Techniques for varying the search

If you cannot find an appropriate PTF or APAR after searching the IBM® Support site, you might try varying the search argument.

Use the following guidelines to vary your search:

  • If you used a complete set of keywords, and you were unable to find any problem descriptions to examine, drop one or more of these keywords and try again:
    • Dependency keywords
    • Release level keyword
    • Load Module modifier keyword
    • Recovery routine modifier keyword
    • SQLCODE modifier keyword
    • Performance modifier keyword
    • CSECT keyword
  • If you tried to search with an incomplete set of keywords and found too many problem descriptions to examine, add keywords to narrow the search. For example, for storage manager abends (which begin with a reason code of X'00E2'), use the CSECT name that is recorded in the VRA as a means to narrow or vary the search.
  • If you tried to search with a complete set of keywords and found too many matching descriptions, and if you received a 4-byte Db2 abend reason code, you might be able to make the set of keywords more precise. Look up the 4-byte abend reason code in Db2 reason codes.
  • If the type-of-failure keyword is WAIT, LOOP, or PERFM, and a matching problem description is not found, try to replace whichever type-of-failure keyword that was used with one of the other two listed here. Sometimes a problem that appears to be a performance problem might actually be a wait or loop; likewise, a problem that seems to be a wait or a loop might actually be recorded as a performance problem.
  • If the type-of-failure keyword is MSGx and you received more than one message near the time of the problem, replace the number of the message in the keyword with other related message numbers.
  • If the type-of-failure keyword is MSGx, PERFM, or INCORROUT, and if the problem occurred immediately after you performed an action that a Db2 publication described, then the problem can be recorded as a DOC type of failure. In this case, try searching with DOC as the type-of-failure keyword, rather than with MSGx, PERFM, or INCORROUT.