Installation Guide

IBM SystemsIBM Systems DirectorService and Support ManagerVersion 6.3

NoteBefore using this information and the product it supports, read the information in Notices onpage 105.

This edition applies to version 6, release 3, modification 0 of IBM Systems Director Service and Support Manager(product number 6950-02S) and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in neweditions.

Copyright IBM Corporation 2013.US Government Users Restricted Rights Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contractwith IBM Corp.

ContentsAbout this publication . . . . . . . . vConventions and terminology . . . . . . . . v

IBM Systems Director Service andSupport Manager 6.3.3 . . . . . . . . 1Overview of Service and Support Manager . . . . 1

Accessibility features for Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1What's new in Service and Support Manager . . 2Security for Service and Support Manager . . . 7Service and Support Manager problem reporting . 9Service and Support Manager inventoryreporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Service and Support Manager PerformanceManagement data reporting . . . . . . . . 17Support file data collectors . . . . . . . . 18Software quality data for Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Service and Support groups . . . . . . . . 22

Planning for Service and Support Manager . . . . 23Hardware and software requirements for Serviceand Support Manager . . . . . . . . . . 23Systems and resources eligible for monitoring byService and Support Manager . . . . . . . 24Migrating to Service and Support Manager 6.3from a previous version of Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Installing Service and Support Manager version 6.3 29Configuring Service and Support Manager . . . . 29

Activating Electronic Service Agent . . . . . 29Enabling a system for monitoring by the Serviceand Support Manager . . . . . . . . . . 30Configuring SSO credentials for eligible IBM ipartitions on Power Systems. . . . . . . . 31Configure e-mail notification for Service andSupport Manager using automation plans . . . 31Optimizing your problem reporting environmentfor Service and Support Manager . . . . . . 33Optimizing your problem reporting environmentfor multiple IBM Systems Director managementservers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Managing Service and Support Manager . . . . 38Manage contact information for Service andSupport Manager . . . . . . . . . . . 38Manage location information for one system ormultiple systems . . . . . . . . . . . 41Manage IBM IDs used by Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Manage problem reporting for Service andSupport Manager . . . . . . . . . . . 42Manage inventory reporting for Service andSupport Manager . . . . . . . . . . . 45Manage support files using Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Manage Performance Management data reportingfor Service and Support Manager . . . . . . 50Manage Service and Support Manager events . . 51

Troubleshooting and support for Service andSupport Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

General troubleshooting for Service and SupportManager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Troubleshooting problem reporting for Serviceand Support Manager . . . . . . . . . . 76Troubleshooting monitoring for Service andSupport Manager . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Service and Support Manager commands . . . . 79How to read syntax diagrams . . . . . . . 79ssmimport command . . . . . . . . . . 80collectsptfile command . . . . . . . . 83lssptfile command . . . . . . . . . . 89lssvcproblem command . . . . . . . . . 94rmsptfile command . . . . . . . . . . 99submitsptfile command . . . . . . . . 100

Related information . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 iii

iv Service and Support Manager

About this publicationThis book provides information about the installation and usage of the Service andSupport Manager plug-in for IBM Systems Director. The Service and SupportManager plug-in is integrated with the Electronic Service Agent tool.

Conventions and terminologyThese notices are designed to highlight key information:

Note: These notices provide important tips, guidance, or advice.

Important: These notices provide information or advice that might help you avoidinconvenient or difficult situations.

Attention: These notices indicate possible damage to programs, devices, or data.An attention notice appears before the instruction or situation in which damagecan occur.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 v

vi Service and Support Manager

IBM Systems Director Service and Support Manager 6.3.3Service and Support Manager is a plug-in for IBM Systems Director. Service andSupport Manager automatically detects serviceable hardware problems and collectssupporting data for serviceable hardware problems that occur on your monitoredendpoint systems. The Electronic Service Agent tool is integrated with Service andSupport Manager and transmits serviceable hardware problems and associatedsupport files to IBM support.

Service and Support Manager includes the following features:v Automatically detects serviceable hardware problems to IBM support for allmonitored systems.

v The integrated Electronic Service Agent tool securely transmits serviceablehardware problems, associated support files, and Performance Management datato IBM support.

v Collects and securely transmits scheduled system inventory and diagnosticsupport files to an IBM database. This inventory information is available to IBMsupport representatives when they are solving your problem.

v Communicates with IBM support using a secure connection using encryptionand authentication.

v Includes the option to send e-mail notifications when a serviceable problem isdetected and service request is opened.

Overview of Service and Support ManagerThis topic contains general and conceptual information about the Service andSupport Manager plug-in, which is integrated with the Electronic Service Agenttool.

Accessibility features for Service and Support ManagerAccessibility features help users who have a disability, such as restricted mobilityor limited vision, to use information technology products successfully.

The Service and Support plug-in for IBM Systems Director supports theaccessibility features that are supported in IBM Systems Director.

When using JAWS screen reader with Service and Support Manager, follow thesetips to improve JAWS usability:v Access IBM Systems Director Server using a supported Mozilla Firefox browser.v Enable accessibility features in the IBM Systems Director Web interface:

1. Open Settings > Navigation Preferences.2. Turn on the following options:

Enable tables for accessibility Play sound when data on the page changes Use resource table view as default view for topology perspectives

3. Click OK or Apply to save your settings.v Use the following JAWS key commands to navigate Actions menus whenworking with resource tables:

Copyright IBM Corp. 2013 1

To move to the next menu item with focus and control, press and hold Shift +Ctrl keys while using the Up and Down arrow keys.

To navigate to a sub-menu, navigate into a sub-menu list, press Alt + Rightarrow key.

For more information, see the Accessibility features for IBM Systems Director topic.

What's new in Service and Support ManagerThis topic defines the enhancements to Service and Support Manager.

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.3.3Service and Support Manager 6.3.3 provides several new enhancements.

Director agent serviceable events

Service and Support Manager automatically detects Director agent serviceablehardware problems and collects supporting data that occur on your monitoredendpoint systems.

Integrated Management Module (IMM) serviceable eventsService and Support Manager automatically detects IMM serviceable hardwareproblems and collects supporting data that occur on your monitored endpointsystems.

Advanced Management Module (AMM) serviceable eventsService and Support Manager automatically detects AMM serviceable hardwareproblems and collects supporting data that occur on your monitored endpointsystems.

collectsptfile command

Added code 21 An endpoint system must be specified to collect support files.Specify an endpoint system using -i, -n, or -m.Related concepts:AMM serviceable events on page 54IMM serviceable events on page 70Director agent serviceable events on page 72Related reference:collectsptfile command on page 83

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.3.2Service and Support Manager 6.3.2 provides several new enhancements.

Problem reporting added for eligible IBM i partitions

IBM i partitions with version V7R1 and PTF SI47798 or higher, on Power Systems

managed by Hardware Management Console monitoring by Service and SupportManager in 6.3.2.

2 Service and Support Manager

Problem reporting added for eligible storage nodes

IBM Flex System V7000 Storage Nodes are eligible for monitoring by Service andSupport Manager in 6.3.2.

Additional support file data collectors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.2 has added support for additional support filedata collectors. For a complete list, click the Support file data collectors topic linklisted at the bottom of this page.Manually associate a support file with a servicerequest

Additional support for out of band service processors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.2 can monitor additional out-of-band serviceprocessors in 6.3.2. For more information click on the Systems eligible formonitoring by Service and Support Manager topic link listed at the bottom of thispage.Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Related reference:Support file data collectors on page 18

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.3.1Service and Support Manager 6.3.1 provides new enhancements.

Additional support file data collectors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.1 has added support for additional support filedata collectors. For a complete list, click the Support file data collectors topic linklisted at the bottom of this page.

Additional support for out of band service processors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.1 can monitor Chassis Management Modules andeligible x86 compute nodes with an IMM V2 service processor. For moreinformation click on the Systems eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager topic link listed at the bottom of this page.Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Related reference:Support file data collectors on page 18

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.3.0Service and Support Manager 6.3.0 provides a number of new features andenhancements.

