all the group Error Message records and any individual Error Message records that do not belong to a group. If you do not supply a context, Tivoli Problem Management does not narrow the search. You can use the Inquiry and SQL buttons on this dialog box to search for a more specific set of Error Message records.

Note: For more information on searching, see Searching and Inquiring.
Your system administrator can make the Error Message Inquiry dialog box appear before the Work with Error Message dialog box when you request an out-of-context search. You can specify search parameters in the Error Message Inquiry dialog box. These search parameters control which Error Message records appear in the Work with Error Message dialog box.

Work With Error Message dialog box

Use the Work with Error Message dialog box to maintain Error Message records and perform out-of-context searches in Tivoli Problem Management.

To access the Work with Error Message dialog box, do one of the following:

  • If you are using the Problem Management Administrator profile or the Problem Management Analyst profile, from the Diagnostics menu, choose Error Messages.
  • If you are using the Tivoli Service Desk Administrator profile or the Tivoli Service Desk User profile, from the Problem Mgmt Diagnostics menu, choose Work with Error Message.
  • From the Help menu, choose Your System Profile and follow the instructions under Work with Error Message.

Search Parameters on Error Message Inquiry dialog box

The following table describes the search parameters for out-of-context searches available in the Error Message Inquiry dialog box.
Name Description
Starting ID
Ending ID
Specify a range of Error Message record ID numbers.
Location ID Specify a particular location by typing a Location ID.
Severity Select a problem severity code.
Adding User Type the User ID code of the user who added the Error Message record.
Parent Title Select a parent record name. For more information on parent records, see Navigating Error Message hierarchies.
Title If you want to search by Error Message record title, but do not know the complete title, you can use wildcards. For example, to find the Error Message records dealing with toner cartridges, you can complete this box with *toner* or *cartridge*.
System Component Item Module If you use SCIM information to narrow your search, these lists must be completed from the top down.
Problem Type When a component is selected, Problem Type may be automatically filled in. You can select a problem type if the Problem Type box was not automatically filled in when you selected a component.
Description and Solution Use the Description and Solution boxes to specify additional criteria for your query. Use wildcards as needed. You can also use IBM Intelligent Miner for Text to search for keywords in these boxes.

Note: For more information on text inquiries, see Searching and Inquiring.

Active a Solution

When you locate an Error Message record with the correct solution, you are ready to activate the solution. Activating a solution tells Tivoli Problem Management that you have solved the problem. Tivoli Problem Management updates the Call and Problem with the information from the Error Message record.

Error Message hierarchies

In order to organize Error Message records, Tivoli Problem Management allows your help desk to set up hierarchies.

Hierarchies are available for only the Error Message and Common Problem Diagnostic Aids because they often have the largest number of records.

The top-level of the hierarchy represents parent categories, and sub-levels of the hierarchy represent increasingly specific categories of problems. For instance, you might have parent categories for printer problems, monitor problems, operating system problems, and so on. Under the printer problems category, you might have sub-categories for hardware problems, network problems, and application problems. For each sub-category, you might have the individual records.

When you first access the Work with Error Message dialog box, you might see both the parent categories and individual records. There is no visual distinction between the two types of records. Instead, depending on how the Error Message Diagnostic Aid is configured at your site, the Description field may indicate whether the record is a parent category or an individual record. For example, all parent record descriptions might begin with the word "GROUP."


Tasks

Accessing the Error Messages tab of the Diagnostic Aid dialog box

To perform an in-context search with the Error Message Diagnostic Aid, do the following steps:
  1. Use this table to determine your first action.
  2. If you use the... then...
    Call Registration dialog box describe the problem by selecting component information, and choose Diagnose.
    Problem Status dialog box resume a problem, and choose Diagnostics.
  3. Choose the Error Messages tab on the Diagnostic Aids dialog box.
    Result: The Error Messages tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box appears.
    A table of the individual Error Message records that match component and location information in the Call Registration dialog box or the Problem Status dialog box appears in the top section. The table does not contain any group records. The details of the currently selected Error Message record appear in the Description and Solution boxes.

Activating an Error Message solution from the Error Messages tab

When you locate an Error Message record with the correct solution, you are ready to activate the solution. Activating a solution tells Tivoli Problem Management that you have solved the problem. Tivoli Problem Management updates the Call and Problem with the information from the Error Message record.

When you perform an in-context search, you can activate a solution from the Error Messages tab.

Perform the following steps to activate a solution from the Error Messages tab:

  1. In the Error Messages tab, select the Error Message record with the appropriate solution.
  2. Choose Activate.
  3. What happens next depends on where you started:
    • Result if you accessed the Error Messages tab from the Call Registration dialog box:
      • The Error Message record solution is automatically copied to the Call Registration Resolution box
      • The Error Message record SCIM, severity, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in the Call Registration dialog box
      • The Error Message record description is automatically copied to the Call Registration Description box only when the Call Registration Description box is empty

      Complete all the required Call Registration information, then handle the problem just as you would any other one by resolving, freezing, or transferring it.

    • Result if you accessed the Error Messages tab from the Problem Status dialog box:
      • The Error Message record solution is copied to the Status box.
      • The Error Message record severity, SCIM, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in the Problem Status dialog box.
      • Depending on your configuration, the Save Problem dialog box appears. The Error Message record solution is automatically copied to the Save Problem Result box. Choose OK.
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the default Problem Close Code to the problem. The problem is resolved and the Problem Status dialog box closes.

      When you perform an out-of-context search, you can activate a solution from the Work with Error Message dialog box.

Narrowing an out-of-context search for Error Message records

If you perform an out-of-context search with the Error Message Diagnostic Aid, you can use the Inquiry and SQL buttons on the Work with Error Message dialog box to search for a more specific set of Error Message records.

