Support Advantage

Online Support Environment

Support Advantage consists of two primary components, the Support Library and Electronic Services (available for North American Customers and for Silicon Graphics International Subsidiaries).

Support Library

The Support Library is a comprehensive collection of binders; which offers you a broad range of information from recommendations for isolating system errors and documentation for system administration tasks such as upgrading hardware and adding new users to systems. In the Support Library you can find the information you need to solve system problems when and where they occur.

Topics in the Support Library include:

• Support Reference Materials
  a collection of problem-solving and advice oriented articles. Topics include: IRIX (tm) operating system tips and system administration tips.

• Interactive System Maintenance Support
  interactive presentations on topics such as installing and replacing peripherals, upgrading operating sysetms, and installing software options.

• Software Patch Information
  a list of available patches and instructions for obtaining and using them.

• Reported Software Change Requests
  a listing of customer-reported problems and enhancement requests for Silicon Graphics software and documentation.

• Pipeline:
  archived issues of the Customer Support Division's technical publication.

• Frequently Asked Questions:
  answers to the questions that are most commonly asked of our technical assistance centers.

• Networking Fundamentals
  pre-study materials required for anyone planning to enroll in Silicon Graphics' Network Administration courses.

• Customer Education Courses:
  a description and calendar for courses offered to customers.

The IRIS Insight Viewing systems provides you with on-demand information. IRIS InSight is bundled with the IRIXTM operating system and uses such industry standards as X Window System (tm), Motif (tm), and SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). IRIS Insight combines ease of navigation with the most advanced of search algorithms giving you the ability to access detailed information in the Support Library quickly. Full media support in the viewer offers documents with in-line graphics, movies, and audio.

Topic/Task Navigation

The Topic/Task Navigator enhancement to the IRIS InSight Viewer is available only to Support Library users. Rather than using key word searches or boolean logic you can use this enhancement to traverse a hierarchical tree to find detailed information in the Support Library.

Electronic Services

Electronic Services, including Call Logging and Customer Profile, make it convenient for you to communicate with Silicon Graphics. Customers in North America can connect to Silicon Graphics via the Internet or via modem over a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) connection.

Call Logging

You can avoid time delays by using electronic call logging to describe your system problem in detail and attach corresponding files for review by Silicon Graphics support professionals. Futhermore, you can alert Silicon Graphics to the severity of the problem by setting the priority on your call. Detailed information will help Silicon Graphics' support professionals solve your problems so you can resume using your system quickly.

With Call Logging you can track the status of the calls you opened electronically. From your workstation you will be able to view the problem history and know what actions are being taken to solve the problem.

Customer Profile

Customer Profile provides you with the tools to update your profile records in the customer information database. You can view all of the systems with which Silicon Graphics believes you are associated. An accurate profile ensures that you receive software updates and literature in a much more timely manner.

Availability

The Support Advantage CD will be released on a quarterly basis. We will continue to enhance Support Advantage with time-critical information and leading-edge tools to help your organization maximize the use of its systems.

Silicon Graphics bundles Support Advantage with most Support and Extended Warranty contracts.