New event types

Service and Support Manager has added new events that allow users more controlover the criteria they want to view or receive notification for. For more information

IBM Systems Director Service and Support Manager 6.3.3 3

click on the Manage Service and Support Manager events topic link listed at thebottom of this page.

Verify DSA status

A new status has been added to the Service and Support Manager summary page.This status indicates whether or not the version of Dynamic System Analysis datacollectors shipped with Service and Support Manager are current. For moreinformation click on the Verify DSA status topic link listed at the bottom of thispage.

New support file management capabilities

The Manage support files page has been enhanced and you can perform thefollowing new tasks:

Upload to FTP ServerAllows you to upload one or more collected support files that are stored inthe support file cache on the IBM Systems Director management system toan FTP server.

DownloadAllows you to download and save collected support files to your localworkstation using a Web Browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer orFirefox.

New support file data collectors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.0 has added support for additional support filedata collectors. For a complete list, click the Support file data collectors topic linklisted at the bottom of this page.

Monitoring support for scalable partitions and out of band serviceprocessors

Service and Support Manager 6.3.0 can monitor eligible IMM managed scalablepartitions, as well as several out of band service processors such as AMM, IMM,RSA, and more. For more information click on the Systems eligible formonitoring by Service and Support Manager topic link listed at the bottom of thispage.Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Related tasks:Verify DSA status on page 50Manage Service and Support Manager events on page 51Related reference:Manage support files using Service and Support Manager on page 48Support file data collectors on page 18

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.2.1Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 provides a number of new features andenhancements.


Performance Management data reporting

Service and Support Manager collects Performance Management data from eligiblePower Systems with an AIX operating system. Service and Support Manager usesthe integrated Electronic Service Agent tool to securely transmit collectedPerformance Management data to IBM support. For more information click on thePerformance Management data reporting topic link listed at the bottom of thispage.

Manually submit a service request

By default, Service and Support Manager will automatically detect and transmitserviceable hardware problems to the IBM service provider. However, if you areaware of a serviceable condition on a system that is monitored by Service andSupport Manager that you feel requires attention, and you have determined thatthis condition has not been automatically detected and reported, you can manuallyopen a service request and submit that request to the IBM service provider. Formore information click on the Manually submit a service request using Serviceand Support Manager topic link listed at the bottom of this page.

Enable or disable reporting types for an individual monitored resource

The Service and Support tab has been enhanced and you can now enable anddisable problem reporting, inventory reporting, and Performance Management datareporting for each individual resource monitored by Service and Support Manager.For more information click on the following topic links listed at the bottom of thispage:v Enable or disable problem reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable inventory reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for an individualService and Support Manager monitored resource.

Changes to monitoring and Service and Support groups

Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 begins automatically monitoring for serviceablehardware problems as soon as the product is installed, and running the Serviceand Support Getting Started Wizard is no longer required to activate automaticmonitoring. However, the Service and Support Getting Started Wizard is requiredto configure the Electronic Service Agent tool which is integrated with Service andSupport Manager to securely transmit serviceable hardware problems andassociated support files, inventory, and Performance Management data to IBMsupport.

Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 continues to use the following groups:Excluded Systems, Monitored Systems, and Unknown Systems. However, Serviceand Support Manager 6.2.1 has removed the use of two groups: Eligible Systemsand Suspended Systems.

For more details on how monitoring has changed, and for more information onhow Service and Support Manager 6.2.1 migrates resources in removed groups tothe Monitored Systems group, see the Migrating to Service and Support Manager6.2.1 from a previous version of Service and Support Manager topic link listed atthe bottom of this page.


Related concepts:Service and Support Manager Performance Management data reporting on page17Migrating to Service and Support Manager 6.3 from a previous version of Serviceand Support Manager on page 27Optimizing your problem reporting environment for multiple IBM SystemsDirector management servers on page 37Related tasks:Manually submit a service request using Service and Support Manager on page44Enable or disable problem reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource. on page 43Enable or disable inventory reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource on page 45Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for an individualService and Support Manager monitored resource. on page 50

What's new in Service and Support Manager version 6.2Service and Support Manager 6.2 provides a number of new features andenhancements.

Manage support files

When a serviceable hardware problem occurs on a monitored endpoint system,Service and Support Manager detects the problem and collects hardware problemdata from the monitored endpoint system and stores this data in the form of asupport file that can later be transmitted to the IBM service provider for diagnosticpurposes. In version 6.2, Service and Support Manager allows you to view allsupport files, manually collect additional support files, and to manually submitcollected files to the IBM service provider for analysis. For more information clickon the Manage support files topic link listed at the bottom of this page.

Expanded eligibility for support file data collectors

Service and Support Manager utilizes different data collection services to collectsupport files from endpoint systems. Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linuxwith sosreport version 1.7 or newer are eligible for sosreport data collection.Service and Support Manager runs the /usr/sbin/sosreport command on theeligible monitored system. For more information click on the Support file datacollectors topic link listed at the bottom of this page.

Service and Support Manager smcli commands

Service and Support Manager includes a library of smcli commands that you canuse to manage support files. For more information click on the Service andSupport Manager commands topic link listed at the bottom of this page.

Software quality data

Service and Support Manager can provide software quality data to the IBM serviceprovider for analysis. For more information click on the Software quality data forService and Support Manager topic link listed at the bottom of this page.


Expanded eligibility for monitoring

Linux on Power Systems with Common Agent 6.1.2 installed are now eligible formonitoring by Service and Support Manager. For more details click on the Systemseligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager topic link at the bottomof this page.

Updates to the Problems view

The Problems view has been enhanced to display:

RecommendationsThe Recommendations tab displays when a serviceable hardware problemoccurs on an IBM BladeCenter chassis. The Recommendations tab willgenerate a link to an error code that corresponds to the associated problem.

Service logThe Service tab has been updated with the Service Log. The service logdisplays a list of all messages associated with the serviceable hardwareproblem you are viewing. The service log keeps a history of all messagesassociated with the problem for the entire life cycle of the problem, andcan be used to view the history of a problem until that problem is deleted.

Enhancements to Inventory collection and reporting

Inventory is now scheduled to be reported weekly rather than daily (this settingwill not effect any existing custom schedule that has already been created).Inventory events now provide more details about the success or failure ofinventory reporting for one or more systems. For more information on schedulinginventory collection and reporting, manually submitting inventory, and viewinginventory events, see the Manage inventory reporting topic listed below.Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Software quality data for Service and Support Manager on page 21Related tasks:Manage inventory reporting for Service and Support Manager on page 45Related reference:Manage support files using Service and Support Manager on page 48Support file data collectors on page 18Service and Support Manager commands on page 79

Security for Service and Support ManagerWhen using Service and Support Manager, ensure you consider the privacy ofyour information, the security of the information you transmit to IBM support, anduser security. This topic provides details about the privacy of your information andthe security of support files and inventory you transmit to IBM support.Additionally, this topic covers how access to IBM Systems Director users groupslimit or restrict access to some tasks in Service and Support Manager.

For a more detailed look at security, see the IBM Systems Director Service andSupport Manager Security Considerations white paper listed below


Information privacy

The service information you provide to IBM support will remain private. Onlyauthorized IBM support personnel and those people specifically authorized by youhave access to this information. The service information that is gathered by IBMsupport is collected from the contact information you provide to Service andSupport Manager and the support files and inventory Service and SupportManager collects from monitored systems. It is also gathered from phone calls withthe IBM Support Center, pre-sales specialists, administrative clerks, and othergroups within IBM. These IBM groups have electronic access to the information sothat they can prepare for and perform advanced problem determination to moreefficiently serve you.

The service information collected by Service and Support Manager includes thefollowing:v Your support contact information, including names, phone numbers, and e-mailaddresses

v Software listings

Service information does not include the following:v Collection or transmission of any of your company's financial, statistical, orpersonnel information

v Client informationv Your business plans

Information transmission security

The problem information and service information you send to IBM support is safeand secure. Service and Support Manager has the ability to collect problem andservice information and send it to IBM support on a scheduled basis.

