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L3 Support Process
Ya Qiang Li
09/21 2012
© 2012 IBM Corporation
Rational Insight | Back to Basis Series
Agenda
•
Terminology
•
IBM Common L3 process
•
L2 work with L3
•
RATLC
•
Jazz Support
•
Useful Links
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Terminology
•
L1 (Level 1): Who directly commuicate with customer to creates a PMR via a Service
Request.
•
L2 (Level 2): A Technical Support Engineer (TSE) who works directly with customers to
provide solutions to customer requests (PMRs) about product issues.
•
L3 (Level 3): Who is development. For the purposes of this document the terms are
interchangeable. Level-3 is responsible for providing Level-2 with information/guidance to
resolve a customer issue in an escalation. Level-3 is also responsible for creating TextFixes
for defects.
•
SWAT (Software Advisory Team): A Development Level Team in Rational Customer Support
organization responsible for providing L2 with information/guidance to resolve a customer
issue in an escalation. They may reproduce complex customer issues to either resolve the
customer problem or to determine a potential defect. They may also create and supply
“diagnostic” fixes to customers based on problems discovered in the product code.
•
RETAIN (Remote Technical Assistance and Info Network): An IBM application and database
for reporting and managing the resolution of customer-reported problems and defects, such
as PMR and APAR.
•
PMR (Problem Management Report): A RETAIN record for managing resolution of
customer-reported problems. A PMR may be defect-oriented or non-defect-oriented.
•
MDV (Maintenance Delivery Vehicle): A general term for a software package IBM provides
customers to update their installed software (e.g., TestFix, Interim Fix, FixPack, etc.).
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Terminology
•
Escalation
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Overview: A high priority pending customer problem (PMR) for which Support (Level-2) has
exhausted its internal resources and needs technical assistance from Development (Level-3) to
resolve.
–
Example situations where escalations are used:
•
•
•
•
–
Level-2 has no clear “next steps” for resolving the PMR.
There are significant customer satisfaction issues.
Response time commitments made to the customer are in jeopardy.
The issue has a high “Business Priority” or impact on sales.
Different from APARs / Change Requests:
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are established for Escalations.
• Escalations don’t always result in an APAR or code change, but an Escalation may
result in one or more APARs.
• An Escalation may involve multiple teams within Level-3 or across organizations
(e.g., Development, Test, Product Management, Sales, etc.)
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Terminology
•
5
APAR (Authorized Program Analysis Report): A RETAIN record created by Level-2 to
document and manage resolution of customer-reported defects. One or more APARs are
used to resolve a defect-oriented PMR.
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IBM Common L3 process
• The L3 process begins when:
–
–
L2 asks L3 for assistance.
-or-
Customer
System in
Production
Create a PMR
L2 believes a customer-reported problem
Report Problem
(PMR) is a potential defect.
Work with PMR
Yes
–
Consults with L3
–
Verifies an APAR is warranted,
–
Creates an APAR to document and track
resolution of the defect.
Yes
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L3 delivers a fix for the APAR via a
standard fix vehicle (MDV).
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No
Is an
APAR
No
No
Need
Level-3
assistance?
Required?
Yes
Create an ER
Ask Level-2
to open an
APAR.
Create an APAR
Resolve APAR
Yes
Install Solution
Problem
Resolved?
No
Continue to
work with PMR
• The L3 process ends when:
L2/L3 determines the PMR is not a
product defect.
-or-
Problem
Resolved?
Deliver Solution
• If an APAR is created, L3
corrects the problem.
–
Help L2 with PMR
Find Problem
• L2:
–
Level-3
Level-2
Solution in
Production
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IBM Common L3 process
•
Create APAR (with L2)
•
Create defect for APAR
•
Triage and assign APAR
•
Determine resolution
•
Communicate resolution
•
Process code changes
•
Process documentation changes
•
Finalize APAR
•
Conduct peer review
•
Close APAR
•
Build, verify and deliver MDV
•
Update APAR to identify MDV(s) the APAR fix is delivered in.
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L2 work with L3
• L2
–
The prime communication interface and point of contact to the customer
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Questions requiring little investigation or a quick answer, may be sent to L3. Completed searches of
all applicable and available knowledge bases.
–
If L2 has reproduced the customer problem, provide access to a test system or clear documentation
of the recreation steps. If L2 is unable to reproduce the customer problem, provide a detailed
description of the scenario which illustrates the problem.
