Working with Problem Logs

The i5 keeps track of all problems (both hardware and software) you encounter in a problem log. It even generates problem logs of its own. You can obtain a list of these problem logs using the Work with Problems (WRKPRB) command.

The WRKPRB Command

The WRKPRB command has a number of parameters to let you select which problem logs you want displayed. If you don't enter any parameter values, WRKPRB presents all problem logs by default, as shown in Figure 34.19. Note that the first problem is the problem you logged in from the walk-through exercise in the previous section. The other problem logs shown in the figure were generated by the system, presumably, during save/restore operations that failed.

Figure 34.19: Working with problems.

From this panel, you can edit problem logs by entering option numbers and pressing the Enter key. For example, using option 12 lets you enter or change the notes associated with a particular problem.

Deleting Old Problem Logs

As problem logs accumulate, you will notice that they begin to use up disk space. Therefore, you should keep an eye on problem logs so that they do not proliferate. You can delete problem logs individually by selecting option 4 from the panel shown in Figure 34.19.

You may want to run the Delete Problem (DLTPRB) command instead, as follows:

      DLTPRB PRBID(*ALL) STATUS(*VERIFIED *CLOSED) DAYS (7) 

This command deletes all problem logs that are at least seven days old and have a status of *VERIFIED or *CLOSED (resolved problems).

Tip 

You also can use Operational Assistant. Select option 1 from the Cleanup menu. Whether you use the WRKPRB panel or the DLTPRB command, you might run into a snag that prevents you from deleting certain problem logs. A system value (QPRBHLDITV) determines how long a problem log must be held on the system before deletion is possible. You can always change this system value to a lower value (even zero) if you want absolute control over which problem logs are deleted.