Service and Support Manager transactions are outbound requests sent using thesecurity of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). When transmitting largefiles, transactions are sent using File Transfer Protocol over SSL (FTPS). Service andSupport Manager initiates all outbound and inbound transactions. Service andSupport Manager initiates a connection with IBM support and then IBM supportreplies. IBM support will reply that it received a transmitted problem support filesand may also send more information about the problem, (e.g. a PMR number), butIBM support never initiates a connection to Service and Support Manager. Duringthe activation and setup of Service and Support Manager, you select to transmitthis information using a direct or proxy connection. Service and Support Manageruses the IBM Systems Director management system's connectivity environment,including any firewalls that the system has established.

Tip: For more information about initial setup, see: Preparing firewalls and proxiesfor IBM Systems Director.

User roles and access to restricted tasks

Service and Support Manager uses the default IBM Systems Director users groupsto limit or restrict access to some tasks. Access to particular resources or tasks isgoverned by restrictions based on the user ID or user group membership and theroles that are defined for each user. Service and Support Manager requires eithersmadmin or smmgr user authority in order to manage monitored systems, contactinformation, and settings. User groups with less authority than smadmin or smmgr


allow a user to view some information, but most actions and tasks will bedisabled, and settings and contact information will not be accessible. For moreinformation see the Users and user groups in IBM Systems Director link listedbelow.Related concepts:Users and groupsService and Support Manager inventory reporting on page 13Related tasks:Preparing firewalls and proxies for IBM Systems Director

IBM Systems Director Service and Support Manager Security Considerations

Service and Support Manager problem reportingService and Support Manager automatically detects serviceable hardware problemsand collects supporting data for serviceable hardware problems that occur on yourmonitored endpoint systems. The Electronic Service Agent tool is integrated withService and Support Manager and transmits serviceable hardware problems andassociated support files to IBM support. This topic provides an overview ofproblem reporting and provides a scenario that details how problem reporting ishandled for different monitored endpoint systems across your IBM SystemsDirector managed environment.

Problem reporting overview

The Electronic Service Agent tool is integrated with Service and Support Manager,and is packaged and runs within Service and Support Manager on the IBMSystems Director management server. Service and Support Manager automaticallymonitors systems within the Service and Support Manager monitored environment.

How problem data is collected

When a serviceable hardware problem occurs on a monitored endpoint system,Service and Support Manager detects the problem and collects hardware problemdata from the monitored endpoint system and stores this data in the form of asupport file that can later be transmitted to IBM support for diagnostic purposes.Service and Support Manager uses different data collectors depending on theoperating system of the endpoint system. All support files are stored in a supportfile cache on the IBM Systems Director management system.

Note: For more information about the type of information that is collected byService and Support Manager and stored in support files that are transmitted toIBM support, click the Support file data collectors topic link located at the bottomof this page.

How problems and associated support files are transmitted to IBM support

After Service and Support Manager detects a serviceable problem and collectssupport files, Electronic Service Agent, which is integrated with Service andSupport Manager, securely transmits any serviceable hardware problems andassociated support files to IBM support.

Note: By default, Electronic Service Agent will automatically report serviceablehardware problems to IBM support. However, you can configure problemreporting settings to disable automatic problem reporting and require users to


submit problems manually. For more information see the Manually reportproblems to IBM support topic link located at the bottom of this page.

Note: Service and Support Manager transactions are outbound requests sent usingthe security of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). When transmittinglarge files, transactions are sent using File Transfer Protocol over SSL (FTPS). Formore information, see the Security topic link located a the bottom of this page.

Problem reporting scenario

The following scenario describes how a serviceable hardware problem is detected,how support files are collected, and how the serviceable hardware problem andany associated support files are transmitted to IBM support. This scenario will usethe example of a fan failure occurring on a system that is currently within the IBMSystems Director managed environment (this includes systems that may not beeligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager, but are available to bemanaged through IBM Systems Director).

Note: The following scenario assumes you are using a single IBM Systems Directormanagement server to manage your monitored endpoint systems. If you are usingmore than one management server to manage your environment, it isrecommended that you choose one management server to handle problemreporting and disable problem reporting on any additional management servers.For more information see the Optimizing your problem reporting environmentfor multiple IBM Systems Director management servers topic link located at thebottom of this page.

The image below provides a visual diagram showing the problem reporting flowfor systems that are both eligible and ineligible to be monitored by Service andSupport Manager, and descriptive text is available below the image for each typeof endpoint system experience the fan failure.


IBM Systems Director managed environment

AIX or Linuxpartitions on PowerSystems managedby IVM withElectronic ServiceAgent

IBM Systems Director

FQ

M0

50

5-0

6

D

Service Provider(IBM Support)

Service & SupportManager

Linux on x86

Windows on x86

A

B

C AIX or Linux onPower Systems(no IVM or HMCmanaged partitions)

AIX or Linuxpartitions onPower Systemsmanaged by HMCwith ElectronicService Agent

F

BladeCenterchassis withx86 or AIXblade servers

E

ElectronicService Agent

A) Windows on x86This scenario applies to any eligible Windows operating system running onIBM System x hardware. A fan fails on a Windows operating systemrunning on x86 hardware that is monitored by Service and SupportManager. This problem will automatically be detected by Service andSupport Manager, and Dynamic System Analysis will be deployed onto theWindows endpoint system, where it will run and collect diagnosticinformation. This information is sent back to Service and Support Managerand stored as a support file. Electronic Service Agent will securely transmitthe problem and any associated support files to IBM support.

Important: There are recommendations that can help to ensure that Serviceand Support Manager is configured correctly to monitor your Windowsendpoint system and that your environment is configured correctly foroptimal problem reporting. For more details on setting up yourenvironment see: Optimizing your problem reporting environment forWindows on x86 endpoint systems.

B) Linux on x86 or x64This scenario applies to any eligible Linux operating system running onIBM System x hardware. A fan fails on a Linux operating system runningon x86 hardware that is monitored by Service and Support Manager. Thisproblem will automatically be detected by Service and Support Manager,and Dynamic System Analysis will be deployed onto the system, where itwill run and collect diagnostic information. This information is sent back toService and Support Manager and stored as a support file. Additionally, if


the system is running Red Hat Enterprise Linux with sosreport version 1.7or newer the /usr/sbin/sosreport command will be run, and the collecteddiagnostic information will be stored as a support file. Electronic ServiceAgent will securely transmit the problem and any associated support filesto IBM support.

Important: There are recommendations that can help to ensure that Serviceand Support Manager is configured correctly to monitor your Linuxendpoint system and that your environment is configured correctly foroptimal problem reporting. For more details on setting up yourenvironment see: Optimizing your problem reporting environment forLinux on x86 or x64 endpoint systems.

C) AIX or Linux on Power Systems with no Hardware Management Console orIntegrated Virtualization Manager managed partitions

A fan fails on an AIX or Linux on Power Systems system that is notmanaged by Hardware Management Console or Integrated VirtualizationManager . The system is monitored by Service and Support Manager.Service and Support Manager will detect the problem and the SnapCommand will run on the AIX monitored system and collect data aboutthe serviceable hardware problem. This data is sent back to Service andSupport Manager and stored as a support file. Additionally, if the system isrunning Red Hat Enterprise Linux with sosreport version 1.7 or newer the/usr/sbin/sosreport command will be run, and the collected diagnosticinformation will be stored as a support file. Electronic Service Agent willsecurely transmit the problem and any associated support files to IBMsupport.

Important: There are several prerequisite conditions that need to be met inorder to ensure that Service and Support Manager is configured to monitoryour AIX endpoint system and that your environment is configuredcorrectly for optimal problem reporting. For more details on setting upyour environment see: Optimizing your problem reporting environment forAIX endpoint systems.

D) AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed byIntegrated Virtualization Manager with Electronic Service Agent

Integrated Virtualization Manager managed AIX partitions and IntegratedVirtualization Manager managed partitions on Linux on Power Systems areineligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager. All serviceablehardware problems will be reported to IBM support by the instance ofElectronic Service Agent for Integrated Virtualization Manager.

