Oracle-L: RE: Oracle Gold Support/ iTARs

From: MacGregor, Ian A. <ian_at_SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 16:48:19 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.0042DFC6.20020319164819@fatcity.com>

I may be in the minority, but I prefer using Metalink to submit and manage my TAR's. Most of the time my experiences are good. The major problems I have with support are:

Reduction: Many times Support appears to believe all problems with a product can be fixed via a single solution. One can present tomes of evidence why the solution does not apply to the problem at hand, but support will still insist the "solution" be tried. Java problems were a case in point:

Support: You need to rerun initjvm
Customer: But it ran without errors. How many objects java objects should I have after running it? Support: 8513 (made-up number)
Customer: I have 8513 valid java objects. How is rerunning initjvm going to help? Support: We still want you to rerun it.

Frustrated Customer: Agghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I have the correct number of objects; they are all valid; no other java object producing code has been run.  I'd say that's pretty strong evidence that the problem is not with initjvm.

About one hour later support called back with the answer to the problem. (This was before Metalink)

I had another problem where Oracle suggested the problem was a hardware memory error. Oracle detected a block changing in memory which the system did not. I questioned the likelihood of this happening with ECC memory, and suggested a possible fault with Oracle's software. The next day I got a call from one of the support managers, not to discuss my concerns, but to berate me for questioning Oracle's conviction that it was a hardware problem.

I do not open TARS very often. I've been a DBA since 1984 and while I don't know if I could hold a chair at the oak table, perhaps if I bought a round?, I believe I can match DBA wits with anyone else. The point being as one acquires a more thorough understanding of the product(s)), the number of TAR's one opens lessens.

Over the years my experience with support has been very positive.

Ian MacGregor
Stanford Linear Acceleractor Center
ian_at_slac.stanford.edu

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 1:29 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

My problem is the opposite. When I log an iTar, my first mode of contact is phone. I ALWAYS get e-mail contact instead.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 7:58 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

I have yet to log an iTar and not have an Analyst phone me. Much to my annoyance actually. My first form of contact is e-mail. However, they have this ability to determine when I step away from my desk and then phone....

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Author: MacGregor, Ian A.
INET: ian_at_SLAC.Stanford.EDU

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