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Using ECuRep to exchange information with IBM Technical Support for Lotus software
 Technote (FAQ)
 
 
Question
IBM Lotus software Technical Support personnel request that you provide files to assist in troubleshooting a problem. How do you use the ECuRep service to transfer or send files to Support?
 
Answer
ECuRep, an abbreviation for Enhanced Customer Data Repository, is an FTP server used to exchange data between IBM support center personnel and IBM customers. The advantage of this service over other FTP methods is that ECuRep updates your Problem Management Record (PMR) when you post a file. Therefore, the Technical Support representative can be notified when you submit the file. In addition to using FTP, customers can send in files by e-mail through the ECuRep mail gateway, introduced in July 2004.

More information on ECuRep, including steps for posting or mailing files, can be found on the ECuRep Web site at the following address:


Before using ECuRep, please read the Service Use agreement for information about export regulations and confidentiality.

The steps to use this service are provided below.

Sending files using e-mail to ECuRep

1. The support representative you are working with will give you with the appropriate e-mail address.
2. Compress the files. Refer to the section on FTP below for more information about file formats.
3. The subject of each mail must follow a naming convention to allow support tools to store the mail and its attachments to the proper directories and to update the PMR to indicate that new data is available. The naming convention in the subject line of the email should be as follows:

    PMR xxxxx bbb ccc text

      where xxxxx = the PMR ID, bbb = branch office, ccc = country code, and text = any description of the file

    Example: PMR 12345 678 000 here are the diagnostic files

4. You will receive an automated reply once your e-mail is processed. If a mail cannot be associated to an existing PMR, it will be tagged as lost and eventually deleted.

Uploading files using FTP

A. Compress the files.

All data delivered electronically to IBM must be in a compressed format. Use one of the following formats:

B. Name the file using the format pmr_#,branch_office_#,country_code,desc.type

Example: 34143,055,000,nsd.zip

The file name must use the format xxxxx,bbb,ccc,desc.yyy as described below. Use commas in the file name and a period between the file name and file type.

FieldExplanationSample
xxxxxPMR Number34143
bbbBranch Office055
cccIBM Country Code000
descshort description of filensd
yyyA short description for the file typezip or tar

(You can find a list of some country codes on the ECuRep Web site. For example, the United States country code is 000.)

Note: You must use the specified naming convention; an automatic update to the PMR works only with the correct file name

C. Use any FTP utility or software to connect to ftp.emea.ibm.com. Then, upload files to the "toibm\lotus" directory on ftp.emea.ibm.com. For tersed data sets for Domino on zSeries, upload files to "toibm\mvs".

The instructions below tell you how to connect and upload a file using a DOS command prompt.


Important Notes:
  • If you are using an FTP client or utility, such as FileZilla, make sure that the program is set for Binary transfers. This is a critical setting for a successful upload.
  • Do not use an FTP client or utility that requires directory browsing to allow uploading. To provide privacy and security, the ECuRep server restricts uploads to specific folders and does not allow browsing in those folders.
  • If you have trouble reaching the FTP server, you might need to check your firewall or other mechanisms that restrict network traffic.
  • You cannot update an existing file once it has been posted. If you need to post a revised version, create and upload a new file with a different description value in the file name.


Steps:
1. At the DOS prompt, change the directory to the location of the file you want to upload and press Enter. For example:
    C:\> cd ftpput

2. At the DOS prompt, type the word "ftp" and the server name ftp.emea.ibm.com, then press Enter. For example:
    C:\FTPPUT> ftp ftp.emea.ibm.com

3. A message displays to inform you that you are connected to the requested Internet site. The message also includes Copyright information and an instruction to log in as anonymous.

4. At the User id prompt, type "anonymous" and press Enter. For example:
    User id: anonymous

5. At the password prompt, type your email address. For example:
    Password: jdoe@example.com

6. If you are uploading executable or other non-ASCII files, type "binary" or "bin" at the ftp prompt and press Enter. For example:
    ftp> bin

7. Change to the "toibm\lotus" directory. The path is case sensitive. To change to a subdirectory, use the "cd" command. For example, the following two commands change you to the directory toibm\lotus:
    ftp> cd toibm
    ftp> cd lotus
    (Tip: When in the toibm directory, you can list the available subdirectories by using the "ls" (ls -a to list all) command. For subdirectories, the list command is restricted so as to protect customer data.)

8. Type the command "pwd" to confirm the identity of the current directory. For example:
    ftp> pwd

9. To upload a file, type "put" followed by a space and then the name of the file. For example:
    ftp> put 34143,055,000,nsd.zip
      (Note: If you did not change to the local directory that contains the file as in Step 1, you can switch directories by using the "lcd" command before executing the "put" command:
      ftp> lcd c:\ftpput

10. To exit the ftp prompt, type "quit" and press Enter. For example:
    ftp> quit


Downloading files from ECuRep using FTP

IBM Support personnel can use ECuRep to post files for customers to download, for example, additional diagnostics or test fixes. To download files from ECuRep, first make sure you have the correct directory and file name given to you by the IBM support representative. The directory and file name are case sensitive.

You can use any FTP utility to download files. Make sure that the program is set for Binary transfers. These instructions below tell you how to download a file using a DOS prompt.

Steps:

1. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 above to connect to the server and log in.

2. If you are downloading executable or other non-ASCII files, type "binary" or "bin" at the ftp prompt and press Enter. For example:
    ftp> bin

3. Change to the "fromibm" directory and then to the subdirectory given to you by IBM Support. To change to a subdirectory, use the "cd" command. For example:
    ftp> cd fromibm
    ftp> cd private
    (Tip: You can list the available subdirectories by using the "ls" (ls -a to list all) command.)
    ftp> ls -a

4. Type the command "pwd" to confirm the identity of the current directory. For example:
    ftp> pwd

5. To download a file, type "get" followed by a space and then the name of the file. For example:
    ftp> get 34143,055,000,nsd.zip

6. To exit the ftp prompt, type "quit" and press Enter. For example:
    ftp> quit
 
 
Cross Reference information
Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition
Messaging ApplicationsLotus NotesLotus Notes
Instant & Team CollaborationLotus Sametime
Instant & Team CollaborationLotus QuickPlace
Applications - Desktop & EnterpriseLotus SmartSuite
Organizational Productivity- Portals & CollaborationLotus Learning Management SystemLotus Learning Management System
Messaging ApplicationsLotus Domino Web Access
 
 

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IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at "Copyright and trademark information" at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
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Document information
 Product categories:
 Software
 Applications - Desktop & Enterprise
 Productivity & Office Suites
 Lotus SmartSuite
 Operating system(s):
  AIX, Linux, Solaris, Windows, i5/OS, z/OS
 Software version:
  6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0
 Reference #:
  1138787
 IBM Group:
 Software Group
 Modified date:
 2009-02-23

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