E) IBM BladeCenter chassis with x86 or AIX blade serversA fan fails on a IBM BladeCenter chassis that is monitored by Service andSupport Manager. Service and Support Manager will detect the problemand collect data from the IBM BladeCenter chassis by collecting serviceinformation from Advanced Management Module and storing it in asupport file. Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the problemand any associated support files to IBM support.

Important: There are recommendations that can help to ensure that Serviceand Support Manager is configured correctly to monitor your x86 or AIXIBM BladeCenter chassis endpoint system and that your environment isconfigured correctly for optimal problem reporting. For more details onsetting up your environment see: Optimizing your problem reportingenvironment for x86 or AIX IBM BladeCenter chassis endpoint systems.


F) AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed by aHardware Management Console with Electronic Service Agent

AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed byHardware Management Console are ineligible for monitoring by Serviceand Support Manager. All serviceable hardware problems will be reportedto IBM support by the instance of Electronic Service Agent running on theHardware Management Console.

Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Service and Support Manager inventory reportingSecurity for Service and Support Manager on page 7Optimizing your problem reporting environment for multiple IBM SystemsDirector management servers on page 37Optimizing your problem reporting environment for AIX endpoint systems onpage 33Optimizing your problem reporting environment for IBM BladeCenter chassiswith x86 or AIX blade servers on page 34Optimizing your problem reporting environment for Linux on x86 or x64endpoint systems on page 35Optimizing your problem reporting environment for Windows on x86 endpointsystems on page 36Related tasks:Manually report problems to IBM support on page 43Manage problem reporting for Service and Support Manager on page 42Related reference:Support file data collectors on page 18

Service and Support Manager inventory reportingThis topic contains information about how inventory collected by IBM SystemsDirector is reported to IBM support by the Electronic Service Agent tool integratedwith Service and Support Manager.

Inventory collection

IBM Systems Director Server establishes connections with network-level resources,such as computers, switches, or printers, that have already been discovered andcollects data about the hardware and software that is currently installed on thoseresources such as physical, logical, and virtual hardware; software applications,operating systems, middleware, firmware, BIOS, and diagnostic information;network information; and system-contained resources. For more information aboutcollecting and viewing inventory from resources, see the Collecting and viewinginventory data topic listed below.

Inventory reporting

After inventory collection has been configured for IBM Systems Director managedsystems, when you add these systems to the Service and Support Managermonitored group, Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the collectedinventory to the IBM service provider. Service and Support Manager will check toensure that the inventory collected by IBM Systems Director matches the mostrecent inventory submitted to the IBM service provider. Service and Support


Manager runs a daily scheduled task called Electronic Service Agent Send ServiceInformation, which checks to ensure that the inventory collected by IBM SystemsDirector matches the most recent inventory submitted to the IBM service provider.If the inventory collected and stored on the IBM Systems Director managementsystem has been updated or changed, and does not match the inventory stored byIBM support, Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the updated inventorydata to IBM support, ensuring support has the most recently collected inventoryfor diagnostic purposes.

Note: All transmissions to IBM support are sent using the security of HypertextTransfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). For more information, click the link to theSecurity topic located at the bottom of this page.

Note: For more information on viewing inventory events, changing the date, time,or frequency for when the scheduled inventory task called Electronic Service AgentSend Service Information runs, or manually collecting and reporting inventory, clickthe link to the Manage inventory reporting topic located at the bottom of thispage.

Inventory reporting scenario

The following scenario describes how inventory is reported to the IBM serviceprovider for systems within a customer's IBM Systems Director managedenvironment. The image below provides a visual diagram showing the inventoryreporting flow for systems that are both eligible and ineligible to be monitored byService and Support Manager.

Note: The following scenario assumes you are using a single IBM Systems Directormanagement server to manage your monitored endpoint systems. If you are usingmore than one management server to manage your environment, it isrecommended that you choose one management server to handle inventoryreporting and disable inventory reporting on any additional management servers.For more information see the Optimizing your problem reporting environmentfor multiple IBM Systems Director management servers topic link located at thebottom of this page.


IBM Systems Director managed environment

BladeCenterchassis withx86 or AIXblade servers

Collectedinventory

AIX or Linuxpartitions onPower Systemsmanaged byHMC withElectronicService Agent

AIX or Linuxpartitions on PowerSystems managedby IVM withElectronic ServiceAgent

IBM Systems Director

Linux on x86

Windows on x86

FQ

M0506-0

5

A

B

D

F

AIX or Linux onPower Systems(no IVM or HMCmanaged partitions)

C

E

Service & SupportManager

Service Provider(IBM Support)

ElectronicService Agent

A) Windows on x86Service and Support Manager runs a daily check to ensure that theinventory collected by IBM Systems Director matches the most recentinventory submitted to the IBM service provider. And if necessary,Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the updated inventory datato IBM support, ensuring support has the most recently collected inventoryfor diagnostic purposes.

Note: This scenario applies to any eligible Windows operating systemrunning on IBM System x hardware.

B) Linux on x86Service and Support Manager runs a daily check to ensure that theinventory collected by IBM Systems Director matches the most recentinventory submitted to the IBM service provider. And if necessary,Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the updated inventory datato IBM support, ensuring support has the most recently collected inventoryfor diagnostic purposes.

Note: This scenario applies to any eligible Linux operating system runningon IBM System x hardware.

C) AIX or Linux on Power Systems with no Hardware Management Console orIntegrated Virtualization Manager managed partitions

Service and Support Manager runs a daily check to ensure that the


inventory collected by IBM Systems Director matches the most recentinventory submitted to the IBM service provider. And if necessary,Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the updated inventory datato IBM support, ensuring support has the most recently collected inventoryfor diagnostic purposes.

Note: AIX or Linux on Power Systems with Hardware ManagementConsole or Integrated Virtualization Manager managed partitions are noteligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager.

E) AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed byIntegrated Virtualization Manager with Electronic Service Agent

Integrated Virtualization Manager managed AIX partitions and IntegratedVirtualization Manager managed partitions on Linux on Power Systems areineligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager. All inventorywill be reported to the IBM service provider by the instance of ElectronicService Agent for Integrated Virtualization Manager.

E) IBM BladeCenter chassis with x86 or AIX blade serversService and Support Manager runs a daily check to ensure that theinventory collected by IBM Systems Director matches the most recentinventory submitted to the IBM service provider. And if necessary,Electronic Service Agent will securely transmit the updated inventory datato IBM support, ensuring support has the most recently collected inventoryfor diagnostic purposes.

F) AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed by aHardware Management Console with Electronic Service Agent

AIX partitions or partitions with Linux on Power Systems managed byHardware Management Console are ineligible for monitoring by Serviceand Support Manager. All inventory will be reported to the IBM serviceprovider by the instance of Electronic Service Agent running on theHardware Management Console

Viewing Inventory after it has been reported

All inventory reported to the IBM service provider is available for you to viewfrom the IBM Support Portal Web site. You can use the My Systems page to viewinventory collected across all your systems (This tool requires an IBM ID to beassociated with the instance of Electronic Service Agent).

Note: It may take up to 24 hours from the time inventory is reported for it toappear on the IBM Support Portal Web site.For more information, see the IBM Support Portal link found below. Once youhave navigated to the Web site, click About this site / Tours to viewdocumentation on setting up notifications, viewing your systems, and searching foryour inventory.


Related concepts:Service and Support Manager problem reporting on page 9Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Security for Service and Support Manager on page 7Optimizing your problem reporting environment for multiple IBM SystemsDirector management servers on page 37Related tasks:Collecting and viewing inventory dataManage inventory reporting for Service and Support Manager on page 45Related reference:Troubleshooting and support for Service and Support Manager on page 52Related information:

IBM Support Portal

Service and Support Manager Performance Management datareporting

Service and Support Manager collects Performance Management data from eligiblePower Systems with AIX or IBM i partitions. Service and Support Manager usesthe integrated Electronic Service Agent tool to securely transmit collectedPerformance Management data to IBM support.

