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⇱ AIX user: "Austin, We've Got a Problem" & Performance PMRs

AIX user: "Austin, We've Got a Problem" & Performance PMRs

How To


Summary

have never understood why system admin people are so reluctant to get help which has been paid for already. If your AIX support is up to date you have the right to ask for support. Sure check for a few obvious things but then engage IBM or your support escalation process.

Objective

👁 Nigels Banner

Steps

I often get asked: "I (or my customer) thinks that the AIX system is going a bit slow!" and can I send you some nmon data.
  1. First, while nmon has performance data it is not aimed at problem diagnostics.
  2. Second, until you have a PMR (the IBM Problem Management Record) - you don't actually have a problem by definition here at IBM.
     

Here is my boiler plate answer - I regard this as a "work in progress" as I might add further thoughts

  • (GREEN is a pre PMR sanity check, BLUE is the PMR preparation, RED is the PMR phase):

errpt -a
df -g
lsps -a
    •  any serious 
snap -ac
  • /tmp/ibmsupt/testcase/snap.pax.Z
  • http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=aixtools-42612263 and read the Readme link
  • The 600 is the minimum seconds it will run for so about 10 minutes.  Longer is good too. As it captures lots of data beforehand and in phases it will take much longer to finish. Be patient.
  • It can effect performance so don't run it during your yearly peak or vital periods but you want to capture an active period with the problem.
Write a clear description of the symptoms based on measurable real facts
  • The little important bug is hiding behind the great big trivial bugs that we have to fix first to get them out of the way so we can see the problem clearly"

Only read this next bit if you are a really Smart Person

  1. Have the escalation process pasted on the wall
  2. Have you configuration details the machine
  3. Know that your back-ups will work by experience
  4. Know your root passwords or how to get them - quickly
  5. Keep up to date on your system firmware, HMC, VIOS and AIX
    • By "up to date" I mean less than 1 year - as it gets to one year it should be flagged as an non-production unsafe environment and probably not secure.
    • Get a manager to sign it off the out-of-date list, once signed say "Oh thank goodness, now you <insert managers name here> get the sack when it goes belly up and no me!"
  6. Collect perfPMR regularly on "working as normal" days.
    • The AIX Support guys tell me comparing a good day and a bad day takes a fraction of the time - the problem leaps out of the data.
    • I suggest once a quarter or yearly.
    • Plus before and after any system hardware or software change.
  7. Get to know your AIX workload
    • So you can spot odd changes
  8. Keep up to date on your hands-on POWER and AIX skills

Good hunting and may all your PMRs be small quick ones.

Additional Information

Other places to find content from Nigel Griffiths IBM (retired)

Document Location

Worldwide

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Document Information

Modified date:
14 June 2023

UID

ibm11116261