Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

    There has been no announcement since we only announce consolidated kit
    releases. The next consolidated kit will no doubt have the latest 
    firmware including the the latest concentrator firmware. 
    
    http://www.networks.digital.com/ is an official release source and has
    the 322 image. You can feel confident in using this image. I don't know why
    gatekeeper isn't up to date, I can find out. 
    
    netcad has the consolidated kit, that's why it doesn't have the 322 image.
    
    -Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the information. Now I'll ask the stupid question - where do I
find out about releases such as this other than checking the web for 
different version numbers periodically?

Thanks,
Scott

    Good question Scott...
    
    I should be able to answer what the current releases are for the
    different hub modules. Other than this note and the ftp.gatekeeper.com
    I cannot think of a standard method. 
    
    Jeff

    [place soapbox on floor, step up on sopabox]
    
    Uhmmmmm recall those little "cards" which get shipped with each
    hub product?? Well this has been a pet peeve of mine. These cards
    I've heard from the field folks get properly filled out by many of our
    customers, mailed in and then apparently go into a black hole
    never to be seen again. These cards allude to the fact that if the
    customer includes (in the space provided), their internet address,
    they (the customer), would received information, or would somehow have
    access to when updates (other than major releases, but not excluding
    same), would be available. There is also other literature shipped with
    all our products that provide the url for our external NPB web page.
    I work in an engineering group here in LKG and *I can't* find out who/where
    these little business cards go to! Go figure! On the NPB web page there
    is I believe a button for "what's new" type of information. I have yet
    to see it used for the purpose of individual product code rev updates
    that might be available eleswhere on the NPB web page. I'd really like
    to see better use of the electronic information such as our web page for
    "volunteering" the availability of individual product rev updates, instead
    of making the updated firmware rev available, but forgetting to tell
    anybody about same unless asked!
    
    [quietly step off of soapbox]
    
    Bob

Bob,

Sounds like the "what's new" is the way to go for those of us in the CSCs
since we are not going to see the little cards, even if they were being
administered properly. Guess I'll keep an eye on the web and hope that
this feature starts getting updated.

Thanks,
Scott

    [Tom borrows Bob's soapbox]
    
    There's another computer company out there at 1 Infinite Loop on the
    left coast.  I'm one of their customers.  I've filled out, uh, several
    of their postcards.  So, every other day I get email from them. 
    "Information Alley" contains bugs and workarounds, and software updates
    for all their products.  I glance at the top of the message, see if I
    care about any of their products that day.  Very nice system!  As a
    customer, it also leaves me with the feeling that they actually care
    about my satisfaction.
    
    [Tom returns Bob's soapbox.  Thanks.]
    
    Anyone know how we could implement something like this?
    
    Tom Hood
    clearVISN eng & multiple Mac owner

    ftp.digital.com (aka gatekeeper) lags behind the web page (at
    http://www.networks.digital.com/) because it is a more painful process to
    get the files there, and our release person has been busy getting the
    latest consolidated firmware kit put together. ftp.digital.com should have
    the new concentrator image shortly. 
    
    We don't announce individual images, but rather only the consolidated
    kit. This has happens about 2-3 times per year. If you have a specific
    problem for a specific image, check the web page for the latest. 
    
    As for the firmware announcement tear-out cards, they are handled by an
    outside firm that collects them and maintains the mailing list. When
    our consolidated ships to SSB, a product manager notifies the company
    that they need to send out the announcement letters.
    
    -Mike
    
    

    >As for the firmware announcement tear-out cards, they are handled by an
    >outside firm that collects them and maintains the mailing list. When
    >our consolidated ships to SSB, a product manager notifies the company
    >that they need to send out the announcement letters.
          
    I must have went through at least 6 people, product management,
    marketing, support, sales, and no one could tell me who the outside
    firm was, or what they did with the cards, such as creating a mailing
    list. Although I suspected all the above to be the case, it baffled
    me that no one I contacted knew whom to contact to get specifics.
    So the announcement letters only go out on consolidated major releases.
    That's ok with me. The thing that seems to perhaps lag or not
    known about right away is the availability of individual releases of 
    an updated rev for a customer or the CSC to become aware of. Should 
    a topic be created in here for announcements of individual releases? 
    That way when someone wants to know if there has been a new release of 
    a certain image, someone can point a person to topic xxx and tell them 
    to do a search for a certain reply title as in ....
    dir/title=DEFBA*.bin  xxx.0-xxx.999... 
    IE: The titles of the replies would always contain the name of the
    new binary image as it appears at either or both the gatekeeper site
    and the NPB image files location. The body of each reply would have
    a short statement as to the what/why of this particular individual
    release. The topic dedicated for consolidated release announcements
    would remain for that purpose.
    
    Bob

A topic for point releases in this conference would certainly save a lot of
time as far as I'm concerned.

Scott