Performance Management

Performance Management for Power Systems helps automate the collection,archival and analysis of system performance data and returns capacity andperformance reports and graphs that can help customers plan for and manage theirsystem performance and resources. Performance Management collects systemutilization, performance statistics and hardware configuration information.

You can view the Performance Management data reporting settings for anindividual monitored resource at any time by viewing the properties of a resource.For more information on how to view or modify Performance Management datareporting settings for resources that are monitored by Service and SupportManager, see the Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting foran individual resource topic listed at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility

Service and Support Manager can only collect and transmit PerformanceManagement data from eligible Power Systems. To ensure that your PowerSystems is eligible, be sure that you have met the PM for Power Systemsrequirements for AIX or IBM i. For example, the initial installation and setup of thePM AIX Collection Agent must be configured on the eligible AIX operating systemin order for Service and Support Manager to consider the system eligible forcollecting and transmitting Performance Management data to IBM support.

For more information on Performance Management, including details on how tosetup eligible AIX or IBM i Power Systems for Performance Management datacollection, see the following Performance Management topic: http://www.ibm.com/systems/power/support/perfmgmt/index.html.


Related tasks:Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for an individualService and Support Manager monitored resource. on page 50

Support file data collectorsService and Support Manager utilizes different data collection services to collectsupport files from endpoint systems. By default, when Service and SupportManager detects a serviceable hardware problem, it automatically collectsadditional system information and stores this data as a support file. ElectronicService Agent integrated with Service and Support Manager will thenautomatically transmit the serviceable hardware problem and the associatedsupport file to IBM support for diagnosis. However, there may be a case whereadditional support files were not collected because they were too large in size, orare not part of the automated process. You can manually collect a support file froma selected endpoint system, and then later associate the collected support file withan existing service request, and manually submit the file to IBM support. You canalso collect large support files for analysis on your own local system.

System xDynamic System Analysis

Service and Support Manager uses Dynamic System Analysis to collectdata from IBM System x endpoint systems. When an event is triggered thatrequires more information, Service and Support Manager remotely uploadsDynamic System Analysis onto the endpoint system. Dynamic SystemAnalysis is then run and system information is collected into a compressedXML file that is sent back to Service and Support Manager. The data isstored in the support file cache, and is submitted to IBM support by theElectronic Service Agent application.

Note: Dynamic System Analysis can be manually collected at any time foranalysis even if there is no serviceable hardware problem or service requestto associate the DSA support file with.

Dynamic System Analysis collects information about the following aspectsof a system, if applicable:v System configurationv Installed packagesv Kernel Modulesv Network interfaces and settingsv Performance data and details for running processesv Hardware inventory, including PCI and USB informationv IBM LightPath statusv Service Processor status and configurationv Vital product data, firmware, and basic input/output system (BIOS)information

v Drive Health Informationv ServeRAID configurationv LSI RAID and controller configurationv Event logs for the operating system, ServeRAID controllers, and serviceprocessors


For more information about DSA, see the Dynamic System AnalysisInstallation and User's Guide.

sos reportSystem x monitored systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux withsosreport version 1.7 or newer are eligible for sosreport data collection.Service and Support Manager runs the /usr/sbin/sosreport command onthe eligible monitored system, and generates a compressed tarball ofdebugging information for the system it is run on and stores thisinformation as a support file. In this case Electronic Service Agent wouldtransmit both the Dynamic System Analysis support file and the sosreportsupport file.

IMM service logThe IMM service log contains service information collected in the form of asupport file. This file is collected and associated with problems that occurin the following environments:v X-Architecture compute nodes contained within a IBM Flex SystemEnterprise Chassis

v System x modular systems that have an Integrated Management Moduleversion 2 service processor

AIX and Linux on Power Systemssnap Service and Support Manager uses the snap command to collect system

data on AIX and Linux on Power Systems. The snap command gatherssystem configuration information and compresses the information into apax file that is then sent to IBM support. For more information on snap,see the Snap Command AIX Documentation topic.

sos reportLinux on Power Systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux with sosreportversion 1.7 or newer are eligible for sosreport data collection. Service andSupport Manager runs the /usr/sbin/sosreport command on the eligiblemonitored system, and generates a compressed tarball of debugginginformation for the system it is run on and stores this information as asupport file. In this case Electronic Service Agent would transmit both thesnap support file and the sosreport support file.

IBM i partition on Power Systems managed by HardwareManagement ConsoleAPAR Library

Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) data is saved in a uniquelynamed APAR library. The aparlib command collects partition localproblem error data saved in the APAR library from an eligible IBM ipartition with version V7R1 and PTF SI47798 or higher, on Power Systemsmanaged by Hardware Management Console.

When collected automatically, the default option collects the primary APARsave file and a manifest file from the IBM i partition.

Additional collection option are available when collecting the APAR librarymanually. You can collect both the primary APAR save file and a manifestfile and a secondary APAR save file and manifest from the IBM i partition.A secondary APAR save file and manifest file will only be collected if oneexists. Manual collection requires a unique 10 digit problem ID that isassociated with the APAR.


Note: The 10 digit problem ID is the ID stored on the IBM i partition. It isnot the problem ID number stored locally by Service and SupportManager. Use the IBM i command WRKPRB (Work with Problems) todetermine the 10 digit problem ID stored on the IBM i partition.

IBM BladeCenter chassisService log

Collects data from IBM BladeCenter chassis by collecting serviceinformation from the Advanced Management Module and storing it in asupport file.

IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis

Service and Support Manager collects several different types of data frommonitored X-Architecture compute nodes, Power Systems compute nodes, and IBMFlex System V7000 Storage Nodes contained within the IBM Flex System EnterpriseChassis. Service and Support Manager also collects data directly from the IBM FlexSystem Enterprise Chassis itself.

CMM service logThe CMM service log contains service information collected in the form ofa support file. This file is collected from and associated with problems thatoccur on the Chassis Management Module.

IMM service logThe IMM service log contains service information collected in the form of asupport file. This file is collected and associated with problems that occurin the following:v X-Architecture compute nodes contained within a IBM Flex SystemEnterprise Chassis

v System x modular systems that have an Integrated Management Moduleversion 2 service processor

InventorySpecifies an inventory collection from the IBM Flex System EnterpriseChassis itself as well as from X-Architecture compute node or PowerSystems compute node contained within the IBM Flex System EnterpriseChassis. This collector will also collect inventory from the IBM Flex SystemManager.

Serviceable problems logThis is a support file that contains the smcli lssvcproblem commandoutput. For more information, see the lssvcproblem command listed below.SSM will transmit this support file associated with problems occur on theIBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis itself as well as from X-Architecturecompute node or Power Systems compute node contained within the IBMFlex System Enterprise Chassis.

Svc SnapCollects storage data from an eligible IBM Flex System V7000 StorageNode.

When collected automatically, the default option collects overall health andminimum debug information.

Additional collection option are available when collecting Svc Snapmanually. The gui3 option invokes the command svc_snap gui3 on thestorage system which dumps the error log and collects system and debug


information. This option collects support files that can be larger than 25MB. The livedump option invokes the command svc_snap livedump-gui1;svc_snap gui3 on the storage system which captures livedumps onnodes, collects error logs and other debug information. This option collectssupport files that can be larger than 25 MB.

Management ServerManagement server log data

Management server log data is a collection of logs that include things suchas trace error data. These logs are collected and transmitted as a supportfile associated with any problem that occurs on the IBM Systems Directormanagement server, or the Systems Director Management Console. Ifnecessary, the Management server log data collector will collect additionalcoordinated data from IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis itself as well asfrom X-Architecture compute node or Power Systems compute nodecontained within the IBM Flex System Enterprise Chassis .

pedbg pedbg collects configuration data, logs and javacores / heapdumps fromthe management server. This collector is only available to use from the IBMFlex System Manager or the Systems Director Management Console. pedbgcan only be collected manually. After it is collected it can be manuallytransmitted as a support file or manually associated with an existingproblem.v pedbg basicFor most problems, you specify the pedbg basic collection which uses thefollowing command: pedbg -c -q 4

v pedbg extendedIf archive or extended data is needed, you should specify the pedbgextended collection which uses the following command: pedbg -c -q 4-x "copyLogs:4"

Note: When viewing the status of the job for this data collector in the userinterface, the progress bar will pause at 25%. The collection may take sometime to complete before moving to 100%.

