Saved by the APAR or How to Use IBM's Self Help Web Support

July 11, 2003

So, what exactly does a DBA need to know to be able to solve all his problems?

Complexity of the modern relational database goes beyond the regular DBA's knowledge. When looking at dozens of manuals, books and web pages, you may wonder, "Where else can I search?" A regular resource for questions about products, installation procedure, configuration, functionality, technical inquiries, trends and directions can be found in many places. The following resources are available to help you:

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) - answers for the most frequently asked questions
• Hints & Tips - installation and support information
• Technotes - documented problems and solutions
• Product information - various books, manuals and the IBM product documentation
• Redbooks - technical manuals with detail instructions
• Whitepapers and up-to-date bulletins - in depth documentation about products, with coding tips and techniques
• Forums/Newsgroups - experience exchange between DB2 users
• Software downloads - patches, fixes and other product downloads

In this article, I'll show how to use IBM Self Help Web Support, a great starting point for getting the right answer about DB2 database software.

This article covers:

• FixPack, HotFix, APAR, Hiper APAR
• IBM Self Help Web Support
• Call from the Customer
• Using the Self Help Web Support
• Conclusion