Making A request to IBM

[Robin Wilson]

In article <6378 at awdprime.UUCP> moody at snap.austin.ibm.com writes:
>In article <1991Mar23.144908.9009 at bellcore.bellcore.com> jona at iscp.Bellcore.COM (Jon Alperin) writes:
>>2. When I call IBM and report a bug, I sometimes get a patch number. ....,
>>....Does IBM distribute just a single fix?
>
>Yes.  Level 3 support develops hundreds of single fix requests.  We sometimes
>get double fix requests.  We store these things on a big server that is 
>available to level 2.  The fixes are stored by problem number.  If the level 2
>support person can associate your problem with a problem number, then they can
>send you a fix immediately for that problem.  If the problem is a kernel
>panic, you can send a dump and level 2 or level 3 should be able to determine
>if this is a known problem and you can request a fix for it (whether it's
>known or not, if we can fix it).  The most critical thing is that the problem
>is described and understood well enough to be found in the data base or
>debugged.

Actually, this needs clarification.  The "single" fixes to which James refers
are what Level 2 calls "Emergency Fixes".  These are only available for a 
specific problem until the fix is "built" into an update, and then Level 2 
will only ship the update to fix the problem.  You cannot get an "Emergency
Fix" for a problem that is "fixed" in an available update.


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