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An APAR (Authorized Program Analysis Report)[1] (pronounced A-PAR, rhymes with far) is an IBM designation of a document intended to identify situations that could result in potential problems. It also serves as a request for the correction of a defect in current releases of IBM-supplied programs.

The Process

"Occasionally"[2] IBM software has a bug.

Once it has been ascertained that the situation has not been caused by problems in third-party hardware or software or the user's configuration errors, IBM support staff, if they suspect that a defect in a current release of an IBM program is the cause, will file a formal report confirming the existence of an issue. In addition to confirming the existence of an issue, APARs include information on known workarounds, information on whether a formal fix is scheduled to be included in future releases, and whether or not a Program Temporary Fix (PTF) is planned.[2]

Documenting the problem

IBM has a program to facilitate documenting the problem.[3][4]

Solution levels

There are at least 2 levels of fix:[5]

  • The APAR may result in "an APAR fix."
  • a permanent correction called a PTF.

A PTF is a permanent correction with respect to the VRM (Version, Release, Modification) level of the product to which it is applicable, and is a temporary fix in the sense that the problem correction will temporarily be available as a permanent fix, and later will be incorporated into the product base code, and will thereby no longer be a fix, although the associated PTF and/or APAR numbers will, as a rule, be in the source documentation associated with the ensuing base code update.

[6] whereas the PTF "is a tested APAR... The PTF 'closes' the APAR." Prior to that, an APAR is "a problem with an IBM program that is formally tracked until a solution is provided.”[7]

System Improvement/Difficulty Report

SIDR was Xerox's acronym, covering APAR and PTF.

The acronym referred to: System Improvement / Difficulty Report.[8]


See also

References

  1. ^ "Authorized program analysis reports".
  2. ^ a b "Issues with Cognos and other IBM software can arise from configuration errors, problems in third-party hardware or software, and occasionally, because of a bug in the IBM product itself." "IBM Support – Authorized Program Analysis Reports". AMItechSolutions.com.
  3. ^ "An authorized program analysis report (APAR) is an IBM-supplied program that allows you to create a diskette file or a tape file. The file contains information from your system to help software service representatives to correct programming problems." "Using authorized program analysis reports".
  4. ^ There is no date atop this document, which does not mention eMail options.
  5. ^ "An APAR fix is usually replaced later by a permanent correction called a PTF." Ebbers, Mike; Kettner, John; O'Brien, Wayne (2012). Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics. ISBN 0738435341.
  6. ^ |url=http://unix.ittoolbox.com/groups/technical-functional/ibm-aix-l/diff-between-ptfaparintermfix-4353121 |date=August 7, 2011}}
  7. ^ Gabe Goldberg (June 12, 2013). "IBM's APAR process provides the tools for dealing with software issues". destinationz.org (MSP TechMedia).
  8. ^ "Xerox Program Availability List" (PDF).
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