IQYYPELCollects trace data from the management server. This collector is onlyavailable to use from the IBM Flex System Manager or the SystemsDirector Management Console.

IQYYLOGCollects trace data from the management server. This collector is onlyavailable to use from the IBM Flex System Manager or the SystemsDirector Management Console.

Related information:

Dynamic System Analysis Installation and User's Guide

AIX Command Reference: snap command

Software quality data for Service and Support ManagerService and Support Manager can provide software quality data to the IBM serviceprovider for analysis. Transmission of software quality data to IBM support isdisabled by default. Use the following task to enable this service.


When the transmission of software quality data is enabled, Electronic ServiceAgent will transmit software logs to IBM support. These software logs are acollection of informational logs gathered by IBM Systems Director when a softwarequality event occurs on the IBM Systems Director management server. These logsare used to improve the functionality of the overall product and aid IBM inenhancing future releases of IBM Systems Director. This service does not providesoftware quality data for monitored endpoint systems.

To enable or disable transmission of software quality data:1. From the Service and Support Manager home page, click Manage Settings2. Select the Service Agent tab.3. Select Allow transmission of IBM Systems Director management server

software quality event data to IBM to enable transmission.4. De-select this field and click OK to disable transmission.

Service and Support groupsGroups organize managed objects into logical categories. Service and SupportManager creates three resource groups, and automatically begins monitoringsystems in the Monitored Systems group for serviceable hardware problems.

This default group provides the following dynamic subgroups:

Excluded SystemsContains resources that are ineligible for monitoring by Service andSupport Manager. The eligibility of a resource depends on many factors,such as the type of resource, machine type, manufacturer, model, and serialnumber.

Tip: If systems are displaying in the excluded group that you believeshould be eligible, click on the Troubleshooting and support for Serviceand Support Manager topic listed below for more information ontroubleshooting the eligibility of these systems.

Monitored SystemsContains resources that are being monitored by Service and SupportManager.

Unknown SystemsContains resources for which Service and Support Manager eligibility isundetermined. The eligibility of a resource depends on many factors, suchas the type of resource, machine type, manufacturer, model, and serialnumber. The Service and Support Manager plug-in has not been able todetermine the resources' eligibility because the resource information is notavailable.


Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Migrating to Service and Support Manager 6.3 from a previous version of Serviceand Support Manager on page 27Related reference:Troubleshooting and support for Service and Support Manager on page 52Related information:Groups in IBM Director

Planning for Service and Support ManagerThis topic contains information about planning to install the Service and SupportManager plug-in, which is integrated with the Electronic Service Agent tool.

Hardware and software requirements for Service and SupportManager

Previously, Service and Support Manager was installed as a separately from IBMSystems Director. Starting In version 6.3, Service and Support Manager is nowinstalled as part of IBM Systems Director. This section contains information aboutthe minimum hardware and software requirements for your IBM Systems Directormanagement system.

Hardware requirements

For all hardware requirements, the Service and Support Manager plug-in has thesame requirements as IBM Systems Director 6.3. For a list of requirements, seeHardware requirements. (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/com.ibm.director.plan.helps.doc/fqm0_r_supported_hardware_and_software_requirements.html)

Software requirements

For more information about compatability, and to ensure that you have followedthe correct steps to obtain IBM Systems Director version 6.3, see Installing IBMSystems Director.

Service and Support Manager supports the following browsers and operatingsystems:

Browsers

Service and Support Manager supports the same browsers as IBM Systems Director. For a list of supported browsers, see Supported Web browsers.(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/com.ibm.director.plan.helps.doc/fqm0_r_supported_web_browsers.html)

Firewalls and proxy servers

Service and Support Manager supports the same firewall and proxy server as IBMSystems Director. For more information see: Preparing firewalls and proxies forIBM Systems Director.

Operating systems


The Service and Support Manager plug-in is installed on the IBM SystemsDirectormanagement server, and supports the same operating systems as IBMSystems Director.

For more detailed information regarding specific Windows, Linux, and AIXsupported Operating System versions, see the Supported Operating Systems topiclisted below.

Note: For more information about supported operating systems on managedendpoint systems that are eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager,see the Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager topic.Related reference:Supported operating systems

Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service andSupport Manager

This topic contains information about the eligibility of systems or resources formonitoring by Service and Support Manager, which is integrated with theElectronic Service Agent tool.

Check Eligibility

Tip: You may want to collect inventory for a system before checking the eligibilityof that same system. Collecting inventory for a system provides Service andSupport Manager with details that can help determine if that system is eligible.Right-click on the system and select Inventory > View and Collect Inventory

After inventory has been collected for a system, Service and Support Manager willautomatically begin monitoring your systems. Optionally, you can determine theeligibility of a system at by right-clicking on that system and selecting Service andSupport > Check Eligibility.

Systems eligible for monitoring

The following systems running on IBM hardware are eligible for monitoring byService and Support Manager:v AIX stand-alone systems with Common Agent 6.1.2 or newer installed

Note: The following package of files are required in order for the AIX system tosend events to Service and Support Manager: sysmgt.cim.providers.osbase. To checkfor this [package of files you can run the following command on the AIX system:lslpp -l sysmgt.cim.providers.osbase

If the system does not have this package installed, you need to install the AIXCommon Agent 6.1.2, available from the IBM Systems Director downloadsWebsite.

v IBM i partitions with version V7R1 and PTF SI47798 or higher, on PowerSystems managed by Hardware Management Console.

v Linux on System x for 32bit and 64bit systemsv Linux on Power Systems with Common Agent 6.1.2 or newer installedv Windows for 32bit and 64bit systems


Note: AIX partitions and Linux on Power Systems partitions managedbyHardware Management Console or Integrated Virtualization Manager are noteligible for monitoring.

For more detailed information regarding specific Windows, Linux on System x,Linux on Power Systems, and AIX eligible Operating System versions, see theSupported operating systems topic listed below.

Eligible IBM BladeCenter hardware

Some IBM BladeCenter chassis and blade servers are eligible for monitoring.

Note: JS and QS model blade servers are not supported. For a complete list ofsupported chassis and blade servers, excluding both JS and QS models, see theIBM BladeCenter products topic listed below.

Eligible storage resources

The following storage resources are eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager:

IBM Flex System V7000 Storage NodeIBM Flex System V7000 Storage Nodes are eligible for monitoring byService and Support Manager.

Eligible out of band service processors

Along with the in band systems listed above that are eligible for monitoring,Service and Support Manager can also monitor discovered and unlocked serviceprocessors that can send out of band events.Service and Support Manager definesin band and out of band events as:

Out of band eventsService and Support Manager detects a serviceable event coming from theservice processor that is managing the system. Typically, a serviceprocessor will use a different network adapter than the network adapterthat the operating system uses. Data received from the service processor isconsidered outside the operating system's band of communication, andthese events are termed "out of band" events.

In band eventsService and Support Manager detects a serviceable event coming from theoperating system or the IBM Systems Director agent on the system. Datareceived from the operating system occurs within the operating system'sband of communication, and these events are termed "in band" events.

Note: A service processor must be discovered and unlocked (user name andpassword must be provided) before it is eligible for monitoring by Service andSupport Manager. For more information see the Discovery topic listed below.

The following service processors are eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager:

Advanced Management Module (AMM)All Advanced Management Modules are eligible for monitoring by Serviceand Support Manager.

