The arrangements for support of PERQs and SUNs will be changed from Monday January 6th in order to try and improve the service to users.
Instead of phoning the SUPPORT office direct, users should phone the SERVICE line on 0235-44-6389. The SERVICE Line will be open for calls during normal working hours, ie 08.30 - 17.00 Monday to Thursday and 08.30 - 16.00 on Fridays. The answerphone will only be used as an emergency measure during periods of staff shortages.
If SERVICE line cannot handle the problem themselves they will log your call and transfer the call to the SUPPORT office. The SUPPORT office will be guaranteed to be open for three hours a day, 09.00 - 10.00, 11.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 15.00. Outside these times SERVICE line can take a message for the SUPPORT office.
SUN: Hardware faults on SUNs will be handled by SUN UK. You should telephone the SUN engineer on 0990-23300, extension 340. This extension will normally be answered by Julie Bryant who will ask you for the following information:-
Customer name (SERC) Contact name (person who will be there when the engineer calls) Machine Type (eg SUN2/120) Serial Number of the System (on a plate on the processor cabinet) Type of Contract (on site hardware) Problem to be reported.
In the log book for your SUN you should log the time and date when you report the fault, a description of the fault, and the time and date when it is corrected. A list of the previous months faults should be sent to Fran Childs. R32, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton. Didcot. Oxon at the end of each month. Please send a report even if there have been no faults.
Although SUN will handle hardware faults themselves, you should still call the SERVICE Line if you are unsure if it is a hardware or software fault or if SUN have not fixed the fault within 48 hours of your call.
Software problems on both PERQ and SUN computers will be handled by the Single User Systems Support staff. If they are not able to solve the problem themselves they will pass the problem onto other specialist sections in Informatics Division. The SUPPORT office will however be responsible for monitoring progress on these problems.
Whenever possible users should pass software problems to the SUPPORT office via electronic mail to the mail address CBP@RL. It is far easier to pin down a problem if the actual input and output can be seen and checked on our machines.
In future, two series of notes will be issued, PERQ User Notes and SUN User Notes. When a note is relevant to both machines (as in the case of this note) the same note will appear in both series. Periodically a note will be issued giving an index of the previous still relevant notes.
