Edward Jaffe writes: >We can't make PMRs Sev1 because we don't have a 24/7 response >team and without Sev1 IBM works much more slowly than we do. :(
The IBM Software Support Handbook, available here: ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/software/server/handbook/webhndbk.pdf says this about Severity 1 problem incidents: "An appropriately skilled technical person from your site must be available to work with IBM's technical support staff during the entire time we are performing support services outside of normal country business hours." Makes sense. If IBM is going to be working day and night, then it's reasonable to expect that you will be, too. So I think that's what you're referring to -- and thank you for following the rules. Nevertheless, you are allowed to mark the problem incident as Severity 1 whenever you have somebody on shift.(*) Therefore it's possible to have your first qualified support person come in at, say, 8:00 a.m. and raise the PMR to Severity 1. Then, as your last qualified support person turns the lights out, that person lowers the PMR to Severity 2 (or lower if appropriate). Loop, repeat if necessary. That's entirely within the rules and even expected/recommended if you have a problem requiring Severity 1 attention from IBM. Granted, it's a little bit odd to have a Sev 1 issue and not have 24/7 IT staffing, at least on a limited ad hoc/overtime basis, but it's possible. (*) "On shift" doesn't mean "answering every call from IBM within 3 seconds" -- although that would be nice. Use reasonable judgment here. It's helpful to IBM if you can update the PMR with information like "Request next status update between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. New York time. Contact Joe Smith by telephone at (XXX) YYY-ZZZZ extension QQQ or his backup Sally Carter at extension RRR." Thus if your support desk is unstaffed for an hour or two in the midst of a Sev 1 because somebody needs to go pick up his daughter from soccer practice before the next individual arrives, that'll be OK. Reminder: I'm not speaking for IBM. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timothy Sipples Consulting Enterprise IT Architect (Based in Singapore) E-Mail: [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
