If you are using an IBM System x, Lenovo System x, Lenovo ThinkSystem, ThinkAgile, storage, networking, or other Lenovo Data Center product and experience a hardware or technical problem, you may need to open a technical support case or service request.

This guide explains how to log a complaint for IBM / Lenovo Data Center server products in India, what information you should keep ready, how to submit an online eTicket, how to check warranty information, and what diagnostic information may be required by technical support.

Important: IBM System x server products were transitioned to Lenovo following Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's x86 server business. Therefore, depending on the age, model, warranty/maintenance agreement and type of equipment, you may encounter references to both IBM Support and Lenovo Data Center Support.

1. Identify Your Server Before Contacting Support

Before opening a complaint, identify the exact server or Data Center product.

Keep the following information ready:

• Manufacturer: IBM or Lenovo
• Product family
• Server model
• Machine Type (MT)
• Machine Type Model (MTM)
• Serial Number (S/N)
• Installed operating system
• Warranty or maintenance-contract details
• Physical installation location

Examples of server families may include:

• IBM System x
• Lenovo System x
• Lenovo ThinkSystem
• Lenovo ThinkAgile
• BladeCenter
• Flex System
• Lenovo Storage
• Lenovo Data Center networking products

The Machine Type and Serial Number are particularly important, because support uses them to identify the exact hardware and applicable service entitlement.

2. Current Recommended Method: Lenovo Data Center Support Portal

For Lenovo Data Center products, the recommended starting point is the official Lenovo Data Center Support portal.

Lenovo Data Center Support:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/

The portal can be used for servers, storage and networking products.

Depending on your product and entitlement, it provides access to:

• Product identification
• Warranty information
• Drivers and software
• Firmware updates
• Documentation
• Troubleshooting information
• Parts information
• Service requests
• eTicket submission
• Repair status
• Technical support resources

3. How to Submit a Lenovo Data Center Support eTicket

Lenovo provides an online service-request facility for supported Data Center products.

Step 1 – Open Lenovo Data Center Support

Visit:

https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/

Step 2 – Enter the Serial Number

Enter the serial number of the affected server or device.

Lenovo will attempt to identify the product associated with that serial number.

Verify that the detected:

• Product family
• Machine Type
• Model
• Serial Number

correspond to the server for which you want support.

Step 3 – Open Contact Us

After selecting the correct product, navigate to the Contact Us section.

Look for an option similar to:

Submit a Service Request for SmarterSupport

The exact wording and layout of the portal can change over time.

Step 4 – Upload Service Logs, If Available

The Lenovo eTicket system may allow or request you to upload diagnostic/service logs.

Uploading logs can significantly help technical support determine whether the problem involves:

• Memory
• Hard disk/SSD
• RAID controller
• Processor
• System board
• Power supply
• Fan
• Temperature
• Firmware
• Network adapter
• Storage controller
• Other server hardware

If you don't have the requested logs immediately, the portal may provide an option to continue or support may subsequently ask you to collect them.

Step 5 – Select the Problem Type

Choose the category that most accurately represents your problem.

For example:

Hardware / Repair

may be appropriate when you suspect physical server hardware failure.

Step 6 – Select Country

Select the country where the server is physically installed.

For an installation in India, select:

India

This is important because onsite service availability, parts dispatch and warranty service are generally linked to the equipment's service location and entitlement.

Step 7 – Select Severity

Choose an appropriate severity level.

Do not select the highest severity simply to try to obtain faster service.

The severity should reflect the actual business impact.

For example:

Critical: Production server unavailable and business operations severely affected.

High: Major server functionality affected with significant business impact.

Medium: Problem exists but the system remains operational.

Low: General technical question, minor issue or low-impact problem.

Available severity descriptions may depend on your support entitlement.

4. Information Required While Logging the Complaint

Prepare the following information before calling or submitting an online request.

Customer / Organisation Information

Organisation Name:
Company or organisation owning/using the server.

Contact Person:
Person who can coordinate with technical support.

Contact Number:
Preferably provide a mobile number that will remain reachable during troubleshooting.

Email Address:
Provide an actively monitored email address.

Installation Address

Provide the complete physical address where the server is installed.

