Stupid question



  • Had to share this. Sent out a support case for our WebCT server. In it I indicated that our Microsoft SQL Server was installed at E:\Microsoft SQL Server\...

     A short while later I got a reply asking if it was a Windows server. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I managed to reply without being sarcastic somehow.

     There was a further request for a log file that's generated by a running server, when my case specifies that my problem is occurring during installation but that wasn't quite as good.
     



  • [quote user="Dancindan84"]

    Had to share this. Sent out a support case for our WebCT server. In it I indicated that our Microsoft SQL Server was installed at E:\Microsoft SQL Server...

     A short while later I got a reply asking if it was a Windows server. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I managed to reply without being sarcastic somehow.

     There was a further request for a log file that's generated by a running server, when my case specifies that my problem is occurring during installation but that wasn't quite as good.
     

    [/quote]

    Well, some people might try to install MS SQL Server on a PC running Windows XP, so the question is probably less stupid than you think.
     



  • Good point. I was assuming he meant "Is it Windows or Linux server" (and I still think he did), but there's the possibility it was legitimate I guess.



  • If if makes you feel better, I get this alot also, and it's a genuine WTF.  I work on OpenVMS, formerly known simply as VMS - well known operating system on the old DEC platforms.  Yes, it's still out there being used for many things, running on Alpha and now Itanium platforms.  Whenever we have to call for support, we invariably get the following:

    Support:  What OS are you using?

    Me:  OpenVMS

    Support:  Does that run under unix?

    Me:  *head explodes*  (because the "support" is HP, who bought the OS from Compaq... who bought it from DEC.  To put it another way, the same company who bought and owns the OS, and SELLS it, doesn't know what it is.)
     



  • [quote user="jetcitywoman"]

    Support:  What OS are you using?

    Me:  OpenVMS

    Support:  Does that run under unix?

    [/quote]

    Perhaps the support rep is asking if you're running OpenVMS on a VAX emulator running on Unix?  Well, you could be.

    Looks like there are a few VAX emulators around, actually.  SIMH says it provides VAX emulation, and there's eVAX (though, like so many FOSS projects, that appears to be dead, with no updates since 2001), and apparently a number of commercial emulators.  Not surprising, since VAX was a major contender in its day.  If I had a little more spare time, I'd be tempted to try one of those.  Some of my CS courses were on VAX, including the assembly programming ones.  (I'd only written assembly for 6502, Z80, and 8088 before then; the VAX's almost-absurd CISCiness made it much more fun.)

    Seriously, I imagine the people running other older HP OSes get the same sort of response from Support, unfortunately.  Though I note that at least the HP website still has links for DEC platforms and HP 3000 systems.

     



  • Just remember, every time support asks you a 'dumb' question it is because enough people have called in to support where assuming answers to simple questions caused much more trouble for the support personell.

    Its more fun if you get a good support person on the line and they ask a question, you wonder out loud about why that was asked, and theyll likely tell you some godawful horrorstory about why that is now a standard query on each case.


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