INTRODUCTION

The AIX Support Center welcomes your participation in using
efficient UNIX communications methods to report AIX operating
system problems to IBM.

This program, AIXServ, will allow automatic processing and
entry of your software defect reports into IBM's support database.
Thus, AIXServ provides you with an alternative to the telephone for
reporting low to medium impact problems with the AIX operating system.

If you do some problem determination on your own, AIXServ enables
you to describe the problem to AIX Support Center personnel
more efficiently and in greater detail than over the telephone.
You can also append small ASCII testcases and typescript files
to bug reports to clarify problem descriptions.



SET-UP

You will need Internet or Usenet E-mail access in order to report
AIX software defects to IBM via AIXServ.

Please note the following Internet mail addresses:

Defect reporting:          aixbugs@austin.ibm.com

Assistance with AIXServ:   services@austin.ibm.com

Test mail may be sent to either address.  Additionally, any E-mail
sent to the defect report account that is not recognized as a bug
report will receive the latest version of the AIX Service Package
as an automatic reply.

These same addresses may be used by internal IBM users with TCP/IP
access to the "austin.ibm.com" domain.



DISCLAIMER

 o IBM provides this service in response to the requests of many 
   AIX users.  It is available on a best-effort basis only, with
   the goal of improving AIX support.  We reserve the right to
   cancel this program at any time, with little or no notification.

 o IBM does NOT require AIX customers to have Internet E-mail 
   access in order to receive software support.



HOW TO REPORT PROBLEMS

1) Invoke the "aixserv" user interface shell script and choose
   the option to submit a software defect report to the AIX
   Support Center.

2) Respond to the script's requests for the priority of your problem,
   the suspected failing point, the current service level, etc.

3) You will then enter an "input mode" where you can type in a
   description of the problem and a re-creation scenario.

   While you are in "input mode," you may edit your text by typing
   in ~edit.  This will put you in the editor specified by your
   $EDITOR environment variable (default: the vi editor).

   When you have finished entering your text, type a CTRL-D to
   terminate input mode and let the script continue.

4) Finally, you will get a prompt asking if you would like to send
   the bug report to the AIX Support Center.  An affirmative
   response will E-mail the report to us.

IBM's automatic mail handlers will receive your software defect
report and will attempt to process it.  Upon successful completion,
we will send you a reply informing you of your assigned Problem
Management Record (PMR) number.

This process may take a few hours so please have patience.

After we have received and processed your bug report and a PMR
is created in our RETAIN support database, an AIX specialist
will contact you as required.  The AIXServ script allows you
to specify telephone call back or E-mail reply from the AIX
Support Center.



REQUIRED SOFTWARE DEFECT REPORT FORMAT

The scripts that automatically process your submitted information
here at the AIX Support Center only recognize reports formatted
and built by the aixserv script.  Please use this template and do
not change the order of the fields.  An unrecognized bug report
format may result in the return of the report to you or the default
response of sending you a copy of the latest AIX Service Package.



GUIDELINES

Please limit use of electronic bug reporting to medium and low 
impact problems.  IBM's 1-800-237-5511 support number is available 
to you for HIGH impact/priority software defect reporting.  Please 
make prior arrangements with an IBM support specialist via the 
1-800 number if you would like to submit high-impact problem 
information via E-mail.


Avoid resending additional copies of a bug report unless AIXServ 
returns your original copy with an error message.  This facilitates 
better service by reducing the overhead caused by duplicate reports 
in our system.  If you suspect that a bug report has been lost, 
call our 1-800 number or send a separate E-mail inquiry to:

        services@austin.ibm.com


Please mail a separate software defect report for each individual 
problem:  one problem = one bug report = one PMR.  This enables 
faster channeling of problems to the proper resources.


AIXServ will handle excessive E-mail volume on a best-effort only
basis.  Avoid "saving up" problems to report to AIX support in bulk
batches.  We recommend you submit no more than six (6) software
defect reports per day.


Please limit E-mail to smaller than 100KB.  Very large testcases
cannot be sent via AIXServ: their separate transmission by a
different mechanism must be arranged with an IBM support specialist.

Submit any testcase included with the initial Bug Report as an 
"attached file".  

Problem Record Updates have no provision for "attached files" and 
must be limited to brief text that is entered into the PMR itself.
Testcases or other voluminous information associated with an update
should be sent separately to
                   aasc@austin.ibm.com
and identified in the subject line with the PMR#,branch,country given
in the acknowledgment returned from successful processing of the
original Bug Report.


Limits on software defect report sizes are 200 lines for the 
bug report, excluding any attached files, and 100 lines for a 
Problem Record update.


Your participation in E-mail submission of AIX software defect
reports is dependent on IBM's ability to return mail to your
E-mail address.  To test this, send a blank mail note to
aixbugs@austin.ibm.com.  If your mail is "replyable,"
a reply should reach you within a few hours.  Standard telephone
support is available if this connection cannot be made.


Please direct questions or comments regarding IBM's electronic
software defect report process to:  services@austin.ibm.com.
Thank you for your participation and cooperation in this program.

END OF NOTE