Include:

• Company name
• Building/office number
• Floor
• Street/locality
• City
• State
• PIN code
• Nearby landmark, if necessary

This becomes particularly important when an onsite engineer or replacement part needs to be dispatched.

Server Identification

Provide:

• Server manufacturer
• Server model
• Machine Type
• Serial Number
• MTM, if available

Operating System

Specify the operating system and version, for example:

• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2025
• VMware ESXi
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

Also mention whether the server is:

• Physical server
• Virtualization host
• Hyper-V host
• VMware host
• Database server
• Application server
• File server
• Domain Controller
• Remote Desktop Server

This context can help support understand the business impact.

5. Describe the Problem Clearly

Avoid descriptions such as:

"Server not working."

Instead provide a technically useful description.

For example:

Lenovo ThinkSystem server is powering on, but POST stops with a memory-related error. Server was operating normally until approximately 10:30 AM. No hardware changes were performed before the failure. Server has been power-cycled once, but the same error remains.

Another example:

Server is operational, but one physical disk in RAID 5 is showing failed status. RAID virtual drive remains online/degraded. No replacement attempt has been made. Requesting hardware support for diagnosis and disk replacement.

A good fault description should mention:

• What happened?
• When did it start?
• Is the server currently running?
• Is production affected?
• What error appears?
• What troubleshooting has already been performed?
• Were there recent hardware or firmware changes?
• Is RAID degraded?
• Are there warning LEDs?
• Is IMM/XClarity reporting an error?
• Has the server unexpectedly restarted?
• Is there any unusual sound or hardware indication?

6. Check Server Warranty Before Opening the Complaint

Before raising a hardware complaint, check the warranty or service entitlement of the server.

The Lenovo support portal provides Warranty Lookup functionality.

Enter the server serial number and check:

• Warranty status
• Warranty start/end date
• Service entitlement
• Applicable service type

A server being out of the standard warranty does not necessarily mean that support is impossible. The system may have:

• Warranty extension
• Premier Support
• Maintenance agreement
• Service contract
• Post-warranty coverage

If no active entitlement exists, Lenovo or an authorized service provider may be able to advise about chargeable/out-of-warranty service.

7. IBM India Support Numbers for Relevant Legacy Support

IBM's current worldwide support directory continues to list the following numbers for India:

Local:
+91 80 40114047

Toll-Free:
1800-102-6666

These numbers are listed by IBM for both hardware and software support in India.

Older records or documentation may contain additional IBM numbers. Because telephone numbers and routing arrangements can change, always verify the latest contact information on the official IBM or Lenovo support website before relying on an older saved telephone number.

8. What About the Older Numbers in Previous Documentation?

Older support documentation may show numbers such as:

+91-80-26788970

or

1800-425-6666

These may have been valid for older IBM support arrangements.

However, support telephone numbers, call-routing systems and ownership of particular product families change over time.

Therefore, for a new support case, use the latest contact information published by IBM/Lenovo rather than relying exclusively on an old telephone list.

9. Email-Based Complaint Logging

Older IBM support procedures may also reference email-based case initiation, including addresses such as:

rccindia@in.ibm.com

Because support workflows can change and online case management has become increasingly important, verify that an email address is still valid for your specific product and support entitlement before relying on it as the primary complaint method.

For current Lenovo Data Center products, the Lenovo Data Center Support portal/eTicket process should generally be preferred because the service request becomes associated with:

• Product serial number
• Machine Type
• Warranty entitlement
• Contact information
• Problem category
• Severity
• Diagnostic information
• Service location

10. Bison Infosolutions Customers

If you are a Bison Infosolutions customer and Bison Infosolutions is coordinating the server-support case with you, you may keep your concerned Bison support contact informed about the complaint.

Where applicable, correspondence may be copied to:

info@bison.co.in

This is not an IBM or Lenovo support email address. It should only be used for coordination with Bison Infosolutions where relevant.

11. Collect Diagnostic Logs Before Opening the Case

For many server problems, collecting diagnostic logs before contacting support can considerably speed up troubleshooting.

