Looking for Mr. APAR

(Repost from May 28, 2014) 

Something new for your toolbag...

Remember how we had SHARE requirements to show new INFO and DOC APARs, and also to search for updates to said APARs?  These requirements came in right about the same time we did the New Function APAR identification (which we satisfied with the My Notifications capability).  At the time of doing the New Function identification work, we thought that the INFO and DOC APAR search would have to be a different solution, and it was.  Now, we've got something that you may want to take a look at for hunting down APARs.  And, not just INFO and DOC APARs.  There's other search criteria you can use, which makes this a nice general APAR search tool to use!

Introducing the "Granular APAR Search" tool, here:  http://www-304.ibm.com/support/customercare/psearch/search?domain=gapar

There are some minor tweaks I want - like a nice pop-up for what the heck those "external symptom codes" really are.  Tweaks will be coming later, but for now, we wanted to get this out there.   Also, that field for "Release" requires that you know something already, in order to search for it.  Look under "search tips" for how to use it wisely.  If you have any feedback, I'd be happy to take it.  

For now, know this:  

• DOC APARs (that is, defects found in the documentation that we are fixing) are external symptom code "DD".  I think this probably could mean Documentation Defect, but I haven't been around as long as the codes. 
• INFO APARs (that is, information that is "extra" that you should know, and that is periodically added to) are found in their own section, near New Function APARs.

Here's hoping you can find what you are looking for.