The data generated from the tool will also be used to continuously refine the products. For more information on sysdiag, please see Knowledgebase article #3724.

Additionally, Customer Support has designated customer advocates to expedite product returns worldwide. Not only does this staff facilitate communication for product returns, they also provide oversight of after-hour Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) processing. Since the inception of these positions, customer satisfaction in this area has significantly improved, especially in Latin and South America. Currently, in North America, we are able to provide same-day shipping for returned units with plans to implement same-day returns on a global scale.

Why So Many Logs?

From time to time, you may ask why it is necessary to submit so many log files during the course of incident investigation. Aside from the fact that we simply enjoy reading them (and who doesn't), there are several valid reasons.

Log files reveal the inner workings of our products.

There are times when the issue description remains sufficiently vague - even after a telephone conversation - that the Analyst investigating the issue cannot associate previous incidents with the issue at hand. Having the log file allows us to search for error messages posted by the application and view the recurrence of messages as well. Also, the behavior reported for an incident may only be masking other issues. The log file helps paint the full picture of what is occurring on the system. Also, you are often relaying information to us from the end-user who is not as familiar with our products. Log files provide indisputable information about the computing environment.

Is there a way to get around sending logs?

Possibly. With our new troubleshooting technology, GoToAssist, your desktop can be shared with your IBM Internet Security Systems Support Analyst. With this tool, you can grant "view only" or "full access" to the Analyst who may then be able to determine the root of the issue without generating any logs. However, if the Analyst can not easily determine the issue, logs may still be necessary. But, with the use of GoToAssist, the Analyst can assist you in generating and submitting logs.

Note: It takes approximately 30 minutes for Analysts to retrieve the log after they are sent via FTP.

Why can't I just turn up all the logging and submit all the files to Customer Support?

Products like IBM Proventia® Desktop have several modules. To resolve your issue as quickly as possible, we would first like to focus on the module and then turn up the logging rather than spend time searching messages from unaffected modules.

Infinite loop...I've submitted the same logs over and over, what's the deal?

Through the troubleshooting process, we may recommend changes to either workaround an issue or verify a condition. Having logs gathered after making these changes is essential. Also, in instances where an incident must be escalated, additional logs may be required. In these cases, we will request the new logs along with fresh copies of previously requested logs. This ensures the continuity of the information contained in all of the files submitted to our Escalation Team.

Okay, I'm convinced. Is there anything I can do to speed the resolution process?

There are some files that we will usually request when investigating issues. Please consider the following:

The IBM Proventia Management SiteProtector™ centralized management system

This self-contained security management appliance provides further relief from the complex burden of security management by making it easier to evaluate and deploy IBM Internet Security Systems products.  Furthermore, SP1001 provides an easier buying experience in that this self-contained appliance eliminates the time consuming tasks involved in collecting all the parts (OS and SQL licenses, hardware, etc.) associated with a SiteProtector software-only deployment.

Features and benefits include:

SP1001 can be setup and running in 30 minutes or less

Pre-configured SiteProtector SP6.1

Pre-configured Server security agent (Proventia Server for Windows)

Embedded Windows Server 2003

SQL Server 2005

OS and SQL server Security Updates

Dual Xeon, 2.8 Ghz processors

4 GB RAM

Dual, mirrored and hot swappable hard drives

Hot-swappable, redundant power supplies

Rack mountable

2U chassis

Port on the front

LCD setup

Managed OS and DB version interoperability

OS and SQL security updates applied through SiteProtector

Tip of the Month

It is very important to maintain your database to keep its size manageable. Maintenance can be preformed automatically or manually. Automatic maintenance can be established by going into the IBM Proventia^® Management SiteProtector™ "Database Properties," or review the options available by opening up SiteProtector's "Help" and clicking Configuring Database Maintenance Option. For more information, please see the related Knowledgebase articles below: