Electronic Service Agent - IBM RS/6000 44P 270 Service Manual

Unlike the Electronic Service Agent, the service processor cannot be configured in a
client/server environment where one system can be used to manage all dial-out
functions for a set of systems.
Prior to installing the Electronic Service Agent feature, ensure that you have the latest
level of system firmware. You also need a properly configured modem. For more
information on configuring a modem, see Appendix E, "Modem Configurations", on
page 293.

Electronic Service Agent

The Electronic Service Agent is a software extension to the AIX operating system that
monitors the system while the AIX operating system is running. The Electronic Service
Agent monitors and analyzes all recoverable system failures, and, if needed, can
automatically place a service call to a service center (without user intervention).
The service center receives the machine type/serial number, host name, SRN, and a
problem description. The service center analyzes the problem report and, if warranted,
dispatches a service person to the customer site. The service center also determines if
any hardware components need to be ordered prior to the service person's arrival.
The Electronic Service Agent code also gives the user the option to establish a single
system as the problem reporting server. A single system, accessible over the user
network, can be used as the central server for all the other systems on the local area
network (LAN) that are running the Electronic Service Agent application. If the
Electronic Service Agent application on a remote client decides a service request needs
to be placed, the client forwards the information to the Electronic Service Agent server
that dials the service center telephone number from its locally attached modem. In this
scenario, the user only needs to maintain a single analog line for providing call-out
capabilities for a large set of servers.
When used in a scalable parallel (SP) environment, a client/server type implementation
is configured. The Electronic Service Agent client code runs on each of the SP nodes.
The server component runs on the control workstation. In the event of any system
failures, the relevant information is transmitted to the control workstation through the
integrated Ethernet. After it has been alerted to the system failure, the control
workstation initiates actions to prepare and send the service request.
A modem is required for enabling automated problem reporting to the service center.
Configuration files for several types of modems are included as part of the Electronic
Service Agent package. Refer to Appendix E, "Modem Configurations", on page 293 for
more information on configuring your modem.
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Chapter 2. Diagnostics Overview