FAQ

Do I need to gather all the data and information prior to logging a case with Sun ?

No, however gathering as much information and data up front will potentially decrease the time to resolution on your Case as the Support Engineer will have valuable information at the time the case is logged.

I don't have a support contract can I still log a case ?

You need to have a relevant support and maintenance contract in place prior to logging a support case with Sun Support. If you would like to purchase a support contract you should contact your local Sun Account Team.

Why doesn't Sun incorporate the data and information gathering into the existing explorer?

Explorer is a tool to collect the system-wide information and data. This document provides a means to collect the specific Sun software information and data.

How can Sun notify us if this document gets updated?

Our engineers will generally send the latest copy of the document (if any) when the customer has agreed with the case closure.

How can I troubleshoot using the data as requested by Sun ?

It is beyond the scope of this website to teach trouble shooting techniques. That said, we do not want to discourage you from trouble shooting your own problem and welcome you to look at the data that we are requesting. Often our engineers will send back detailed analysis of the data and we encourage you to review your data again after the analysis. We try to make the trouble shooting process as transparent as possible but like any skill it requires time and experience to learn.

I have noticed that there are mistakes in the information provided ? How can I inform Sun ?

You can write your feedback to educating_cust@sun.com. We appreciate your feedback.

How soon can I get a solution once the data is provided to Sun for analysis?

We cannot provide a definitive time to provide a solution for individual problems as each problem is different and unique. Our Support Engineers will keep you informed and up to date throughout the duration of the case until it is closed to your satisfaction.

Do I need to provide all the data requested for an Defect with an particular object?

If possible yes, however if you can collect some or most of the information it is best to log a case while you gather the rest of the information.

Can I log performance tuning or architectural and design requests to Support ?

Your support contract does not cover performance tuning or architectural and design issues. Support Engineers can provide some general guidelines however they are not experts in this area and you will generally be referred to our Professional Services Organisation.

Why does Support keep asking me for more data when I have already provided everything you have asked for?

Each step of the trouble shooting process involves either narrowing down the problem to a particular problem or ruling out a particular problem. Different data may be required as possible problems are ruled out or additional data to narrow down the list of possible problems. It is even possible that we may ask for the same data again because the first set may not have captured what was expected or we need to verify something.

Why can't Support you ask me for all the data that you need in the first place.

While we can anticipate much of the data that we will need based upon the problem description, it is not always possible to foresee all possibilities. For example a 'hang' could be a deadlock or just a long pause (something taking longer than normal, possibly even forever). Both a deadlock and a pause could happen in many different places and may require vastly different data depending upon where they occur. Therefore we try to ask for enough data to get a good start on the problem and in many cases we will be able to resolve the problem without requesting additional data.

I am not on the latest release of software or don't have certain patches installed, will I need to upgrade and patch before you will be able to assist me?

Unfortunately there is not a straightforward answer to this question.It is generally faster and easier all around if you can upgrade and/or patch to see if that resolves the problem. If that is not possible we will generally be able to review the initial data which may match some already reported problem. Please also keep in mind that your problem, if identified as a bug may be fixed in the latest release of the product. It is also important to remember that if your problem is not fixed by the latest release of the product, any future fixes will be based on the latest release.

What does GDD stands for ?

GDD (Gathering Debug Data) is a subset of the Software Serviceability project, see http://www.sun.com/service/gdd/index.xml for an overview. It also has a technical focus versus the customer focus of the Customer Data collection project. As GDD is essentially a collection of tools, they can be used before or after a case is opened.

I have the java support contract on Solaris platform. Am I entitled to get the support on other platforms such as linux or windows ?

If you want to get the support on linux or windows platform, you need to subscribe Java For Business. For details, please refer to http://www.sun.com/software/javaseforbusiness/index.jsp