The "Change Requests" site does not work properly

[VolkerBarth]

Now and then I tend to lookup the status of some known bugs on the (old) Sybase Change Requests site.

Currently, the site simply returns the following:

That has happened for a few days, IIRC. Is there a general problem with that site, or is it just a momentary unavailability?

[jeff_albion]

Hi Volker,

Yes, there is a general problem with the Sybase Change Request site in that it's been retired as of October 1st. It is no longer available.

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Since only SAP Customers can now download Support Packages (SP) from the SAP Support Portal, all of the README information for SQL Anywhere is now only available within SAP Notes.

With each SP posted, there is an 'Info' button that will take you to an SAP Note with an HTML attachment that has the bug fix README for that SP:

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To make this process more user-friendly and helpful to customers when searching for already-fixed bugs, we have now started to release the CR information in a different format. We will now be maintaining 'primary README Notes' separately that will contain the most up-to-date SQL Anywhere README information in the Note directly - you can view the SQL Anywhere 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16 Notes here:

• SQL Anywhere 9 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2078796
• SQL Anywhere 10 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2078739
• SQL Anywhere 11 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2078734
• SQL Anywhere 12 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2078167
• SQL Anywhere 16 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2075367

Once you have opened the Note, you can use "Ctrl + F" to find your CR # and the internal anchor links should work also. Only fully released CRs will be made public.

[VolkerBarth]

Jeff, that's not good news. I'm aware that the CR site may have been used infrequently but it has helped me in three ways:

• It was publically available - whereas the links you provide cannot be used without credentials, and for that reason, I cannot even have a look at them now (I'm not in the office and therefore have those credentials not at hand, my bad...).
• The CR notes were often available as soon as the bug were fixed (i.e. usually before according EBFs were released), and they showed also in which versions they were fixed (something the readme of a particular version does not tell). That's important for those who use some versions in parallel.
• They could be used as link targets in this forum for fixed (or about to be fixed) issues. (And I have many times added such links since I think they are helpful.)

Are there any plans to make such information available?

[VolkerBarth]

there is a general problem with the Sybase Change Request site in that it's been retired as of October 1st. It is no longer available.

Is there a particular reason the site does not itself name its abandonded state? IMHO, the cited statement is really misleading (something that does not fit the usual great transparency shown by the SQL Anywhere team...)

[VolkerBarth]

you can view the SQLA 12 and 16 Notes here:

SQL Anywhere 12 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2078167
SQL Anywhere 16 Release Notes - https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2075367

Just to understand: Will these URLs remain the same even when further EBFs are added? - That would then make sense to me as a permantent link target...

[VolkerBarth]

Since only SAP Customers can now download Support Packages (SP) from the SAP Support Portal, all of the README information for SQL Anywhere is now only available within SAP Notes.

I still don't get the point why

1. simple information about known bugs and fixes and
2. the access to those SPs

are treated the same way - IMHO those are two different things.

Why should such an information be hidden from anyone who might be faced with an issue and might then think about the need for a support contract? It just feels like to be forced to buy a pig in a poke...

(Yes, I'm aware that this is not the SQL Anywhere team's decision.)

[jeff_albion]

Yes, that is precisely the idea behind these Notes - we will update them as required so that there is one link that contains a text version of the README in the SAP Note system and customers have one common place to go to find the information (rather than clicking through the screenshots I show above).

[VolkerBarth]

@Jeff: When trying to access the "latest 12.0.1 readme", I currently get a tiny "Document is not released" note in the browser. The same happens for the v16 doc. Is that expected behaviour?

[jeff_albion]

That was my fault - my apologies.

Apparently any time we update the document and it is open for editing (even for the next draft version), you will see this message. That was not originally intended, but apparently that's what happens.

The alternative when it's not available is to use the README document posted in the Info link, as shown above.

In the future, we will try to minimize this switch-over time. If you do see the message again, please be patient and it should be resolved in a couple hours time.

[VolkerBarth]

FWIW, currently the site seems to be working (again?), at least when looking for a particular CR number, such as http://search.sybase.com/kbx/changerequests?bug_id=343627. Don't know whether this is just temporary...

Govern yourself accordingly, as they say:)