In <[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] writes:

> Does anyone know of a software application that works in a similar manner
> to the predictive support software as used exclusively by HP. There appear
> to be many third paty hardware maintenace companys out there but do any
> provide this form of service. I am not aware of one in the UK. I understand
> the various spooler utilities available would page me at four in the
> morning to tell me some minor job has failed but what about my discs have
> crashed.

I don't know of any third party that has access to those diagnostics or
has a tool that interrogates the diagnostic logs of the various hp
devices like predictive does.

However, FWIW, predictive's become a whole lot less useful in the past
few years (IMHO). It seems to completely disregard tape/dds/dlt drives -
in the almost 1 dozen DDS and a few DLT drive failures we've had in the
past two years, not ONE was indicated by predictive... even when later
examination of the diagnostic logs for those devices showed MANY serious
errors.

Likewise we lose one HP disc (4.3Gb FWSCSI/ST3457xWC) about every other
month (though all are mirrored and only rarely do the drive losses cause
us any problems - we keep a hot spare standing by ready to swap in) and
maybe ONCE in two-dozen dead discs has predictive said anything about the
discs. [we run 72 of these discs on one 997-400]

A FWSCSI card failed self-test last week and we had it replaced. Predictive
also had nothing to say about that. We've had our integrated(?) UPSes
replaced several times each; not a peep there either. The fault light is
on now on the 5.5Kva UPS in the 997 and has been since monday (the internal
fan died AGAIN)... not a peep from predictive.

I'm not sure exactly WHAT predictive is doing for us these days... ???

   -Chris eBartram