Chapter 1. Introduction To Troubleshooting; Sources Of Troubleshooting Information; Problem Classification - IBM E027SLL-H - Tivoli Monitoring - PC Troubleshooting Manual

Chapter 1. Introduction to troubleshooting

To troubleshoot a problem, you typically start with a symptom or set of symptoms
and trace back to the cause.
Troubleshooting is not the same as problem solving, although during the process of
troubleshooting, you can obtain enough information to solve a problem, such as
with end-user errors, application programming errors, and system programming
errors.
You might not always be able to solve a problem yourself after determining its
cause. For example, a performance problem might be caused by a limitation of
your hardware. If you are unable to solve a problem on your own, contact IBM
Software Support for a solution. See Chapter 2, "Logs and data collection for
troubleshooting," on page 5 for information on the types of data to collect before
contacting Support.

Sources of troubleshooting information

The primary troubleshooting feature is logging. Logging refers to the text messages
and trace data generated by the software. Messages and trace data are sent to an
output destination, such as a console screen or a file.
Typically, text messages relay information about the state and performance of a
system or application. Messages also alert the system administrator to exceptional
conditions when they occur. Consult the explanation and operator response
associated with the displayed messages to determine the cause of the failure. See
the document IBM Tivoli Monitoring Messages for message information.
Trace data capture transient information about the current operating environment
when a component or application fails to operate as designed. IBM Software
Support personnel use the captured trace information to determine the source of
an error or unexpected condition. See "Trace logging" on page 35 for more
information about tracing.

Problem classification

The first task in troubleshooting is to determine the origin of the problem, or
which component or function is experiencing a problem. To assist you in
determining the origin of the problem, collect documentation at the time of the
error.
You might experience problems with IBM Tivoli Monitoring in the following areas:
v Installation
v Upgrading
v Configuration
v Connectivity
v Tivoli Enterprise Portal
v Tivoli Enterprise Portal Server
v Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Server
v Tivoli Enterprise Monitoring Agent deployment
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