Troubleshooting can be a tedious job, with end users submitting endless complains ranging from slow internet to printer problems to a forgotten password. To deal with these mundane problems and not to give up on your job you need to have an efficient troubleshooting framework in place, a list of steps that you can carry out when a complaint is filed. This troubleshooting framework will basically be your plan of action to deal with vague complaint calls or any other issue that you might face within the organization.
Following are some problem-solving steps that you can employ in order to solve such problems. Having an efficient system will help you in solving almost every IT related issue:
Step 1: Finding the Problem
Getting to the root cause of the issue may seem like an eternity but not if you know the right questions to ask. Following are some of the tips that you can use to make this process as easy as possible:
- Whether you are corresponding with someone on call or in an email, the first thing to do is to take notes. Once you have done that proceed with asking questions that are to the point with a yes/no answer. Quick and easy questions will help you in saving time.
- You should ask the "when who, and what" of the issue. Does the problem affect a lot of people or just one person? Is the issue connected to any problem with the network or the computer? For example, if someone has a general complaint like, " I can't access my emails." you need to ask questions like whether they are trying to access their emails through a mobile device or a computer. Are they connected to the internet? Are they able to receive or send emails?
- Once you narrow down the issue, repeat the issue to them so that you and the client are on the same page and that you properly understand the nature of the problem. It is advisable to avoid using any jargon. Use the terms they used to define their problem so as not to confuse them. Ideally, these steps will help you eliminate any confusions related to the problem.
Now that you know what the problem is, it is time to go through the technicalities related to the issues so that you can start working towards finding a solution.
Gather Further Information
A lot of times, what is lodged as a general complaint (e.g., slow internet) is something very specific, such as an unresponsive website. The best way to find out is to ask the questions mentioned above and then dig a little deeper from a couple of other sources, for example:
- Error Message: in case the client reports an error message, or you are asked to check for it, it can lead you in the right direction as to where the failure happened.
- Log Of Events: if the client has event log, look at it to find exactly what it says. Apart from the error messages, logs can also provide a timestamp to help you find out when did the problem actually occur.
- Ask the client if they can provide you with a screenshot, a video, or any other supporting details that can assist you in the process of troubleshooting.
- Result Of Diagnostics: the next step should be to run system utilities to get more information. For example, ping test can help you check if the website is reachable or not. Moreover, you can use windows diagnostic memory to search for any faulty memory.
- Monitoring: there are third-party tools that you can use to help you find more information about the problems. These tools can send you a warning, alarms, and alerts about servers that are at risk.
Recreate the Issue, Build Hypothesis
Now that you have all the information about the issue, it is time to solve it. Recreating or reproducing a problem means that you are able to recreate the same error that was reported by the client. You can either do it at the actual site or through a remote computer/application. Once you face the same issue(s), you will now be able to easily get to the root cause and develop theories based on your observation. This will help you to start taking steps to rectify the problem. In some cases, the problem will be quite easy to resolve, but at other times you might have to go through old alarms and tickets.
Solving the Problem
Now that you have collected all the necessary information it should be really easy to solve the problem. You can now try altering some settings causing the problem, change the faulty parts, update software and drivers, or repair any corrupt files if there are any. While some of the issues may be unique, a majority of the issues can be easily resolved by common troubleshooting techniques such as rebooting the machine, checking for any driver issues, looking for DHCP and DNS issue, or looking into proxy or firewall settings. For issues that a little tougher to solve you might need to get help from a third party.
How Can Cisco Training Help You with Troubleshooting?
All the steps mentioned above will look like a walk in the park if you have a Cisco certification. The benefits of Cisco certification training include identifying the problem, troubleshooting, and fixing the problem. The training gives you first-hand practical knowledge in Cisco Data Center Infrastructure and also deals with issues involving security, storage, virtualization, computing, and networking. With the help of Cisco training, you will be able to master the art of troubleshooting. This will help you in developing a foolproof troubleshooting framework for your organization. Not only that but Cisco certification will also give you both theoretical and practical knowledge imperative for troubleshooting, SANs, LANs, Cisco Unified Fabric, Cisco ACI, and the Cisco Unified Computing System. After gaining all this knowledge, you will be in a much better position to solve minor to major IT related issues within your organization.
Get in touch with one of our Cisco experts today, to learn more.