The z990 first error data capture concept

Superior availability is one of the outstanding features of modern zSeries® machines, among the most highly rated of any existing computer platforms in this reqard. Many features contribute to this characteristic, some in hardware, some in software. This paper describes the first error data capture (FEDC) concept in the zSeries 990. The concept is used for both zSeries integration efficiency and its ability to gain field data for problem determination in the user environment. FEDC is not a single function, but part of all internal software (firmware) in the z990. This paper explains the overall concept and implementation details of the various internal functional layers (subsystems).