Re: Online index build

"M Hashim" <m.a.n.hashim_at_sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:PdMo9.2670$Iw5.447545_at_news20.bellglobal.com...
>
> "Sybrand Bakker" <gooiditweg_at_sybrandb.demon.nl> wrote in message
> news:9c96qu42j9cf1663vscc9kkub9b2omb569_at_4ax.com...
> > On Tue, 8 Oct 2002 13:55:56 -0400, "Chuck" <chuckh_at_softhome.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> > Function
> > based indexes came out in verion 8.
> >
> > Nonsense, 8i
> true
> >
> > Descending columns on indexes have been
> > available since at least version 7.
> true
> >
> > Yes, but are they implemented differently know, but you seem to know
> > better than the documentation
> >
> > > I've been dealing with them for 8 years and can
> > >count on one hand the number of tech. support people I've spoken too
> there
> > >that were worth the price I pay for support!
> how Presumptuous. Coming from a guy with a long trail of posting for help.
I
> wonder. I hope you are paying a lot(a ton os cash) for support, only then
I
> would justify your comments. Customer support is a difficult job - you
have

Without mentioning names my company is the largest electronic retailer in the US. In the past year they have spent over a million dollars on Oracle licensing and support.

> to deal with all kinds of characters, not to mention, understand their
> problems. I've dealt with Oracle Tech support at most 5 times in over 10
> years with Oracle, and all ocassions, they have passed with flying
colours.

You must be in the UK or Europe. I say this for two reasons - the way you spell "colours" and the fact that you've had good support from Oracle. In the US those of us that have had the privilege of dealing with Oracke techies from the other side of the pond have noticed a night and day difference. I recall last year working on a problem with OTS in the US and they couldn't figure out what our problem was for days. It got escalated to sev-1 at which time it was turned over to a gent in Ireland who figured out the problem in a few minutes. We subsequently requested support from the same support center on another TAR that proved too difficult for the Americans and once again Ireland figured out the problem very quickly.

I deal with OTS in America perhaps 15-20 times a year. 90% of the time I get the same parroted answers. If it's a Windows database I get "Reboot the server once a week". That doesn't solve the problem. It just sidesteps it until it starts occurring often enough to require a daily reboot. If it's a unix database I get "Upgrade to the latest greatest version and it will fix your problem". The majority of these times when questioned they can offer no proof that the upgrade really will fix the problem other than its a hunch. I'm supposed to shut down and upgrade a mission critical continuously available database on a hunch that it might fix the problem? At the same time I know from experience that even if it does fix the first problem, there's a good chance I'm going to introduce an entirely new bug which of course there will be no mention of in the discussions. After 8 years I've learned it's better to find other places to look for support, use OTS as a last resort, and when you do expect a canned response. Received on Wed Oct 09 2002 - 12:26:46 CDT