Authorized Program Analysis Report
| Industry | Information technology |
|---|---|
| Products | Software |
An Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR) is an official IBM document used to identify software defects and to request corrections for issues found within IBM-provided software.
The Procedure
Software developed by IBM may occasionally exhibit defects. Once third-party hardware faults, external software problems, and user configuration errors have been excluded, IBM support initiates an APAR to validate the existence of the defect. These reports include information on existing workarounds, anticipated resolutions scheduled for upcoming releases, and whether a Program Temporary Fix (PTF) will be issued.
Issue Documentation
IBM offers a utility that collects system data into files, enabling support personnel to analyze and address software-related concerns efficiently.
Levels of Resolution
Corrections are implemented in two stages:
- An initial remedy known as an "APAR fix."
- A definitive solution termed a PTF, which is a thoroughly tested APAR that formally resolves the issue.
A PTF represents a lasting correction applicable to the product's current Version, Release, Modification (VRM) level; however, it remains provisional until merged into the main codebase. After integration, the fix becomes part of the official product, although references to the corresponding PTF and APAR identifiers continue to appear in documentation.
System Improvement/Difficulty Report
The acronym SIDR stood for System Improvement / Difficulty Report, a designation used by Xerox that included both APARs and PTFs.
System Improvement Request
At Digital Equipment Corporation, the term SIR (System Improvement Request) was utilized as an equivalent to Xerox's SIDR.