The APAR documentation you submit for the problem can be sent electronically to an address provided by your IBM® customer support representative or shipped in an APAR box, which you can obtain from your local IBM branch. APAR boxes are clearly marked as such, and they have a panel where tracking information, such as the APAR number, can be written.
Place all your documentation and notes in one or more APAR boxes. Be sure to mark all of the boxes, for example, ‘1 of 2’, and so on, if you need to use more than one.
If you include any magnetic tapes, indicate that clearly on the outside of the box. This will reduce the chances of the box being inadvertently stored in magnetic fields strong enough to damage the data.
Once you have packaged your documentation, a customer support representative will tell you where to send the package.
When the change team receives your package, it will be noted in your APAR record on the RETAIN® system. The team will then investigate the problem. Occasionally, they will have to ask you for more documentation, perhaps specifying some trap you must set before getting it.
When the problem is solved, the APAR will be closed on the RETAIN system, and you will receive a fix.
At any time, you can contact the Support Center to find out how your APAR is progressing, particularly if it is a problem of high severity.
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