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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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." |
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To perform an in-context search with the Error
Message Diagnostic Aid, do the following steps:
- Use this table to determine your first action.
- 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.
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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:
- In the Error Messages tab, select the
Error Message record with the appropriate solution.
- Choose Activate.
- 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.
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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:
- In the Work with Error Message
dialog box, choose Inquiry.
- 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.
- 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.
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Perform the following steps to navigate an Error
Message record hierarchy:
- In the Work with Error Message
dialog box, select an Error Message record.
- 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.
- 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.
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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:
- In the Work with Error Message
dialog box, select an Error Message record.
- Choose View.
- In the View Error Message dialog
box, review the solution information with your caller.
- When you finish, choose Close to return to the Work with Error Message dialog box.
- 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)
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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:
- From the Error Message List in the Work with Error Message dialog box,
select an individual Error Message record.
- 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.
- Resume, view or print any of the problems appearing in this dialog box.
- When you are ready, choose Close to return to the Work with Error Message dialog box.
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Perform the following steps to activate a
solution from the Work with Error Message dialog box:
- In the Work with Error Message dialog box,
select the Error Message record with the appropriate solution.
- 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.
- In the Activate Error Message dialog box, review the description and solution with your
caller.
- If you and your caller agree that this is the correct solution for the problem, choose
OK.
- What happens next depends on where you started:
- 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.
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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. |