Many problems encountered with terminals and serial printers
can be solved by the end user. Even more can be solved by a system
manager. If the system manager cannot solve a problem, they should
contact an HP support representative.
Each of the above groups has a specific role to play in the
troubleshooting process. Each person needs to fulfill this role
for troubleshooting to be completed quickly.
Basic Troubleshooting |
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Troubleshooting usually begins with recognizing that the device
is not working. The device might be "hung" (port
not responding), transmission might be "garbled",
or the device might not work at all (screen or printer is "dead").
Record the following information to make troubleshooting easier:
The ldev number of the device.
The time that the problem began.
The environment of the device when the problem occurred,
including:
What application was running on the
device.
Whether the device was in character or block mode
(for terminals only).
What specific task was being attempted when the
problem began.
Symptoms of the problem and when each originated.
Steps already taken to correct the problem.
Whether the problem has occurred before.
More Troubleshooting |
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A system manager has many troubleshooting responsibilities.
They need to know how to collect information, analyze information,
and (maybe most importantly) know when it is time to call an HP
support representative. When an HP support representative is contacted,
the system manager should have collected as much information as
possible so that the HP representative has enough information to
solve the problem or consult with other HP personnel.
A system manager should:
Collect as much information as possible
from the user.
Check each device that is malfunctioning.
Check configuration values for the malfunctioning
devices.
Perform a modem check (if modems are used).
Run TermDSM to collect more information. At this
point, it is usually possible to return specific devices or the
whole subsystem to a state where new sessions can be started and
new device opens can occur.
Not all of the above steps are necessary each time. For instance,
if many devices go down at once, it is likely that the problem lies
in the DTC or the LAN, instead of each individual device.
It is important to note that intermittent problems can become
more frequent. This is especially true if a piece of hardware is
beginning to fail.
If it is possible to reset the subsystem so that it appears
to function normally, there is no reason to contact an HP support
representative. However, it is important to keep an accurate log
of the problems and to save any data you have accumulated from the
problems. It might take data from several different occurrences
of the problem to be able to pinpoint the area where the problem
lies.
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 | CAUTION: The system manager should not perform hardware diagnostics
other than the loopback tests and the DTC selftest included in TermDSM.
Only HP support representatives should perform other hardware diagnostics. |
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Hewlett-Packard Responsibilities |
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It is ultimately Hewlett-Packard's responsibility
to resolve problems that arise with the use of products that HP
supports as specified in your customer service contract. The job
of Hewlett-Packard personnel who are called to your site can be
made more effective by the efforts of the users and the system manager.
The more information the HP representative is given, the faster
the problem can be solved.
