As a former TSE myself, I can think of some possible situations where a customer can have this feeling while the TSE has a legitimate request.

For example, you must be absolutely sure that the problem is in fact occuring during the Perfstat and packet trace, or it's irrelevant. Ideally you would have control to duplicate the problem at will and then capture it. If not, we have to be 100 % sure of what we are looking at (and for).

I don't know what the situation was and can't speak definitively for it. All I'm saying is that sometimes context and sequence can be the only difference in an otherwise complete duplicate request for output.

If I gave it some more thought, I'd probably think of more similar examples, but I think this is a good illustration.

I hope this helps.

Cheers .....

Sent from my GoodLink synchronized handheld (www.good.com)

-----Original Message----- From: Kevin Davis [mailto:kdavis@mathworks.com] Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 06:31 AM Pacific Standard Time To: Oliver Bassett Cc: toasters Subject: RE: autosupport stops functioning

Doing an install of the same release without doing a download an reboot is actually fine.

Download only writes the kernel and boot code to the cf card. And reboot is only to actually boot into that kernel.

I should have been more explicit. I realize the action should pose no harm - I'm jaded lately at the advice that comes from the first level of support. I think they're reaching here. If autosupport is working, then not, then working...this seems to me like busywork that will get the customer nowhere. Try this...try this, no?...then try this...

I get _very_ frustrated when a TSE doles out any mitigation efforts without tellin me exactly why they are requesting it, and why they think it will work. In fact (now that I've digressed off-topic), my ideal support ticket would look like this:

Me: here's the problem, and everything I've tried to fix it and the results, and an autosupport (I know in this case that's the problem!). NetApp: Thanks, we'll look into this and get right back to you. NetApp: This is what we think is happening.... NetApp: Try this _because_...: Me: No dice... NetApp: Ok...we'll get back to with an explanation, or escalate it and bump up the priority.

Instead, typically I get this:

Me: here's the problem, and everything I've tried to fix it and the results, and an autosupport. NetApp: Thanks. Can you send an autosupport, please? NetApp: Please try this, and send us the results, and send us the results? (what they ask for is everything I've already tried, and told them so). Me: Damn!