HP NonStop NS manual Task 1 Get the Facts, Task 1a Determine the Facts About the Problem

Introduction to Integrity NonStop NS-Series	Task 1: Get the Facts
Operations

Task 1: Get the Facts

The first step in solving any problem is to get the facts. Although it is tempting to speculate about causes, your time is better spent in first understanding the symptoms of the problem.

Task 1a: Determine the Facts About the Problem

To get a clear, complete description of problem symptoms, ask questions to determine the facts about the problem. For example:

Category	Questions to Ask
What?	What are you having trouble with?
	What specifically is wrong?
Where?	Where did you first notice the problem?
	Where has it occurred since you first noticed it?
	Which applications, components, devices, and people are affected?
When?	When did the problem occur?
	What is the frequency of the problem?
	Has this problem occurred before this time?
Magnitude?	Is the problem quantifiable in any way? (That is, can it be measured?) For
	example, how many people are affected? Is this problem getting worse?

Task 1b: Determine the Facts About the Situation

Collect facts about the situation in which the problem arose. A clear description of the situation that led to the problem could indicate a simple solution. Examples of questions to ask are:

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Who reported the problem and how can this person be contacted? How critical is the situation?

What events led to the problem?

Has anything changed recently that might have caused the problem? What event messages have you received?

What is the current configuration of the hardware and software products affected?

An example of information you might obtain from asking questions:

Question	Answer
What is happening that	A terminal is hung.
indicates a problem?
Where is this problem	In the office of USER.BONNIE. The affected terminal is
occurring?	named $JT1.#C02.
When is this problem occurring?	At 8:30 this morning and also at the same time two days
	ago. Both times, this problem occurred after three
	unsuccessful attempts to log on.

What is the magnitude of this problem?

Intermittent; the problem seemed to disappear on its own when it first occurred two days ago.

HP Integrity NonStop NS-Series Operations Guide—529869-005

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