I'm so used to when a disk drive needs replaced in IBM i you log on to the system, get into STRSST, step back and let the hardware repairman do his thing.
It's a whole different animal in VIOS.
First of all when you open the ticket with IBM they ask you the stupidest question: What operating systems are running under this?
Why is this a stupid question? Well if you tell them IBM i then they send someone out who knows IBM i and doesn't have a clue about VIOS. So when you start a putty session and get them into the vios console and they type in STRSST and get command not found you already know you can tack hours on to the call.
The next thing is that they assume the customer is all knowing and comfortable with VIOS and/or AIX and know how to unmirror disk drives and all sorts of stuff that were all set up for me. Since you are not you will have to open a software ticket also.
And Heaven help you if you are not at a version 3 of VIOS. You get a reply like, your choices are:
- Upgrade to a supported version of VIOS
- Contract with IBM Lab Services for a minimum of 40 hours at several hundred dollars an hour
- Sign an extended support contract for the expired version of VIOS
It doesn't help that you drove hours to a remote data center on Monday for an appointment you scheduled with the IBM hardware guy the week before. AND HE NEVER SHOWS NOR CALLS! The national duty manager had a tough time finding anyone in Indy and had to get back to me. Service man claims he was at a customer site with his phone in the car and doesn't know when he'll ever get out of there. Who leaves their phone in the car?!? The only time I can think of this is my son has to because the Navy really frowns upon anyone taking a phone into a secure area. He lost it for a few days while they scanned it to see if he took any pictures, etc.
So you drive back down on Tuesday.
I wonder if the NCAA having their tournaments in town had anything to do with this. Like did the serviceman score tickets?
Oh well, driving out of town allowed me to check out some shops on the way home and I scored a little powder to reload some rounds...
Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 7310 Innovation Blvd, Suite 104
Ft. Wayne, IN 46818
Ship to: 7310 Innovation Blvd, Dock 9C
Ft. Wayne, IN 46818
http://www.dekko.com
midrange.com
