IBM Power Systems E870 Technical Overview And Introduction page 194

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Electronic Services news page
The Electronic Services news page is a single Internet entry point that replaces the multiple
entry points that traditionally are used to access IBM Internet services and support. With the
news page, you can gain easier access to IBM resources for assistance in resolving technical
problems.
Electronic Service Agent
The ESA is software that is on your server. It monitors events and transmits system inventory
information to IBM on a periodic, client-defined timetable. The ESA automatically reports
hardware problems to IBM.
Early knowledge about potential problems enables IBM to deliver proactive service that can
result in higher system availability and performance. In addition, information that is collected
through the Service Agent is made available to IBM SSRs when they help answer your
questions or diagnose problems. Installation and use of ESA for problem reporting enables
IBM to provide better support and service for your IBM server.
To learn how Electronic Services can work for you, see the following website (an IBM ID is
required):
http://www.ibm.com/support/electronic
Here are some of the benefits of Electronic Services:
Increased uptime
The ESA tool enhances the warranty or maintenance agreement by providing faster
hardware error reporting and uploading system information to IBM Support. This can
translate to less time that is wasted monitoring the symptoms, diagnosing the error, and
manually calling IBM Support to open a problem record.
Its 24x7 monitoring and reporting mean no more dependence on human intervention or
off-hours customer personnel when errors are encountered in the middle of the night.
Security
The ESA tool is designed to be secure in monitoring, reporting, and storing the data at
IBM. The ESA tool securely transmits either through the Internet (HTTPS or VPN) or
modem, and can be configured to communicate securely through gateways to provide
customers a single point of exit from their site.
Communication is one way. Activating ESA does not enable IBM to call into a customer's
system. System inventory information is stored in a secure database, which is protected
behind IBM firewalls. It is viewable only by the customer and IBM. The customer's
business applications or business data is never transmitted to IBM.
More accurate reporting
Because system information and error logs are automatically uploaded to the IBM Support
center with the service request, customers are not required to find and send system
information, decreasing the risk of misreported or misdiagnosed errors.
When inside IBM, problem error data is run through a data knowledge management
system and knowledge articles are appended to the problem record.
Customized support
By using the IBM ID that you enter during activation, you can view system and support
information by selecting My Systems at the Electronic Support website:
http://www.ibm.com/support/electronic
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IBM Power Systems E870 and E880 Technical Overview and Introduction
Draft Document for Review October 14, 2014 10:19 am