Integrated Management Module (IMM)


v All x86 systems with an IMM V1 service processor and all x86 bladeswith an IMM V1 service processor are eligible for monitoring by Serviceand Support Manager.

v All x86 compute nodes with an IMM V2 service processor are eligiblefor monitoring by Service and Support Manager

v Rack-mounted or modular x86 systems with an IMM V2 serviceprocessor are eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manager.

Note: If both operating systems (in the form of operating system managedendpoint in Systems Director) and the IMM (in the form of servermanaged endpoint in Systems Director) on the machine are managed bySystems Director, only IMM will be monitored by Service and SupportManager. In this case, Service and Support Manager will only detectsserviceable events coming from the IMM. The in band events coming fromthe Director Agent on the operating system will be received by SystemsDirector, but will not be detected by Service and Support Manager.

Chassis Management Module (CMM)All Chassis Management Modules are eligible for monitoring by Serviceand Support Manager.

Remote Supervisor Adapter (RSA), Remote Supervisor Adapter II (RSA II), andBaseboard Management Controller (BMC)

Service and Support Manager can monitor and detect serviceable hardwareproblems detected by RSA, RSA II, and BMC service processors, however,these events will show up as monitored and reported on behalf of the IBMSystems Director agent on the operating system.

Eligible scalable partitions

Service and Support Manager can monitor and report problems on the followingtypes of Integrated Management Module (IMM) scalable systems:v IMM managed scalable x86 blade serversv IMM managed primary and secondary server nodes of stand-alone serversmanaged by IBM Systems Director

Eligible hypervisors

The ESXi hypervisor is not eligible for in-band monitoring. The ESXi hypervisordoes not support the Director Platform Agent or Common Agent. However, if thesystem on which ESXi is running has an IMM service processor, the system iseligible for out-of-band management.


Related concepts:

DiscoveryRelated tasks:Enabling a system for monitoring by the Service and Support Manager on page30Related reference:

Supported operating systems

IBM BladeCenter productsTroubleshooting and support for Service and Support Manager on page 52

Migrating to Service and Support Manager 6.3 from a previousversion of Service and Support Manager

If you are migrating to Service and Support Manager 6.3 from a release previous to6.2.1, there are several changes that you should be aware of. This topic highlightschanges to the way that Service and Support Manager 6.3 monitors serviceablehardware problems and changes to Service and Support groups.

How monitoring worked in previous releases

In releases of Service and Support Manager previous to version 6.2.1, automaticmonitoring of endpoint systems was a service that was activated by running theGetting Started with Electronic Service Agent Wizard (previously referred to as theService and Support Getting Started Wizard). After monitoring was enabled,Service and Support Manager moved monitored endpoint systems into one of fivedifferent Service and Support groups: Eligible Systems, Excluded Systems,Monitored Systems, Suspended Systems, and Unknown Systems. Also releasesprevious to 6.2.1, monitoring of all systems could be started and stopped for allsystems, or monitoring for individual systems could be suspended or resumed.

Note: Changes to how monitoring works in Service and Support Manageroccurred in version 6.2.1. If you are migrating from version 6.2.1 or higher to 6.3,you will not see any difference in monitoring behavior. The changes described inthis topic are focused on migrating from releases previous to 6.2.1 to the current6.3 release.

How monitoring works in Service and Support Manager 6.3

Service and Support Manager 6.3 begins automatically monitoring for serviceablehardware problems as soon as the product is installed, and running the GettingStarted with Electronic Service Agent Wizard (previously referred to as the Serviceand Support Getting Started Wizard) is no longer required to activate automaticmonitoring. However, the Getting Started Wizard is required to configure theElectronic Service Agent tool which is integrated with Service and SupportManager to securely transmit serviceable hardware problems and associatedsupport files, inventory, and Performance Management data to IBM support.

Because Service and Support Manager 6.3 always monitors your endpoint systems,there is no longer the need to start, stop, and suspend monitoring. While theability to start and stop monitoring for all systems, or the ability to suspend andresume monitoring for an individual system is no longer available, you can nowenable and disable different types of reporting for each monitored endpoint


system. The Service and Support properties tab for the managed resource has beenenhanced and you can now enable and disable problem reporting, inventoryreporting, and Performance Management data reporting for each individualresource monitored by Service and Support Manager. For more information clickon the following topic links listed at the bottom of this page:v Enable or disable problem reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable inventory reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for an individualService and Support Manager monitored resource.

Changes to Service and Support groups

Service and Support Manager 6.3 continues to use the following groups: ExcludedSystems, Monitored Systems, and Unknown Systems. However, Service andSupport Manager 6.3 has removed the use of two groups: Eligible Systems andSuspended Systems. The following information describes how systems that werein these removed groups will be handled when Service and Support Manager 6.3 isinstalled:

Eligible SystemsIn releases previous to 6.2.1, this group contained resources that wereeligible to monitor, but were not currently being monitored. When youmigrate to Service and Support Manager 6.3 and have systems in thisgroup, these systems will automatically be moved into the MonitoredSystems group, and these systems will be monitored for serviceablehardware problems.

Suspended SystemsIn releases previous to 6.2.1, this group contained resources that had beenput into a suspended state, but were still considered eligible for monitoringby Service and Support Manager. When you migrate to Service andSupport Manager 6.3 and have systems in this group, these systems willautomatically be moved into the Monitored Systems group, but allreporting states will be disabled. To enable reporting for any resources thathave been migrated from the Suspended Systems group to the MonitoredSystems group, see any of the following topics listed at the bottom of thispage:v Enable or disable problem reporting for an individual Service andSupport Manager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable inventory reporting for an individual Service andSupport Manager monitored resource.

v Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for anindividual Service and Support Manager monitored resource.

For more information on the groups used in Service and Support Manager 6.3, seethe Service and Support groups topic listed below.


Related concepts:Service and Support groups on page 22Related tasks:Enable or disable problem reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource. on page 43Enable or disable inventory reporting for an individual Service and SupportManager monitored resource on page 45Enable or disable Performance Management data reporting for an individualService and Support Manager monitored resource. on page 50

Installing Service and Support Manager version 6.3In previous releases, you were required to download and install Service andSupport Manager separately from the installation of IBM Systems Director. Startingwith version 6.3, Service and Support Manager is installed during the installationof IBM Systems Director. You do not need to download and install Service andSupport Manager independently.

For instructions on installing IBM Systems Director, see Installing IBM SystemsDirector.

Service and Support Manager 6.3 begins automatically monitoring for serviceablehardware problems as soon as the product is installed. However, in order tosecurely transmit serviceable hardware problems and associated support files,inventory, and Performance Management data to IBM support, you must activatethe Electronic Service Agent tool which is integrated with Service and SupportManager. See the Activating Electronic Service Agent topic below for more details.Related tasks:Activating Electronic Service AgentRelated reference:Supported operating systems

Configuring Service and Support ManagerFollow the steps in this topic to configure Service and Support Manager.

After you have installed IBM Systems Director, use the following tasks to activateElectronic Service Agent, to configure systems for monitoring, and to configuree-mail notification.

Activating Electronic Service AgentService and Support Manager 6.3 begins automatically monitoring for serviceablehardware problems as soon as IBM Systems Director is installed. However,activation by running the Getting Started Wizard is required to configure theElectronic Service Agent tool which is integrated with Service and SupportManager to securely transmit serviceable hardware problems and associatedsupport files, inventory, and Performance Management data to IBM support.

To activate Electronic Service Agent, complete the following steps:1. Start IBM Systems Director. For information on starting IBM Systems Director,

see Logging into IBM Systems Director Server. Then return to these steps.2. On the Plug-ins tab of the Home page, click Getting Started with Electronic

Service Agent .


3. Complete the Getting Started Wizard.

Note: Alternatively you can use the smcli command ssmimport to activateElectronic Service Agent.

Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Related tasks:Enabling a system for monitoring by the Service and Support ManagerInstalling Service and Support Manager version 6.3 on page 29Related reference:Supported operating systemsssmimport command on page 80Electronic Service Agent is active and configured but is not reporting serviceablehardware problems to IBM support because another application has call homeresponsibility on page 76

Enabling a system for monitoring by the Service and SupportManager

Follow the steps in this topic to enable your system for monitoring by the Serviceand Support Manager plug-in, which is integrated with the Electronic ServiceAgent tool.

