IBM TotalStorage DR550 SMB Version 1.0 ------ 27 May 2005 Page 40
IBM Storage Systems Copyright © 2005 by International Business Machines Corporation
Problem Determination
This section provides guidance for an entry point to perform problem determination on a DR550
SMB. Each underlying product that makes up a DR550 SMB provides problem determination
information. A DR550 SMB is made up of these products:
• One POWER5 520
•
One IBM Flat Panel Monitor
•
One TotalStorage SAN Switches (2005-H08) – if configured for tape
•
AIX V5.2 ML6
•
Tivoli Storage Manager Extended Edition V5.3.1
•
Tivoli Storage Manager for Data Retention V5.3.1
The first step is to establish which area of the DR550 SMB may be the cause of a particular problem
and then use the Problem Determination tools and information that is provided for that product.
Gathering problem information from the user
To help isolate the source of a problem gather the following information:
1. Establish which area or product of the DR550 SMB may be the cause of a particular problem, for
example, an amber LED is lit on an disk drive, or the Attention LED is lit on the P5 520. Once
isolated, use the Problem Determination tools and information that is provided for that product
that is indicating a problem.
2. What is the problem?
a. What is the system doing?
b. What is the system not doing?
c. Is there a specific user or system function that is not working correctly?
d. Are specific error messages or numbers associated with the problem, for example on
a screen or an operators’ panel?
e. Which software or hardware component generated the error message or number?
f. To gather data from the p5 520 server, logon as dr550 user and switch to root (su-
root) and run this command snap –gbc. You will need to get the dr550 and root
passwords from the customer
This command is typed on the command line. A file named snap.tar.Z is generated
by this command and is located in the /tmp/ibmsupt directory. This compressed file
will contain the P5 520 error log, configuration information, AIX level, list of installed
devices, information about the Object Data Manager, and several other files. You
must have root privileges to use this command. This snap file can be sent to the
support center for analysis.
3. Establish a history of the problem; request the following information:
a. How did you first notice the problem? Did the user do anything different that made
them notice the problem?
b. When did it happen? Does it always happen at the same time, for example when the
same application is run or a specific user accesses the system.
c. Does the same problem occur elsewhere? Is only one machine experiencing the
problem or are multiple machines experiencing the same problem?
d. Have any hardware, software, or configuration changes been made recently?
e. If a change has been made recently, were all required prerequisites met before the
change was made?
4. Gather information from the system. Use the following worksheet as a guide.