–
Collected and analyzed all related documentation that may be needed to resolve the problem,
including traces, logs, core files, configuration files, dumps, etc. L2 is expected to analyze logs,
traces, etc. to the extent documented in external documentation or internal documentation, which
has been provided to L2.
–
Summarize the following information before contacting L3
• Customer basic environmental information
• Complete background information
• clear statement of the problem or question that L3 is asked to assist with
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L2 work with L3
• L3
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–
Expected to respond to L2 with meaningful, timely assistance, which will minimize the number of
times L2 needs to contact the customer.
–
Perform the analysis, determine next steps that are needed, and determine a fix can be created in
time.
–
Work together with L2 to create the APAR, determine how to set the customer's expectations
regarding how the APAR will be resolved and the APAR's relative priority.
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RATLC
Level-3 Process
Triage APAR
Open APAR
(Submitted RATLC CR)
(Assign RATLC CR)
Process Code
Changes
Determine
APAR Resolution
Process Doc
Changes
Level-2 / Level-3
agree on resolution
Build and Test
Changes
RATLC CR
(Submitted)
APAR
(INTRAN)
Is
APAR a valid
defect?
Yes
No
Will
ship APAR fix
in next MDV or Yes
release?1
No
Finalize APAR / Enter APAR Close Info (Level-3)
Review APAR Close Info (QA/Reviewer in Level-2 or Level-3)
No
Passed
Acceptance
Test?
Yes
Set Approved for External Publication=Yes (RATLC Project Admin)
Set Media Available=Yes
on RATLC CWProject Record
Close APAR
(Invalid)
 RFE
 Cancelled
 Duplicate
 Info Not Provided
 Unreproducible
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(RATLC Project Admin)
Close APAR
Close APAR
(Valid)
 NPTF
 Postponed
(Valid)
 Fixed
 Fixed Indirectly
 Documentation
Publish Closed APARs
to www.ibm.com
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RATLC
RATLC Customer
Priority
RTC Customer Priority
Requirement/Goal
CP1
Blocker/Critical
Daily, meaningful
update of the
Escalation.
CP2
Major
Meaningful updates
of the Escalation at
least every 3 days.
CP3
Normal
Meaningful updates
of the Escalation at
least every 5 days.
CP1-CP5: All
Escalations in
Awaiting TestFix
state.
Meaningful update of the Escalation at
least every 5 days regarding the status of
the TestFix development / delivery.
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SeriesState
RATLC
ER - Initial
RATLC Action
RATLC - End State
RATLC
<None>
Submit
Support_Esc
Level-2 or Tier-2
Support_Esc
WaitingInfo
WaitingInfo
Level-2
Support_Esc
Submit_To_Dev
Dev_Submitted
Support_Esc
EngineeringComplete
EngineeringComplete
Tier-2
Support_Esc
Close
Closed
Level-2
Dev_Submitted
Engineering
Engineering
SWAT or Level-3
Dev_Submitted
WaitingInfo
WaitingInfo
Level-2
Dev_Submitted
Awaiting_TestFix
Awaiting_TestFix
Level-3
Engineering
EngineeringComplete
EngineeringComplete
Level-2
Engineering
Awaiting_TestFix
Awaiting_TestFix
Level-3
Engineering
WaitingInfo
WaitingInfo
Level-2
Engineering
EngineeringComplete
EngineeringComplete
Level-2
Engineering
Close
Closed
Level-2
Engineering
ReSubmit_Support
Support_Esc
EngineeringComplete
Close
Closed
EngineeringComplete
Engineering
Engineering
SWAT or Level-3
Closed
ReSubmit_Support_Closed
Support_Esc
Level-2 or Tier-2
Waiting_Info
ReSubmit_Support
Support_Esc
Level-2 or Tier-2
Waiting_Info
Engineering
Engineering
SWAT or Level-3
Awaiting_TestFix
Close
Closed
Awaiting_TestFix
Engineering
Engineering
<All states
except Submitted>
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Modify
<Same State>
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End State Owner
SWAT or Level-3
Level-2 or Tier-2
Level-2
Level-2
SWAT or Level-3
Depends on ©State
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Jazz Support
•
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Pre-requisite:
–
Ensure you have been given permission to create an “Escalation” type work item on the “Jazz
Support (Private)” project area (URL: http://jazz.net/jazz/web/projects/Jazz Support (Private))
–
If you do not have the permission, please go to the follwing URL
https://w3km.lexma.ibm.com/RTCSupport/Wiki.jsp?page=JazzNet_PA
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Jazz Support
•
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L3 Basic process
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When the Escalation is accepted by L3, both the L3 Owner and L3 Resolver will be set. Before this
change they are set to Unassigned. When the L3 Owner field is set, by L3, this indicates that the
Escalation has been accepted and needs to be triaged.