Ensure that your system is eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager. For more details see the Eligibility for Service and Support Managertopic listed below.

Before Service and Support Manager can determine whether or not a system iseligible to be monitored, you must complete the following steps.1. The system must have been discovered by IBM Systems Director. If the system

has not been discovered by IBM Systems Director, complete the steps in thePerforming a system discovery (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/diricinfo/fqm0_t_performing_system_discovery.html)topic listed below. Then return to this procedure.

2. The system must be unlocked. If the system is not unlocked, complete the stepsin the Requesting access to a secured system (http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/diricinfo/fqm0_t_requesting_access_to_a_secured_system.html) topic listed below. Thenreturn to this procedure.

3. It is recommended that you collect a full inventory of the system. If you havenot collected a full inventory of the system, see the Collecting inventory(http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/diricinfo/fqm0_t_collecting_inventory.html) topic listed below.


Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24Related tasks:Activating Electronic Service Agent on page 29Related reference:Troubleshooting and support for Service and Support Manager on page 52Related information:Performing a system discoveryRequesting access to a secured systemCollecting inventory

Configuring SSO credentials for eligible IBM i partitions onPower Systems

Configuration of SSO is required to enable monitoring of eligible IBM i partitionson Power Systems by Service and Support Manager. Follow the steps in this topicto configure Single Sign On credentials for your IBM i partition with version V7R1and PTF SI47798 or higher, on Power Systems managed by Hardware ManagementConsole.

Ensure that your system is eligible for monitoring by Service and SupportManager. For more details see the Eligibility for Service and Support Managertopic listed below.

See the Managing credentials topic for more information on setting up the SSOauthentication process for IBM Systems Director.

Configure e-mail notification for Service and Support Managerusing automation plans

Use the steps in this topic to configure an IBM Systems Director event automationplan to send you notification e-mails for a variety of different conditions, includingwhen Service and Support Manager detects a serviceable hardware problem, whenElectronic Service Agent transmits a serviceable hardware problem, or when aserviceable hardware problem, support files, and inventory fail to be reported toIBM support.

Use IBM Systems Director to create an automation plan that will send you ane-mail notification. First you will need to create an SMTP e-mail event action. Nextyou will need to create an automation plan and associate the e-mail event actionwith your automation plan. Follow these steps to configure notification:1. On the Plug-ins tab of the Home page, click Automation Manager. On the

Automation Manager summary page, click Event Actions under Planmanagement.

2. Click Create... to open the Create Action window.3. Select Send an e-mail (Internet SMTP), and click OK.4. Fill in all required fields on the E-mail window. Provide a name that you will

easily recognize for this action, as you will come back and associate this actionwith an automation plan at a later time. For example, you could call this action"Electronic Service Notification." Click Test to test the SMTP connection andcheck to see if you have received an e-mail. After the test is successful clickOK.


5. Next, from the main IBM Systems Director navigation pane select AutomationPlans.

6. Click Create... to open the Automation Plans Wizard.7. Complete the Automation Plans Wizard by following these steps:

a. Provide a Name and Description for the automation plan and click Next.b. Select the Target system, or group of systems for which you want to receive

problem report e-mail notifications. To optimize notification it isrecommended that you choose the All Systems group. Click Next.

c. From the Events page, select Advanced Event Filters from the Events field.d. From the Event Filters list, select one or more of the following event filters:

Electronic Service and Support EventsThis event occurs every time Service and Support Manager detects acondition associated with a monitored endpoint.

Note: This event filter includes every kind of event that isassociated with Service and Support Manager, including but notlimited to detection of a serviceable problem, the reporting of aserviceable problem, a failure to report a serviceable problem,collection and transmission of inventory, detection of an eligibleendpoint, notification of a test, notification for support filestransmitted via FTP, notifications associated with PerformanceManagement Data collection and transmission, notification ofsoftware quality data transmission, etc. You may want to choose oneof the filters below to refine the notifications you receive.

Electronic Service RequestsThis event occurs every time Service and Support Manager detects aserviceable hardware problem and opens an electronic servicerequest with IBM support. This event tracks both the creation of aserviceable hardware problem as well as the transmission of thatproblem to IBM support.

Service and Support Manager processing error eventsThis event occurs every time Electronic Service Agent fails totransmit a serviceable hardware problem or extended error supportfiles to IBM support. This event also occurs when Service andSupport Manager fails to collect support files from a monitoredendpoint system.

Service and Support Manager serviceable eventsThis event occurs every time Service and Support Manager detects acondition that results in Service and Support Manager creating anew problem. This event will occur any time a problem is created,including problems that are transmitted to IBM support, problemsthat are held, or problems that are not transmitted to IBM support,but stored for customer awareness in a state of AdministratorNotification.

Note: This event is a subset of the Electronic Service Requestsevent. This event only occurs when a serviceable hardwarecondition is detected and a problem is created, but not when theproblem is transmitted. Use the Electronic Service Requests event ifyou are interested in tracking both the creation of problems, and thetransmission of those problems to IBM support


Tip: This event can be very useful in conjunction with the Serviceand Support Manager processing error events. For example, youcan create an automation plan that uses the Service and SupportManager serviceable events event to notify you every time aproblem is created, and also uses the Service and Support Managerprocessing error events event to notify you if the created problemor associated support files fail to transmit.

e. After you have selected the event click Next to move to the Event Actionspage.

f. Select the event action that you created in Step 4, (the example name givenin Step 4 was "Electronic Service Notification"), and click Next.

g. Provide a Time Range and click Next.h. Review the Summary page details and click Finish to create the automation

plan.Related reference:Troubleshooting and support for Service and Support Manager on page 52

Optimizing your problem reporting environment for Serviceand Support Manager

There are several prerequisite conditions that need to be met in order to ensurethat Service and Support Manager is optimized to detect and collect informationabout serviceable hardware problems on eligible endpoint systems, and to ensurethat Electronic Service Agent integrated with Service and Support Manager is ableto report any serviceable hardware problems and associated support files to theIBM service provider. The following topics provide details for optimizing differentoperating systems.Related concepts:Systems and resources eligible for monitoring by Service and Support Manageron page 24

Optimizing your problem reporting environment for AIX endpointsystemsThere are several prerequisite conditions that need to be met in order to ensurethat Service and Support Manager is optimized to detect and collect informationabout serviceable hardware problems on your AIX endpoint system, and to ensurethat Electronic Service Agent integrated with Service and Support Manager is ableto report any serviceable hardware problems and associated support files to IBMsupport.

Prerequisites

The following conditions must be met in order for an AIX system to be eligible formonitoring by Service and Support Manager:v AIX systems with Hardware Management Console or Integrated VirtualizationManager managed partitions are not eligible for monitoring.

v The following package of files is required in order for the AIX system to sendevents to Service and Support Manager: sysmgt.cim.providers.osbase. To check forthis package of files you can run the following command on the AIX system :lslpp -l sysmgt.cim.providers.osbase

If the system does not have this package installed, you need to install the AIXCommon Agent 6.1.2, available from the IBM Systems Director downloadsWebsite.


Recommendation: disabling Electronic Service Agent on the AIXendpoint system

Use the following recommendation to optimize your environment so that you canmanage all aspects of your serviceable hardware problems through IBM SystemsDirector and Service and Support Manager. If an AIX endpoint system has aninstance of the Electronic Service Agent tool configured and running on the AIXendpoint system, it is recommended that you disable this instance of ElectronicService Agent. However, before you disable Electronic Service Agent on the AIXendpoint system, ensure that your system is actively monitored by Service andSupport Manager on the IBM Systems Director management server. Check thefollowing conditions:v The

Installation Guide

Documents

support manager version

support manager commands

overview of service

iiiiv service

managing service

support managerversion

support manager33optimizing

support manager2security