Using the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management

Overview

When do you use the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid?

You use the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid to find solutions for problems that can occur at any time. Common Problem solutions usually apply to problems that tend to affect fewer people at any given time. Problems solved by Hot News solutions tend to be short-lived and wide-spread, such as a network crash. Examples of the kinds of solutions usually found by the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid include:
  • A network user forgets her password and requests help in resetting it
  • Someone needs to replace a toner cartridge in a printer and wants instructions on how to do it
  • An employee has questions about the family leave policy

Common problem records

Your system administrator must create the database of Common Problem records. Common Problem records are organized in hierarchies which help you to quickly locate the Common Problem record containing the solution you need. There are two kinds of Common Problem records: group and individual.
  • Group Common Problem records organize individual Common Problem records into categories. For example, all Common Problem records that contain solutions to printer problems could belong to a Common Problem group called "printer problems."
  • Individual Common Problem records contain the solutions that you apply to problems. For example, you could have a Common Problem record that contains a solution that describes how to install a printer driver.

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

In-context search

Tivoli Problem Management performs an in-context search for Common Problem records that match component and location values. This occurs when you access the Common Problems tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box from the Call Registration dialog box or the Problem Status dialog box.

Out-of-context search

You can perform an out-of-context search for Common Problem records from the menu. An out-of-context search does not use location and component information. Also, you can search through all the Common Problem records when you do not register a call or resume a problem.

When you perform an out-of-context search, the Work with Common Problems dialog box contains all the Common Problem records, both individual and 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 Common Problem records.

Note: Your system administrator can make the Common Problem Inquiry dialog box appear before the Work with Common Problem dialog box when you request an out-of-context search. You can specify search parameters in the Common Problem Inquiry dialog box. These search parameters control which Common Problem records appear in the Work with Common Problem dialog box.

Out-of-context search parameters

The following table describes the search parameters available in the Common Problem Inquiry dialog box.
Name Description
Starting ID
Ending ID
Specify a range of Common Problem 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 Common Problem record.
Parent Title Select a parent record name. For more information on parent records, see Navigating Common Problem hierarchies.
Title If you want to search by Common Problem record title, but do not know the complete title, you can use wildcards. For example, to find the Common Problem records dealing with toner cartridges, you can complete this box with *toner* or *cartridge*.
Component Information 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, see Searching and Inquiring.

Activate a Common Problem

When you locate a Common Problem 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 Common Problem record.

Common Problem hierarchies

In order to organize Common Problem records, Tivoli Problem Management allows your analysts to set up hierarchies. Hierarchies are available for only the Common Problem and Error Messages Diagnostic Aids because they often have the largest number of records.

The top-level of the hierarchy represents parent categories, while 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 then have individual records.

When you first access the Work with Common Problems 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 Common Problem 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."

View Common Problem records

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

Tip: You do not have to view Common Problem records prior to activating a solution.


Tasks

Accessing the Common Problem tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box

To perform an in-context search with the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid, follow these 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 Common Problem tab on Diagnostic Aids dialog box.
    Result: The Common Problems tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box appears.
    A table appears with the individual Common Problem records that match the component and location information in the Call Registration dialog box or the Problem Status dialog box. The table does not contain any group records. The details of the currently selected Common Problem record appear in the Description and Solution boxes.

Activating a Common Problem solution from the Common Problem tab

Perform the following steps to activate a solution from the Common Problem tab:
  1. In the Common Problems tab of the Diagnostic Aids dialog box, select the Common Problem record with the appropriate solution.
  2. Choose Activate.
  3. What happens next depends on where you started:
    • Result if you accessed the Common Problems tab from the Call Registration dialog box:
      • The Common Problem record solution is automatically copied to the Call Registration Resolution box
      • The Common Problem record SCIM, severity, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in the Call Registration dialog box
      • The Common Problem record description is automatically copied to the Call Registration Description box only when the Call Registration Description box is empty
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the default Problem Close Code to the problem

      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 from the Problem Status dialog box:
      • The Common Problem record solution is copied to the Status box.
      • The Common Problem record severity, SCIM, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in the Problem Status dialog box.
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the default Problem Close Code to the problem.