To narrow an out-of-context search for Error Message records, perform the following steps:

  1. In the Work with Error Message dialog box, choose Inquiry.
  2. In the Error Message Inquiry dialog box, use any of the following techniques from the table to narrow your search for Error Message records.
    If you want to search for... then...
    all the Error Message recorded about a particular system complete only the System box.
    all the Error Message records with a specific word or phrase in their description type the word or phrase in the Description box. For example, if you want to see Error Message records with the word printer in their description, type*printer* in the Description box.
    Error Message records that match any value in a particular box leave the box blank. For example, to include Error Message records associated with Problem Type, leave the Problem Type box blank.

    Note: For more information on searching, see Searching and Inquiring.

  3. Choose OK.
    Result: The Work with Error Message dialog box reappears. It contains the results of the search. You can view any of the records in the Error Message list, or activate one of them as a solution to your current problem.
    Tip: If you do not think the Work with Error Message dialog box contains all the recent records, choose Refresh. This updates the list to include those added since you first accessed the Work with Error Message dialog box.

Navigating Error Message hierarchies

Perform the following steps to navigate an Error Message record hierarchy:
  1. In the Work with Error Message dialog box, select an Error Message record.
  2. Choose Activate.
    Result if you select a group record: The Work with Error Message dialog box is refreshed to show individual Error Message records or subcategory Error Message group records within the group.
    Result if you select an individual record: Tivoli Problem Management displays the Activate Error Message dialog box. See Activating an Error Message solution from the Error Messages tab.
  3. Repeat the first two steps to navigate to the next level of the hierarchy.
    Tip: To move back up the hierarchy one level, choose Backup.

Viewing Error Message records

When you perform an out-of-context search for Error Message records, you see the Work with Error Message dialog box. In the Work with Error Message dialog box, you can see the title, description, and some general information about the listed Error Message records, but you do not see the solution. To see the Error Message Solution box, choose View.

Tip: You do not have to view Error Message records prior to activating a solution. When you activate a solution, Tivoli Problem Management displays the Error Message Description and Solution boxes. You can cancel the activation process if you decide this is not the correct solution.

Perform the following steps to view Error Message records:

  1. In the Work with Error Message dialog box, select an Error Message record.
  2. Choose View.
  3. In the View Error Message dialog box, review the solution information with your caller.
  4. When you finish, choose Close to return to the Work with Error Message dialog box.
  5. After you check the solution on the Error Message record, choose one of these actions:
    • Activate the solution
    • View other Error Message records listed in the Work with Error Message dialog box
    • Close the Work with Error Message dialog box (and thereby quit the Error Message Diagnostic Aid)

Viewing related problems

Before you activate an Error Message record to resolve a problem, you may want to view the problems that were resolved using the solution from this Error Message record.

Perform the following steps to view problems resolved using the solution from a selected Error Message record:

  1. From the Error Message List in the Work with Error Message dialog box, select an individual Error Message record.
  2. Choose Problems.
    Result: The Work with Problems dialog box appears.
    It contains a list of all problems solved by applying the solution from the selected Error Message record.
  3. Resume, view or print any of the problems appearing in this dialog box.
  4. When you are ready, choose Close to return to the Work with Error Message dialog box.

Activating a Solution from the Work with Error Message dialog box

Perform the following steps to activate a solution from the Work with Error Message dialog box:
  1. In the Work with Error Message dialog box, select the Error Message record with the appropriate solution.
  2. Choose Activate.
    Result if you select an individual record: Tivoli Problem Management displays the Activate Error Message dialog box.
    Result if you select a group record: The Work with Error Message dialog box is refreshed to show individual Error Message records or subcategory Error Message group records within the group. Repeat this step until you reach the Activate Error Message dialog box.
  3. In the Activate Error Message dialog box, review the description and solution with your caller.
  4. If you and your caller agree that this is the correct solution for the problem, choose OK.
  5. What happens next depends on where you started:
    • Result if you accessed the Error Message Diagnostic Aid without Call Registration dialog box open:
      • The Call Registration dialog box opens automatically
      • The Error Message record description and solution automatically appear in the Call Registration Description and Resolution boxes
      • The Error Message record SCIM, severity and problem type (if they exist) automatically appear in the Call Registration dialog box

      Complete all the remaining required Call Registration information, then handle the problem just as you would any other one by resolving, freezing or transferring it.
      Note: For more information, see Registering a call.

    • Result if you accessed the Error Message Diagnostic Aid with the Call Registration dialog box open:
      • The Error Message record solution is automatically copied to the Call Registration Resolution box
      • The Error Message record SCIM, severity, problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in Call Registration
      • The Error Message record description is automatically copied to the Call Registration Description box only when the Call Registration Description box is empty

      As in the previous example, complete all the required Call Registration information, then handle the problem just as you would any other one.

    • Result if you accessed the Error Message Diagnostic Aid with the Problem Status dialog box open:
      • The Error Message record solution is copied to the Status box.
      • The Error Message record severity, SCIM, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite the corresponding boxes in the Problem Status dialog box.
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the Default Problem Close Code to the problem.

Quitting the Error Message Diagnostic Aid

If you do not find an appropriate solution, choose Close to quit the Error Message Diagnostic Aid without activating a solution.

You return to where you were when you accessed the Error Message Diagnostic Aid: the Call Registration dialog box, Problem Status dialog box, or Tivoli Service Desk window.

You can access any other Diagnostic Aid to solve the current problem or you can choose to freeze or transfer the problem, or transfer the call.

Note: For more information, see Freezing or Transferring Calls and Problems.