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Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

Title:DEChub/HUBwatch/PROBEwatch CONFERENCE
Notice:Firmware -2, Doc -3, Power -4, HW kits -5, firm load -6&7
Moderator:NETCAD::COLELLADT
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4455
Total number of notes:16761

3478.0. "What about Hubwatch/Version/Table/Sanity check?" by PTOJJD::DANZAK () Thu Apr 18 1996 23:44

    Have we ever considered a firmware/level/rev matrix in HUBwatch?  It
    appears, from scanning the NOTESfile and personal experience, that
    problems are often resolved by assuring that firmware is all in synch.
    
    For example, if HUBwatch returned the error:
    
      !WARNING! - attempt to manage device with out-of-revision firmware.
    
         Expecting minimum version x, found version y.
         Attempting to manage this device will likely 
         cause it to fail and potentially damage the
         network.
    
         Please exit this application and upgrade firmware!
    
    ---
    Perhaps a table-driven (I know, it require file I/O, etc.) that was
    loaded on HUBwatch start-up could be used to determine what things that
    the running version of HUBwatch could muck with as opposed to muck up.
    
    Any thoughts?
    j
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3478.1Aren't soft copy release notes included in Cons Kit?NETCAD::BATTERSBYDon't use time/words carelesslyFri Apr 19 1996 13:2015
    Jon are you suggesting a pro-active means to determine rev
    compatibility as opposed to a re-active process? Is there
    field evidence that the release notes shipped with the HUB 
    products aren't enough warning, or that the customers typically 
    don't bother to read the release notes, or the installation
    guides? We see a lot of evidence in notes which seem to suggest 
    that the customers don't read, notice, miss, or otherwise 
    in-advertently forget to read the release notes which 99% of the
    time do advise customer usually on the need to ensure the upgrade
    or use of a certain rev for the intended product.
    I would suspect that to put this into HUBwatch would probably be 
    rather un-wieldy and would probably slow down the startup & building
    of the windows (seen by some now as a nit).
    
    Bob
3478.2NPSS::WADENetwork Systems SupportFri Apr 19 1996 14:2114
    
    Customer's don't want to read documentation.  They want to take it out of 
    the box and fire it up.  Not always practical but I think that's the norm.
    They expect the fw/sw to lead them to the correct destination

    One of the first questions I ask is revs on HW, MAM and modules.
    Adding this functionality in Multichassis Manager would be a win for our
    support organizations and our customers.
    
    The next step it to enable Multichassis Manager to automate the loading 
    of the new firmware.

    Bill
   
3478.3Yeah, it would all be done uh.. automagically.....sure right..NETCAD::BATTERSBYDon't use time/words carelesslyFri Apr 19 1996 16:1817
    Yup, I agree. Something that can be clicked on for the sole
    purpose of interactively asking the user if they wish to
    upgrade for example the MAM: (because it sensed on startup that 
    there was a new module or whatever added). I'm not sure what the
    interaction should be (ask or advise user), but the feature should
    be a optional thing that could be voluntarily invoked when the
    user (customer), has recently added new hardware, or has received a
    new cons kit, or has simply reconfigured hub/s with different mix
    of hardware. This feature would not necessarily have to be run
    every time HUBwatch (or Multichassis Manager) is fired up.
    Or when a new cons kit is installed & the new rev of Multichassis Manager 
    is run for the first time, it would read the revs (there is a mib
    that has hooks to read the HW & FW rev fields isn't there?), and
    then advise user that some modules need upgrade in order to work with
    this or that. Or it could be all done er... automagically.
    
    Bob
3478.4We've been talking about doing just that.SLINK::HOODYour bad news bearFri Apr 19 1996 21:398
    We've been talking about such an application within clearVISN software
    engineering.  Can't say when it will happen, but it will happen
    sometime.  As they say on the web pages, "Watch this space"...
    
    
    Tom Hood
    clearVISN eng
    
3478.5Matrix ... thumbs up !!!NCMAIL::SCHEIDFri Apr 19 1996 22:566
    Great idea ... 
    
    I would ship it with each new release of HUBwatch (Clearvisn) ...
    
    
    -Charlie
3478.6Customers want MAGIC (grin)PTOJJD::DANZAKSun Apr 21 1996 02:2023
    What are release notes?  Oh, yah, those papers they send with the
    SOFTWARE that I'm interested in.  Who cares about the papers, I want
    the software.....
    
    Bill Wade is 100% right - customers (and me) think like the above.
    
    It's supposed to be software, captured intelligence of brilliant
    engineers, it's SUPPOSED to be canned magic.
    
    For example, Microsoft word, EXCEL, Powerpoint etc., do things like
    "I'm sorry I can't open that read/write for you - I'll damage it - so
    I'm openingn it read only..." etc.
    
    The warning may be a bit annoying, but if it saves a support call etc.,
    that is more Digital $ saved, and more importantly, customer grief!
    
    Let's integrate it with Hubwatch...er...I mean the Stack and or
    MultiChassis Mangler.
    
    er, manager,
    REgards,
    j