Authorized Program Analysis Report

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.

## Contents

* 1 The Process
* 1.1 Documenting the problem
* 1.2 Solution levels
* 2 System Improvement Request
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## 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[6] correction called a PTF.[7] 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.”[8]

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 included in the source documentation associated with the ensuing base code update.

The acronym referred to: System Improvement / Difficulty Report.[9]

## System Improvement Request

SIR (System Improvement Request) is a terminology that Digital Equipment Corporation used, much as Xerox used SIDR.[10]

## See also

* List of IBM products

## References

1. ↑ "Authorized program analysis reports". https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/ssw_i5_54/rzam8/rzam8fixapar.htm.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "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". http://www.amitechsolutions.com/uncategorized/ibm-support-authorized-program-analysis-reports.
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". https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/ssw_i5_54/rzahb/rzahbapr.htm.
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; Ogden, Bill (2012). Introduction to the New Mainframe: z/OS Basics. IBM Redbooks. ISBN 978-0738435343. https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg246366.pdf?isbn=0738435341.
6. ↑ "PTF - Permanent Temporary Fix (humor)". https://www.acronymfinder.com/Permanent-Temporary-Fix-(humor)-(PTF).html.
7. ↑ "Diff between PTF,APAR,INTERMFIX". August 7, 2011. https://it.toolbox.com/question/diff-between-ptf-apar-intermfix-080711.
8. ↑ Gabe Goldberg (June 12, 2013). "IBM's APAR process provides the tools for dealing with software issues". http://www.destinationz.org/Mainframe-Solution/Systems-Administration/APAR-Process-Provides-Tools-to-Deal-With-Software-.
9. ↑ "Xerox Program Availability List". http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/sds/Xerox_Program_Availability_List_May75.pdf.
10. ↑ "The Emacs text editing program for VAX/VMS". Tech Insider. October 1984. https://tech-insider.org/unix/research/1984/10.html. "... taken from VAX System Improvement Request F83-33. ... DEC should ...".

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