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Managing AutoSupport

AutoSupport is a mechanism that monitors the health of your system and automatically sends messages to technical support, your internal support organization, and a support partner.You must set the correct options and have a valid mail host to have messages sent to your internal support organization if AutoSupport is enabled.

Only the cluster administrator can perform AutoSupport management. The storage virtual machine (SVM) administrator has no access to AutoSupport.

AutoSupport is disabled by default when you configure your storage system for the first time.

AutoSupport begins sending messages to technical support 24 hours after AutoSupport is enabled. You can shorten the 24-hour period by upgrading or reverting the system, modifying the AutoSupport configuration, or changing the system time to be something other than a 24-hour period.

Table 1. Default Settings for AutoSupport
ParameterState
Statedisabled
Mail-hostsmailhost
FromPostmaster
SupportEnabled
TransportHttps
Proxy URLNone
Hostname SubjFalse
NHTTrue
PerfTrue
Retry Interval4 minutes
Retry count15
ReminderTrue
Max HTTP size50MB
Max SMTP Size5MB
Remove Private DataFalse
Validate Digital CertificateTrue
  • When and where AutoSupport messages are sent
    AutoSupport sends messages to different recipients, depending on the type of message. Learning when and where AutoSupport sends messages can help you understand messages that you receive through email.
  • How AutoSupport creates and sends event-triggered messages
    AutoSupport creates event-triggered AutoSupport messages when the EMS processes a trigger event. An event-triggered AutoSupport message alerts recipients to problems that require corrective action and contains only information that is relevant to the problem. You can customize what content to include and who receives the messages.
  • Types of AutoSupport messages and their content
    AutoSupport messages contain status information about supported subsystems. Learning what AutoSupport messages contain can help you interpret or respond to messages that you receive in email.
  • What AutoSupport subsystems are
    Each subsystem provides basic and troubleshooting information that AutoSupport uses for its messages. Each subsystem is also associated with trigger events that allow AutoSupport to collect from subsystems only information that is relevant to the trigger event.
  • AutoSupport size and time budgets
    AutoSupport collects information, organized by subsystem, and enforces a size and time budget on content for each subsystem. As storage systems grow, AutoSupport budgets provide control over the AutoSupport payload, which in turn provides scalable delivery of AutoSupport data.
  • Files sent in event-triggered AutoSupport messages
    Event-triggered AutoSupport messages only contain basic and troubleshooting information from subsystems that are associated with the event that caused AutoSupport to generate the message. The specific data helps Lenovo support and support partners troubleshoot the problem.
  • Log files sent in AutoSupport messages
    AutoSupport messages can contain several key log files that enable technical support staff to review recent system activity.
  • Files sent in weekly AutoSupport messages
    Weekly AutoSupport messages contain additional configuration and status data that is useful to track changes in your system over time.
  • AutoSupport severity types
    AutoSupport messages have severity types that help you understand the purpose of each message—for example, to draw immediate attention to an emergency problem, or only to provide information.
  • Requirements for using AutoSupport
    It is strongly recommended that you use HTTPS for delivery of AutoSupport messages, so as to provide the best security and to support all of the latest AutoSupport features. SMTP is also supported. Beginning in February 2023, Autosupport data transmitted using HTTP will no longer be accepted.
  • Setting up AutoSupport
    You can control whether and how AutoSupport information is sent to technical support and your internal support organization, and then test that the configuration is correct.
  • Uploading core dump files
    When a core dump file is saved, an event message is generated. If the AutoSupport service is enabled and configured to send messages to Lenovo support, an AutoSupport message is transmitted, and an automated email acknowledgement is sent to you.
  • Uploading performance archive files
    You can generate and send an AutoSupport message that contains a performance archive. You can specify an alternate destination for the message and upload.
  • Commands for managing AutoSupport
    You use the system node autosupport commands to change or view AutoSupport configuration, display information about previous AutoSupport messages, and send, resend or cancel an AutoSupport message.
  • Information included in the AutoSupport manifest
    The AutoSupport manifest provides you with a detailed view of the files collected for each AutoSupport message. The AutoSupport manifest also includes information about collection errors when AutoSupport cannot collect the files it needs.
  • AutoSupport case suppression during scheduled maintenance windows
    AutoSupport case suppression enables you to stop unnecessary cases from being created by AutoSupport messages that are triggered during scheduled maintenance windows.
  • Troubleshooting AutoSupport
    If you do not receive AutoSupport messages, you can check a number of settings to resolve the problem.