Phase 1 - Problem Identification › Steps

Steps

To identify a problem, follow these steps:

1. Determine nature of the problem.
2. Attempt to recreate the problem on the system. Did the problem reoccur?
   • If YES, go to step 3.
   • If NO, go to step 5.
3. Did the system display a CA Top Secret message, DRC code, or other abend code?
   • If YES, refer to the Messages and Codes Guide to determine the cause of the problem. Take the corrective action which corresponds to the message or code. Then, go to step 7.
   • If NO, go to step 4.
4. If the problem does not correspond to one of the categories listed below, or appears to be caused by CA Top Secret internals, go directly to the Phase 3 in this guide. The listed categories are general categories only. If you cannot locate an exact category in the list, try to apply basic troubleshooting principles of a related category before contacting the CA Top Secret Support Center.
5. Has maintenance been applied to CA Top Secret for VM or CP since the initial problem was reported?
   • If YES, Isolate the changes made. Then, go to step 6.
   • If NO, go to step 7.
6. Does the maintenance explain/justify the problem?
   • If YES, stop.
   • If NO, go to step 7.
7. Before proceeding to Phase 2, review the CA Top Secret security validation algorithm to ensure that the problem is not due to a misunderstanding of how CA Top Secret works.

The CA Top Secret algorithm takes the following factors into consideration when processing a request to access a resource.