Novell addresses support issues

Novell frequently takes it on the chin for its tech support. People complain about the length of time they spend on the phone and are irked that they need to supply a credit card number (or have a support contract) before they can speak to a support person. Being told that the charges will not be applied if you are reporting a new bug or anomaly just isn't that reassuring.

Novell did something about the telephone hold problem a couple of years ago when it instituted Novell Support Connection (NSC) Radio. This is, essentially, a real radio station staffed by real disk jockeys playing music, discussing products - even giving " traffic reports " (i.e., they tell you about the phone traffic, how long you'll be on hold, etc.). They even take requests via e-mail. It doesn't make the wait any shorter, but it does make it more enjoyable - so it might seem shorter.

The second problem - getting charged to tell Novell there's a bug in it software - took a little longer to solve. Of course, once you see the solution you wonder why it didn't think of it years ago.

The solution is, for now, focused on security issues. Browse over to support.novell.com/security-alerts.html and take a look at the new reporting mechanism for security problems. If you think you've discovered a new security issue, you can go to that page and explore all of the existing security issues to see if what you've found has already been fixed (there are links to the security patches available). Fixes and workarounds for problems in NetWare's DHCP server and FTP Daemon are linked as well as solutions for problems discovered with BorderManager and GroupWise. There are also links to third party security sites, such as CERT.

The drawback is that there is no response to you from Novell. If you have found a new issue, you'll just have to wait for a published fix to be brought to your attention. But there is no charge for using this system.

One way to get the system to work for you is to first check the " security alerts " site to see if there's a posted fix for the problem you've discovered. If not, fill out the form and submit it. Then post in the appropriate forum at support-forums.novell.com/category/root.tpt (no charge for that) to see if anyone else has had the same experience and what the possible causes might be. So far, you haven't spent a penny - but you still might not have a solution. But if, at this point, you're convinced that it's a new problem you've uncovered, then call tech support - you may not have to pay after all.

Of course, if you've found a major vulnerability - one that puts you at risk and which could force you to shut down - then don't worry about the few dollars a support call will cost. It's a lot cheaper than lost business or stolen property.

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. His most recent book is "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks" published by SAMS. Dave's company, Virtual Quill, provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more at Virtual Quill or by e-mail at info@vquill.com

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