What is Serviceability?
Serviceability is the end-to-end experience, from the time a problem occurs or a customer perceives they have a problem with our products, solutions or services, to the time they believe it has been successfully resolved for them.
Serviceability deals with the tools and features that allow Notes and Domino to be easily repaired if an unintentional fault or problem occurs with the product. When a problem occurs, we need a way to easily diagnose and fix the problem in the most efficient manner possible. This includes the entire service process from fault to fix.
IBM has a large emphasis on developing quality and serviceability right into the product. IBM has a detailed set of core serviceability criteria which all IBM software is measured against. We evaluate these criteria regularly, and identify areas where improvement is needed. We are always looking for ways to reduce the time it takes to resolve issues.
These are some general examples of what falls under serviceability:
1. High Quality Error Messages, identifying the components involved, providing actions to address the issues where appropriate.
2. Logging and detailed Trace is available, in addition to providing the ability to manage the logging and trace.
3. Strive for First Failure Data Capture, always working to improve in this area.
4. Data collection tools that run to gather specific information for problem resolution (NSD, ISA, ISA-Lite, ADC)
5. Tools used to detect possible fault conditions before they happen and take corrective measures (DDM, Detect high memory usage, high disk utilization, etc.)
6. Tools used to detect possible fault conditions after they happen to prevent further damage (Fixup, DB Corruption Detection Tool)
7. Problem determination and resolution tools (Fault Analyzer, LND)
8. Processes that define how fixes are given to customers and verified. (Fix Central)
Now... to identify some of those acronyms above, and define some best practices.
Serviceability Best Practices for Notes clients:
- Use the embedded IBM Support Assistant (ISA) in the Help menu in the Standard Notes client to search for product information, and to collect data if an issue occurs.
- Provides the ability to very easily collect diagnostic data if an issue occurs in your Standard Notes client. Collects all the appropriate files, config and zips it all up to send to support.
http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=475&uid=swg21389356
- Utilize Automatic Data Collection (ADC) and Fault Analyzer - Set up ADC to collect information and have Fault Analysis track common crashes
- Provides information about what crashes are happening in your environment (client and server)
- Configured in the Server doc, desktop policy for clients
- Quickly see common issues occurring in your environment.
- Diagnostic data is automatically collected and available for further analysis
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/domino7-serviceability/index.html
Serviceability Best Practices for Domino Servers:
- Utilize IBM Support Assistant (ISA/ISA-Lite).
- Similar to the embedded ISA noted in the client section, Has diagnostic data collection features.
- Also provides a way to search IBM documentation and knowledge bases.
- Additional Serviceability tools are available via the ISA workbench, Lotus Notes Diagnostics, Domino Configuration Tuner.
http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=899&uid=swg21415777
- To emphasize: Download and Install ISA-Lite on each of your Domino servers.
- Only the diagnostic data collector part of ISA, runs on Windows, AIX, Linux, Solaris.
- Automates collection and submission of files that IBM Support analysts need to identify, diagnose, and recover from occasional operational problems with IBM products.
- Quickly collect and submit (upload) Notes/Domino files to IBM Support.
- Ensures comprehensive data collection.
http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=899&uid=swg24025506
- Use ADC (Automatic Data Collection) - Setting up ADC to collect information and have Fault Analysis track common crashes.
- Same as ADC in the client section above, this provides a repository collect diagnostic data, and analyze crashes across multiple servers in your environment.
- Quickly see common issues occurring in your environment.
- A separate mail-in database can be configured for clients versus servers.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/domino7-serviceability/index.html
- Configure and Monitor DDM (Domino Domain Monitor) - setup alerts and warnings, be proactive!
- View/Monitor health of your servers throughout your Domino domain
- Provides active monitoring with pre-defined probes
- Receive alerts, and provides corrective actions
- Recognizes and reports critical server and client issues within minutes
http://www.lotus.com/ldd/dominowiki.nsf/dx/domino-domain-monitoring
- Utilize DCT (Domino Configuration Tuner)
- This is AWESOME serviceability tool, to review your configuration and will recommend Best Practices configuration.
- Help clean up old config setting.
- Available via ISA workbench or via download
- Rules, criteria regularly added, updated on-line
http://www.lotus.com/ldd/dominowiki.nsf/dx/domino-configuration-tuner
- Lotus Notes Diagnostics (LND) - Excellent Serviceability tool to analyze Domino and Notes Diagnostic files, NSDs, console logs, semdebug, etc.
- Automatically analyze diagnostic data
- Automatically provide technote matches for known issues
- Recommends next steps
Excellent video on LND:
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/dominowiki.nsf/dx/07282009040948PMWEBRN8.htm
Other Serviceability recommendations:
more to come....
Additional Serviceability tools
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