Guide to Using Voltaire Support

Before Contacting Technical Support

Voltaire has assembled a large knowledge base that contains many answers to your technical questions without calling Technical Support. You may visit “Quick Help” for locating host driver troubleshooting wizard , first time installation guides, and common questions.  We also have a downloadable faq database that contains over 250 known issues, solutions and best practices. Always read the release notes for any Voltaire product to quickly identify product limitations. Free online training can help you understand the intricacies of InfiniBand. By checking sources like the Voltaire knowledge base, you may find quick answers to your situations.

Determine the Nature of the Problem

Before calling for assistance, try to determine the cause of the problem by answering the following questions:

• What behavior are you experiencing? What behavior do you expect?
• When was the last time the software worked properly? When was the problem first observed? What was changed in your environment in the interim? (installing software, changing configuration, etc.)
• When did the problem occur? When does the problem not occur? What is different between those situations?
• How extensive or localized is the problem? What is the difference between the elements that exhibit the problem and those that don’t?
• How critical is this problem to your development or deployment? Can you work around it until a fix is found?
• Is there a better way to implement the software that would make the problem disappear?

 

Isolate the Problem

After determining the problem, be as specific as possible.

• Determine the precise steps required to consistently reproduce the problem.

 

What Is a Service Case?

Voltaire tracks every question or request for assistance that your technical support contact makes to the Technical Support Center as a service case ticket. A service case ticket is a single technical question or instance of a problem. For example, if you call with questions relating to both the Voltaire GridVision and another relating to Voltaire Host Driver, we will approach them as two separate service tickets. Each service ticket receives a case number, which allows us to prioritize and track your problem effectively. Be sure to reference the case number when contacting support so that we can accurately track your case progression.

Case Prioritization

Case priorities are assigned based on problem urgency and the effect on your business. The priority of the case determines the targeted initial response time. Please explain the impact that the case has on your project, as it will allow your Technical Support contact and the Technical Support engineer to best address the problem for your organization. Properly prioritizing cases also helps balance the workload appropriately within Technical Support, ensuring that our entire customer base enjoys efficient resolution to technical issues.

 

Free Options and Chargeable Services

Voltaire Standard contract includes unlimited access to Voltaire’s Web-based support, where you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions, technical tips and maintenance releases. You’ll also have access to our comprehensive Knowledge Base – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Voltaire does not limit the number user authorized technical support contacts.  Your company should register one or more authorized technical support contacts to gain access to all the support materials. To register with us, submit the new customer registration form.

 

Logging Your Case

When you need to log a case with Technical Support, please have all pertinent information in hand to expedite case resolution. You can use this Technical Support Checklist to organize your information.

• Product number and serial number for us to quickly know your product.
• Version number/Service pack level.
• Messages displayed around the time this situation occurred.
• Has this happened before? Can it be re-created?
• How long has this been going on?
• Operating system and patch level?
• When did this happen?
• Were there any possible changes before or around the time this occurred? (such as new or changes to the product or related hardware/software or accessories).

Log your case electronically using our online services by sending the information to support@voltaire.com . Or call into your nearest Technical Support Center or the center included with your support information.
Once your case has been logged, it will be assigned a service ticket number and an appropriate Technical Support engineer. Be sure to record your service ticket number on your Technical Support Checklist. This number is your quick-reference number to all information about your question.

 

Resolving Your Case / Response Times

When calling Technical Support, we will first verify your support ID and request background details on the case, including the priority.
Sometimes resolving a case during the initial call is not possible. Additional information and tests may be required to better qualify the issue. The Technical Support engineer may require additional expertise to resolve your case and may transfer your case to an engineer that specializes in that product. 
If you have additional information about your case, notify the Technical Support engineer by email or phone. Please provide your case number to expedite your phone call and to make sure the additional information is recorded accurately.

 

Reporting Product Defects

If you are reporting a potential product defect, the Technical Support engineer will check to see if your problem has been reported previously and if a fix is available. If it is not a known bug, the Technical Support engineer will attempt to replicate the problem. This duplication may require the engineer to log on to your system (with your approval), obtain code from you, or use the error message and other information you provide to resolve the problem. Once the problem is duplicated, Technical Support will send the information to the appropriate software business unit for final verification that a product defect exists. Your support engineer will notify you when a product defect has been confirmed and will let you know what the next steps will be toward resolving your case.

 

Closing Your Case

A case is closed when you and the support engineer agree that a resolution has been reached. Your case may be closed because:

• The information and/or software provided by the Technical Support engineer has answered your question
• You tell the Technical Support engineer that the case is no longer an issue
• You and the Technical Support engineer agree that your problem is a result of a problem that cannot be isolated
• Repeated unanswered attempts for status query by the support engineer