Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

How about a self-service support contract?

71 views
Skip to first unread message

Gary Mills

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 1:31:42 PM3/12/10
to
After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
without a support contract, I suggested on another forum that Oracle
should offer a self-service support contract for Solaris. For those
willing to pay at least something, this would give them access to
patches and support documents but not the ability to open support
cases. Is this a good idea? Could this suggestion be forwarded to
the appropriate people within Oracle?


--
-Gary Mills- -Unix Group- -Computer and Network Services-

Richard B. Gilbert

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 1:47:57 PM3/12/10
to
Gary Mills wrote:
> After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
> without a support contract, I suggested on another forum that Oracle
> should offer a self-service support contract for Solaris. For those
> willing to pay at least something, this would give them access to
> patches and support documents but not the ability to open support
> cases. Is this a good idea? Could this suggestion be forwarded to
> the appropriate people within Oracle?
>
>

It probably could IF someone with the necessary access to management
reads this and passes it up the chain of command.

Tim Bradshaw

unread,
Mar 12, 2010, 1:52:04 PM3/12/10
to
On 2010-03-12 18:31:42 +0000, Gary Mills said:

> After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
> without a support contract, I suggested on another forum that Oracle
> should offer a self-service support contract for Solaris. For those
> willing to pay at least something, this would give them access to
> patches and support documents but not the ability to open support
> cases. Is this a good idea? Could this suggestion be forwarded to
> the appropriate people within Oracle?

That's a Solaris subscription.

Mike S

unread,
Mar 15, 2010, 6:08:51 PM3/15/10
to
On Mar 12, 11:52 am, Tim Bradshaw <t...@tfeb.org> wrote:
> On 2010-03-12 18:31:42 +0000, Gary Mills said:
>
> > After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
> > without a support contract, ...

> That's a Solaris subscription.

I've been working on the same issue with Oracle. We had been getting
our software support through a reseller. It seems Oracle stopped
selling 3rd party software support back in November, with very little
fanfare. Long story short, our software support costs would have
risen 40% buying directly from Oracle.

We had looked in to purchasing a subscription for some on our less
critical systems. After much back and forth with Oracle, they
declined our request, pending some kind of policy clarification that
will be made March 16th. Personally, my hopes that Oracle will do
right by the customer are very low at this point.

--
Mike

Martin Paul

unread,
Mar 22, 2010, 9:50:30 AM3/22/10
to
Tim Bradshaw wrote:
> On 2010-03-12 18:31:42 +0000, Gary Mills said:
>> After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
>> without a support contract, I suggested on another forum that Oracle
>> should offer a self-service support contract for Solaris. For those
>> willing to pay at least something, this would give them access to
>> patches and support documents but not the ability to open support
>> cases. Is this a good idea?

Definitely. This idea has come up every time Sun changed their support
offerings (ie. made them more expensive), and it always found many
followers.

> That's a Solaris subscription.

I think this does (or did) include the ability to open support cases. As
of now, http://www.sun.com/service/subscriptions/index.jsp is redirected
to http://www.oracle.com/us/support/systems/operating-systems/index.html
and this page lists "24/7 technical support" as one of the leverages.

BTW, the Solaris subscription I have allowed me to download patches for
Solaris 9 and 10 until a week ago. It seems as if the list of
entitlements has been reduced without any further notice, and I'm not
allowed to access Solaris 9 patches anymore. With the always changing
content on www.sun.com / www.oracle.com I can't even find out if it's
supposed to be like that or if it's a mistake.

mp.
--
SysAdmin | Institute of Scientific Computing, University of Vienna
PCA | Analyze, download and install patches for Solaris
| http://www.par.univie.ac.at/solaris/pca/

ryanlrussell

unread,
Mar 23, 2010, 11:25:01 AM3/23/10
to
On Mar 22, 9:50 am, Martin Paul <m...@par.univie.ac.at> wrote:
> Tim Bradshaw wrote:
> > On 2010-03-12 18:31:42 +0000, Gary Mills said:
> >> After access to Solaris security patches was cut off for people
> >> without a support contract, I suggested on another forum that Oracle
> >> should offer a self-service support contract for Solaris.  For those
> >> willing to pay at least something, this would give them access to
> >> patches and support documents but not the ability to open support
> >> cases.  Is this a good idea?
>
> Definitely. This idea has come up every time Sun changed their support
> offerings (ie. made them more expensive), and it always found many
> followers.
>
> > That's a Solaris subscription.
>
> I think this does (or did) include the ability to open support cases. As
> of now,http://www.sun.com/service/subscriptions/index.jspis redirected
> tohttp://www.oracle.com/us/support/systems/operating-systems/index.html

> and this page lists "24/7 technical support" as one of the leverages.
>
> BTW, the Solaris subscription I have allowed me to download patches for
> Solaris 9 and 10 until a week ago. It seems as if the list of
> entitlements has been reduced without any further notice, and I'm not
> allowed to access Solaris 9 patches anymore. With the always changing
> content onwww.sun.com/www.oracle.comI can't even find out if it's

> supposed to be like that or if it's a mistake.
>
> mp.
> --
> SysAdmin | Institute of Scientific Computing, University of Vienna
>       PCA | Analyze, download and install patches for Solaris
>           |http://www.par.univie.ac.at/solaris/pca/

They have acknowledged that it was a mistake now:
http://wikis.sun.com/display/SunSolve/How+Entitlement+Works?focusedCommentId=199106033#comment-199106033

Martin Paul

unread,
Mar 26, 2010, 4:58:46 AM3/26/10
to
ryanlrussell wrote:
> On Mar 22, 9:50 am, Martin Paul <m...@par.univie.ac.at> wrote:
>> BTW, the Solaris subscription I have allowed me to download patches for
>> Solaris 9 and 10 until a week ago. It seems as if the list of
>> entitlements has been reduced without any further notice, and I'm not
>> allowed to access Solaris 9 patches anymore. With the always changing
>> content onwww.sun.com/www.oracle.comI can't even find out if it's
>> supposed to be like that or if it's a mistake.
>

Works again, right now. From http://twitter.com/SunSolve:

Good News - Solaris 9 Patches, the issue has been resolve via a work
around. Your account might not show access but you will have access.

0 new messages