Performing out-of-context searches

To perform an out-of-context search with the Common Problem Diagnostic Aid, perform one of the following step from the table.
    From the... do the following...
    toolbar click the Work with Common Problems tool.
    Diagnostics menu choose Common Problems.

    Result: The Work with Common Problem dialog box appears.

Narrowing an out-of-context search for Common Problem records

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

Perform the following steps to narrow an out-of-context search for Common Problem records:

  1. In the Work with Common Problem dialog box, choose Inquiry.
  2. In the Common Problem Inquiry dialog box, use any of the following techniques from the table to narrow your search for Common Problem records.Use this table to determine your first action.
    If you want to find... then...
    all the Common Problem records about a particular system complete only the System box.
    all the Common Problem 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 Common Problem records with the word printer in their description, type*printer* in the Description box.
    Common Problem records that match any value in a particular box leave the box blank.
    For example, to include Common Problem records associated with any location, leave the Location ID box blank.

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

  3. Choose OK.
    Result: The Work with Common Problems dialog box reappears. It contains the results of the search. You can view any of the records in the Common Problem list, or activate one of them as a solution to your current problem
    Tip: If you do not think the Work with Common Problem dialog box contains all the recent records, choose Refresh.

Navigating Common Problem hierarchies

Perform the following steps to navigate a Common Problem record hierarchy:
  1. In the Work with Common Problems dialog box, select a Common Problem record.
  2. Choose Activate.
    • Result if you select a group record: The Work with Common Problems dialog box is refreshed to show individual Common Problem records or subcategory Common Problem group records within the group.
  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 common problem records

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

Viewing related problems

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

Perform the following steps to view problems resolved using the solution from a selected Common Problem record:

  1. From the Common Problem List in the Work with Common Problems dialog box, select an individual Common Problem record.
  2. Choose Problems.
    Result: The Work with Problems dialog box appears, containing a list of all problems solved by applying the solution from the selected Common Problem 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 Common Problem dialog box.

Activating a Common Problem solution from the Work with Common Problem dialog box

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

Perform the following steps to activate a solution from the Work with Common Problem dialog box:

  1. In the Work with Common Problem dialog box, select the Common Problem record with the appropriate solution.
  2. Choose Activate.
    Result if you select a group record: The Work with Common Problem dialog box is refreshed to show individual Common Problem records or subcategory Common Problem group records within the group.
  3. What happens next depends on where you started:
    • Result if you accessed Work with Common Problem Diagnostic Aid without the Call Registration dialog box open:
      • The Call Registration dialog box opens automatically
      • The Common Problem record description and solution automatically appear in the Call Registration Description and Resolution boxes
      • The Common Problem record SCIM, severity and problem type (if they exist) automatically appear in the Call Registration dialog box
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the Default Problem Close Code to the problem

      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 Work with Common Problem dialog box with the Call Registration dialog box open:
      • The Common Problem record solution is automatically copied to the Call Registration Resolution box
      • The Common Problem record SCIM, severity, and problem type information (if they exist) overwrite anything in the corresponding boxes in the Call Registration dialog box
      • The Common Problem record description is automatically copied to the Call Registration Description box only when the Call Registration Description box is empty
      • Tivoli Problem Management assigns the Default Problem Close Code to the problem.

      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 Work with Common Problems dialog box with the Problem Status dialog box open:
      • The Common Problem record solution is copied to the Status box.
      • The Common Problem 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 Common Problem Diagnostic Aid

If you do not find an appropriate solution, choose Close to close the Common Problems Diagnostic Aid without activating a solution.

You return to where you were when you accessed the Common Problem 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.