Hello Friends @ 3000-l,

Re: Gateway Automatic Recovery Fix & others

---------------------------------------------------------Bob Schlosser writes--
James, I can understand your concern about patches being available but folks
still complaining about the problems. There is one very important word used to
describe all the problems addressed, BETA. To me this means that it is not fully
tested and not in general release. That also means that you have to call and ask
for it. Please understand that some of us are extremely reluctant to place ANY
beta software on our systems, so until these patches have been marked for
general release, please do not become disheartened, we do appreciate your hard
work.
---------------------------------------------------------Bob Schlosser writes--

Bob, thanks for the lead in, let me know where I can send the check :~)

What is the definition of a Beta Test patch... and how does it get to General
Release status.

A beta patch is a fix for problem(s) reported to the Response Center for which
a SR/CR is submitted.  The group I am with "WTEC" performs the problem
duplication if possible and fault isolation of these problems down to a line of
code if possible. The "LAB" then reviews our recommendations, codes the fix,
performs walkthrough's with pears, runs the fix through Regression Testing and
pass's the compiled fix back.  WTEC then integrates and builds the patch, test
installs on diagnostic machines and executes the steps to verify the solution if
possible.  The Response Center then contacts customers who have "specifically"
reported a problem fixed in the Beta Test patch offering the solution or we
contact the Response Center when we see a problem and are offered the Beta Test
patch if it is already available.

With the Network WTEC, the quality ruleset we use to move a patch from Beta Test
to General Release is for 4 customers who have "specifically" seen a problem
fixed in the Beta Test patch to install the patch and run with out failure for
two weeks each.  This assures to the best of our ability that the code path
which the error was seen and the fix coded is exercised.  Then our team reviews
the patch beta success and votes to move the patch to General Release or to
extend the Beta Test or to replace the Beta Test patch with another patch if
problems were seen.

Saying all that, we frequently run into situations where a customer experiences
a problem, request the Response Center to submit a SR/CR and sends in the data,
the WTEC and LABs work to provide a solution and when the fix is available, our
customer then does not want to install the Beta Test patch (want's some one else
to test it for them).  As expected, this delays when a patch becomes General
Release.

An example "Gateway is marked down and not retried 5003-402107".  This is a much
talked about problem.  Thanks go out to the LAB engineers who fixed the problem,
Eric Barkley of HP who provided the workaround GATEUP utility and to Jay Bauer
of HP who spent many hours duplicating this problem and verifying the solution.
The patch which includes this fix has been available since the first week of
July...  So far, only one of our biggest customers IT departments has installed
this patch on 3 of their production machines.  You get 3 guesses and the first 2
don't count, their first initial is "H" and their second initial is "P" (so far
no problems have been reported), but this customer only counts for 1 of the 4
customers needed to test this beta fix, we have no ETA for when this patch will
move from Beta Test to General Release until we get it installed at 4 customer
sites.

------------------------------------------------------------Joe Geiser writes--
Example:  Microsoft has a defined beta program.  There are 250 people who
receive "Pre Beta" code, then when the beta starts, that number can swell to
10,000, then successive releases are put out to even more.  The thing is, we
have a crash 'n burn here for the pre beta stuff, as sure as God made litte
green apples, something catastrphic will happen.  Nothing goes on this laptop
until it hits Release Canadidate status at the very least.
------------------------------------------------------------Joe Geiser writes--

I think what Joe is talking about here is Microsoft's alpha/beta test program
for new release's (let us know if I am wrong)... and HP has a similar program
where we envite customers to alpha/beta test new release's.  I have not seen or
heard of a case (again let us know if I am wrong) where Microsoft will deliver a
single fix in a patch.  My understanding is Microsoft holds most of their fixes
for the next release or a Service Pack similar to HP's Power Patch delivered
once a quarter or once every 6 months (again let us know if I am wrong).  My
understanding is hp3000 customers have always spoke loud and clear that this is
unacceptable in a production environment and that they require patches which
include their fixes in a timely manor.

I consider the folks out here to be the elite of HP customers operating HP3000
systems in very diverse production environments which is why the 3000-L is the
place I advertise for customers to Alpha Test new enhancements to MPE
Networking.  As always I enjoy working with and hearing from you all. I would
ask that we work togeather when it comes to the Beta Testing of patches for
problems you have experienced.

Regards,

James Hofmeister
Hewlett Packard
Worldwide Technology Network Expert Center
P.S. My Ideals are my own, not necessarily my employers.