Depending on the server generation, diagnostic information may be available through management systems such as:

• Lenovo XClarity Controller
• Integrated Management Module (IMM/IMM2)
• UEFI diagnostics
• RAID controller utilities
• System event logs
• Operating-system event logs

Logs can help identify:

• ECC memory errors
• Predictive disk failure
• RAID problems
• Processor errors
• PCIe errors
• Power-supply failures
• Fan failures
• Temperature alerts
• System-board faults
• Firmware problems

Do not clear hardware logs before technical support has reviewed or collected them unless specifically instructed to do so.

12. Take Photographs of Hardware Error Indicators

When appropriate, take clear photographs of:

• Front-panel error LEDs
• Rear server LEDs
• Hard-drive status LEDs
• Power-supply LEDs
• LCD/operator information panel
• Error messages displayed during boot

These can be useful during remote troubleshooting.

13. Do Not Randomly Replace or Reconfigure Server Hardware

A production server should be handled carefully.

Avoid unnecessary actions such as:

• Removing RAID disks
• Swapping disk positions
• Resetting RAID configuration
• Initializing a RAID array
• Clearing RAID metadata
• Updating firmware during an unstable condition
• Resetting management controllers without understanding the effect
• Changing BIOS/UEFI settings randomly
• Removing memory modules without documenting their original locations

A wrong RAID operation can turn a recoverable hardware problem into a serious data-loss incident.

14. Back Up Important Data Before Hardware Intervention

If the server is still operational and the problem permits normal access, verify the backup before major hardware troubleshooting.

Ideally, confirm:

• Latest backup completed successfully
• Critical application data is included
• Backup destination is accessible
• Recovery credentials are available
• Restore procedure is known

For business-critical servers, having a backup is not enough—the backup should also be restorable.

15. What Happens After You Open a Lenovo Service Request?

After the service request is successfully opened, you should receive a ticket/case/service-request number.

Save this number carefully.

Depending on the problem and service entitlement, the next steps may include:

1. Remote troubleshooting
2. Log analysis
3. Request for additional diagnostic data
4. Identification of a failed component
5. Customer-replaceable-unit recommendation
6. Replacement-part dispatch
7. Engineer assignment
8. Onsite visit
9. Hardware replacement
10. Case monitoring and closure

The exact process depends on the product, problem, warranty and service entitlement.

16. Always Keep the Ticket Number

Once the complaint has been logged, record:

Ticket Number:
Date/Time Opened:
Support Engineer:
Problem Description:
Severity:
Current Status:
Replacement Part Required:
Engineer Visit Scheduled:
Next Follow-up Date:

This becomes extremely useful if the case requires escalation.

17. Check Repair or Service Request Status

Lenovo provides online repair/service tracking facilities.

Cases opened by telephone may also be visible online depending on the support system and product.

Keeping your Lenovo ID and registered product information properly maintained can simplify future support interactions.

18. When Should a Server Problem Be Treated as Urgent?

Escalate promptly when:

• Production server is completely down
• RAID array has failed
• Multiple RAID disks show errors
• Server repeatedly shuts down
• Server cannot POST
• Critical memory errors are occurring
• Both/redundant power supplies have problems
• Storage system is inaccessible
• Virtualization host has failed
• Business-critical applications are unavailable
• Hardware failure threatens data integrity

For critical infrastructure, also activate your organisation's internal disaster-recovery or business-continuity procedure where applicable.

19. Special Warning for RAID Disk Failures

A failed RAID disk requires careful handling.

If one disk in RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 or another RAID configuration reports failure:

Do not automatically remove multiple disks.

Before taking action:

1. Record the slot number of every disk.
2. Record disk status.
3. Record RAID-array status.
4. Export RAID/controller logs where possible.
5. Verify the backup.
6. Contact qualified technical support.

Disk order can be important in RAID recovery.

20. Recommended Complaint Checklist

Before contacting IBM/Lenovo support, keep this information ready:

• Organisation name
• Contact person
• Mobile number
• Email address
• Complete installation address
• Server model
• Machine Type
• Serial Number
• Operating system
• Warranty status
• Problem description
• Error message/error code
• Date and time the problem started
• Business impact
• Diagnostic logs
• Photographs/screenshots
• Troubleshooting already performed
• Backup status

Having these details available can significantly reduce the time spent during initial case registration.