–
Once a L3 Resolver has been selected, the L3 Resolver will be subscribed to the WI, and will be
updated via the @username in the discussion. Note - The resolver is the person responsible for
researching the escalation
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Jazz Support
•
L3 Basic process
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The following fields on the Escalation overview are populated by L2 with a Summary of the problem,
the Clients Environment, and the Customer Problem description. The L3 problem description (Root
Cause) is populated by L3 when the Escalation is closed.
–
The last step in this process is to provide a quick update for the Action Plan. The date must be set;
this will provide expectations of when it is going to be acted upon and by whom.
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Jazz Support
•
L3 Basic process
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When the Escalation WI is created by L2, the Escalation WI type needs to be selected. Question
category; this will mostly be set to Deviation or Question.
–
Here is a description of the different category types:
• Question: If the customer has a consulting type of question (How do, is there a doc, do we
support...)
• Deviation: This term means the customer is experiencing a behavior not expected
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Jazz Support
•
L3 Basic process
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Here is a description of the different States.
• Ask L3: L3 is researching the issue.
• Ask Development: Seeking assistance from a Developer
• Ask Level2: L2 will ask for some additional information from the client or try a suggestion from
Development
• Give Solution: Start the process of closing the Escalation. The Closure tab will need to be
completed before closing. See Closing Escalation section below.
• Ask SWAT: Ask Senior Technical Support Team Members
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–
L2 will set the status of Ask L3. This will indicate to L3 that L2 is asking for assistance.
–
Ask L3 places the state in "L3 Backlog" or "L3 starts investigating" = Equivalent to “Engineering”
–
L3 Engineer reviews Escalation and provides possible workarounds, confirms if it is a defect in the
product. L3 will also work with Developers to help determine when a fix can be delivered if no
workaround is present.
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Jazz Support
•
How to work with L2
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Once a L3 member reviews the Escalation and when additional information is needed or additional
trouble shooting needs to be performed by L2.
–
The Current Status dropdown should be set to Ask Level 2.
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The next step is to go to the Discussion tab and add a comment and use the person’s Jazz id so that
a WI notification is sent. For example @asq please send the current log files.
• Note: At this point always ensure that all team members are subscribed to this WI.
• Note: Ask L2 places the state in "L2 Investigating"= Equivalent to “WaitingInfo”
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Jazz Support
•
Close Escalations
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On the Right of the Escalation, in the second drop down, click and choose Give Solution
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In the third group box which becomes active when Give Solution is selected and choose the
appropriate resolution that best matches the situation.
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Here is a description of each option:
• Knowledge Resused: Solved with existing knowlege
• Knowledge Created/Flagged/Modified: Potential technote
• APAR Created: Provided when a the resolution is going to be part of a Ifix or Release.
• RFE Created: Not applicable at this time.
• APAR/RFE reused: Not justifiable
• No News from L2: Not applicable at this time.
• Testfix Delivered: When a testfix has been delivered.
• Invalid: Not a valid Escalation.
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Jazz Support
•
Close Escalations
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–
Next go to the Closure tab on the far right and complete the mandatory fields.
–
The first mandatory field is Last Solution Given Date. This is the date that the last solution was
provided.
–
The second mandatory field is asking if Development was involved (create a test fix, or having a
Developer perform some research on the issue.
–
The third mandatory field is for the Preventive Target drop down. I have being leaving that set to None
at this time.
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Useful Links
•
IBM L3 process:
–
•
https://d01db034.pok.ibm.com/q_dir/qmx/swg/qh0dl.nsf/procnum/PROCESS-0003
Ratioal L3 process
–
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https://d01db034.pok.ibm.com/q_dir/qmx/rtnl/qk4dl.nsf/procnum/RATL-EDU-0004
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www.ibm/software/rational
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Revision History
Author
Date
Version
Comment
Ya Qiang Li
09/21 2012
0.1
Initial Draft
23
09/22/12
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