[cobalt-users] Re: fans not spinning in raq4r

[Bruce Timberlake <bruce.timberlake@xxxxxxx>]

"J. Aaron Booker" wrote:
> 
> I just learned from my co-location facility that my fans aren't
> spinning in my Raq4r (three months old).  I called Cobalt Support
> and was told that they won't send me new fans - that I had to
> send in the whole unit.  Am I the only person that thinks that
> this is insane?  My 25 clients aren't going to respond very
> favorably to their sites being down for four days so I can get
> new fans in my server...
> 
> Anybody find a way to get around this?  I know the Cobalt Rep
> in the NW, and I have a call in to him, but he is gone for the
> weekend I'm afraid.
> 
> Thanks for any input y'all might have.

Sun Cobalt is working on a Customer Replaceable Unit (CRU) program,
which will allow end users to buy fans, hard drives, power supplies, and
other "small parts" for their Sun Cobalt appliances. The downside is
that this won't be fully functioning until sometime after the new year.

In the meantime, if a system is under warranty (which yours is), the
only official existing process is an RMA to replace the defective
fan(s). (Under the old Cobalt Networks process, small parts like this
could be sent out as warranty items if the customer felt competent
enough to install them, but I don't believe Sun's RMA/warranty process
allows that.)

The only alternative is to get hold of your local Sun Cobalt rep (like
you have tried) and s/he can try to do a "behind-the-scenes" fan
shipment to you so you can replace them yourself. I don't know what the
current policy on that will be as far as your warranty goes.  I suspect
that since the fans will still be supplied by Sun, you should still be
covered.

All the Sun Cobalt sales reps and TEs will be in Mtn View/Santa Clara
next week (Tue-Fri) for a Sales Conference, and I know for sure that
customer support issues is a main agenda item.

Alternatively, since you're having trouble reaching Paul (I think he's
your rep), if you want to send me your contact info offline, I will get
it to the RaQ Product Manager, who has been handling the "small parts"
issue for the last month or so.  I know he's got a bunch of RaQ4 fans on
order; not sure when they will be in, etc, but it's better than nothing.

In the meantime, if the data center the server is in is cool enough
(check your CPU temp in Active Monitor), you should be ok for a few more
days while we figure out how to get fans to you.

And thank you for your patience. All of us in the field know just how
painful the transition from Cobalt Networks to Sun Cobalt has been
support-wise (we're the ones getting your phone calls and emails!), and
everyone within Sun Cobalt _is_ trying to come up with ways to make
things better.  Changing the course/policies of an "oil tanker" like Sun
Microsystems isn't the easiest or quickest event in the world, though...

-- 
Bruce Timberlake
Technology Engineer
Sun Cobalt Server Appliances
Sun Microsystems, Inc.

E: bruce.timberlake@xxxxxxx
U: http://www.sun.com/cobalt/