Sample Complaint Description

Subject: Hardware Support Required – Lenovo ThinkSystem Server

Organisation Name: ABC Private Limited
Contact Person: IT Administrator
Contact Number: [Mobile Number]
Installation Address: [Complete Address]
Server Model: [Model]
Machine Type: [MT]
Serial Number: [Serial Number]
Operating System: Windows Server
Warranty Status: Active

Problem Description:

The server is reporting a hardware warning and one disk in the RAID array is showing failed/degraded status. The server is currently operational, but the RAID array is degraded. No disk has been removed or replaced. Diagnostic logs and photographs of the drive LEDs are available.

Kindly register a hardware service request and provide the ticket number and further troubleshooting instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Where should I log a complaint for a Lenovo ThinkSystem server?

The preferred starting point is the official Lenovo Data Center Support portal at datacentersupport.lenovo.com.

2. Can I log the complaint online?

Yes. Supported products and countries can use Lenovo's online service-request/eTicket system.

3. Do I need the server serial number?

Yes. The serial number is one of the most important details because it identifies the specific server and its support entitlement.

4. What is Machine Type or MT?

Machine Type is a Lenovo/IBM hardware identifier used to identify the server platform. It is often used together with the serial number and model information.

5. Where can I find the serial number?

It is generally printed on the server's identification label and may also be available through server-management interfaces such as Lenovo XClarity Controller or IMM.

6. Can I raise a complaint if the server is out of warranty?

You can still contact support or an authorized service provider, but repair or support may be chargeable unless another active service agreement covers the equipment.

7. Should I upload server logs?

If available, yes. Diagnostic logs can substantially improve fault identification and reduce troubleshooting time.

8. Should I reboot the server before contacting support?

Only if doing so is operationally safe and appropriate. Do not repeatedly restart a production server when a hardware fault or storage problem is suspected.

9. Should I remove a failed RAID disk myself?

Do not remove or rearrange RAID disks unless you understand the RAID configuration and the replacement procedure. For critical servers, obtain qualified technical guidance first.

10. What happens after a service request is opened?

Support may perform remote troubleshooting, analyze logs, recommend corrective action, arrange replacement parts or schedule an onsite technician depending on the fault and entitlement.

11. Can Lenovo send an engineer onsite?

Onsite support depends on the server's warranty or service entitlement and the diagnosed problem.

12. Can I track the complaint online?

Lenovo provides online service/repair tracking facilities for applicable cases.

13. Is IBM still relevant for old System x servers?

Some legacy System x information and support resources remain available through IBM, but many x86 server products transitioned to Lenovo. Check the specific product and its current support entitlement.

14. Can I call IBM India for an older server?

IBM's published India support directory should be checked for the latest applicable numbers and product coverage before calling.

15. What should I do before an engineer replaces server hardware?

Verify backups, document the current configuration and ensure that critical application/data recovery information is available.

16. Should I clear IMM/XClarity hardware logs?

Generally, do not clear useful diagnostic logs before support has reviewed or collected them.

17. What if the server is completely down?

Open a support request promptly, accurately describe the production impact and use the appropriate severity according to your service entitlement.

18. What if a RAID array is degraded but the server is still running?

Treat the problem seriously. Verify backups, collect RAID diagnostics and arrange replacement of the failed component according to the controller/server manufacturer's procedure.

19. Does opening a ticket guarantee free replacement?

No. Parts, labour and onsite service depend on warranty status, entitlement, diagnosis and applicable service terms.

20. Why is the physical server address required?

It may be required for onsite engineer assignment, replacement-part shipment and determining the appropriate service location.

Conclusion

For current Lenovo Data Center servers, the most reliable way to initiate technical support is through the Lenovo Data Center Support portal, using the server's serial number to identify the product and its service entitlement.

Older IBM System x environments can make the support process confusing because IBM and Lenovo resources may both appear in searches and historical documentation. Always identify the exact Machine Type, model and serial number before deciding which support channel applies.

Most importantly, when dealing with production servers—particularly RAID, storage or boot failures—avoid uncontrolled hardware changes. Preserve diagnostic logs, verify backups, document the configuration and involve qualified technical support before performing potentially destructive operations.