MAP1310 Isolating e-mail notification problems

This MAP provides guidance on how to isolate e-mail notification problems.

About this task

The HMC can send e-mail messages to the customer's LAN when it requires service or to notify the customer of certain information events. For e-mail to function, the following conditions must be satisfied:
  • The HMC must be installed on the customer LAN.
  • The hostname or TCP/IP address of a mail server must be provided. If a hostname is provided, then a DNS server must also be configured.
  • E-mail messages are sent to the addresses that are configured by the CE through the Service Agent/Customer Notification panels.

MAP1310 Section-1

Procedure

  1. Verify that the e-mail notification is configured per the customization worksheets. The e-mail is configured as follows:
    1. From the navigation area, click Service Management.
    2. In the right work area, go to the Connectivity section and click Manage Serviceable Event Notification.
    3. On the Customer Notification panel, click Email.
    4. Ensure that Email notification for problem event is checked.
    5. Ensure that the TCP/IP address or hostname of the customer Email server is correctly entered in the 'SMTP server' box and that the correct port is specified.
      Note: If a hostname is configured for the Email server (rather than a TCP/IP address), then a DNS server must be configured.
    6. Ensure that all required e-mail notification addresses are listed and that the correct choice of All versus Only call-home problem events is selected.
    7. Do not close the Customer Notification panel. Continue with the next step.
  2. Did the customer specify a hostname (rather than a TCP/IP address) for the Email server?
    • Yes, continue with the next step.
    • No, continue with step 4.
  3. Verify that the HMC customer Ethernet port is configured per the Customization worksheets.
    1. From the navigation area, click HMC Management.
    2. In the right work area, go to the Operations section and click Change Network Settings. The Customize Network Settings window opens.
    3. Verify that the Console Name and Domain Name are set correctly.
    4. Click on the LAN adapters Tab, select eth2 and click on Details. Verify that the IP information is correct.
    5. Click on the Name Services tab and verify if the customer's DNS is defined correctly.
    6. Click on the Routing tab and verify that the customer's Gateway is defined correctly (if required).
      Note: If the Enable 'routed' check box is present, ensure that it is not selected.
    7. If changes are made and a restart of the HMC is needed, then ensure that the customer is not accessing the HMC.
  4. Test the e-mail notification. Perform the following steps:
    1. If a restart was performed in step 3, then reselect the Customer Notification panel as described in step 1.
    2. Select an e-mail address and click Test Email.
  5. Ask the customer if the e-mail was received. Did the e-mail arrive at its destination?
    • Yes, the problem is resolved.
    • No, continue with the next step.
  6. Attempt to 'ping' the e-mail server or servers as specified on the Customization worksheets. Perform the following steps:
    1. From the navigation area, click HMC Management.
    2. In the right work area, go to the Operations section and click Test Network Connectivity. The Test Network Connectivity window opens.
    3. Type in the Host address for the e-mail server and click OK.
  7. Was the 'ping' test successful?
    • Yes, continue with step 9.
    • No, continue with the next step.
  8. The ping test might have failed because of customer firewall settings. Check with the customer to ensure that they have not chosen to block 'ping' through the firewall. If that is not the case, go to MAP6580 Customer Ethernet connection problem.
  9. It appears that there is connectivity to the e-mail server and that e-mail configurations settings are correct.
    1. Ask the customer to verify that e-mail traffic is not being blocked by a customer firewall.
    2. Ask the customer to look for incoming e-mail from the HMC on the customer e-mail server and check if the addresses seem to be correct.
    3. If the HMC has connectivity to the intranet, then you can substitute the IBM e-mail server and try sending a test e-mail to a known address. Contact your next level of support for details.
    4. If none of the above resolve the problem, then contact your next level of support.