IBM Support
provides assistance with product defects, answers FAQs, and helps
users resolve problems with the product.
Before you begin
Before you contact IBM® Support, search for an answer or a solution
by using other options first:
- See the Support portfolio topic in the Software
Support Handbook for information about the types of available
support.
- Check IBM Technotes, accessible
through the IBM Support Portal.
If you are unable to find an answer or a solution
in the Support portfolio or in the IBM Technotes,
check to be sure your company or organization has an active IBM maintenance
contract, and that you are authorized to submit a problem to IBM, before you
contact IBM Support.
Procedure
To contact IBM Support:
- Define the problem, gather background information, and
determine the severity of the problem. For more information,
see the Getting IBM support topic in the Software
Support Handbook.
- Gather diagnostic information.
- Submit the problem to IBM Support in one of the following ways:
- By using IBM Support
Assistant (ISA), if the Service Request tool is enabled on your product.
- Any data that has been collected can be attached to the service
request. Using ISA in this way can expedite the analysis and reduce
the time to resolution.
- Online through the IBM Support Portal:
You can open, update, and view all of your service requests from the
Service Request portlet on the Service Request page.
- By telephone for critical, system down, or severity 1 issues.
For the telephone number to call in your region, see the Directory
of worldwide contacts web page.
Results
If the problem that you submit is for a software defect
or is about missing or inaccurate documentation, IBM Support creates an Authorized
Program Analysis Report (APAR). The APAR describes the problem in
detail. Whenever possible, IBM Support provides a workaround that you can
implement until the APAR is resolved and a solution is delivered to
you. IBM publishes
resolved APARs on the IBM Support
website daily, so that other users who experience the same problem
can benefit from the same resolution.