Red Hat's Global Support Services

What is it?

Red Hat Global Support Services is an around-the-clock around-the-world network of the most experienced, motivated and knowledgeable Linux and open source software support engineers.

What does it do?

Red Hat Global Support Services allows you to plan, deploy and scale with confidence. Confidence that your systems have the resources behind them when you need it. Confidence that you are in the most capable Linux hands.

Why should I care?

Organizations are increasingly looking to Linux and open source technologies and standard to deliver the cost savings, security, capabilities, performance, portability and stability they need to compete in today's market. Red Hat is the world's foremost expert in Linux and open source and has accumulated staff, knowledge and experience around delivering and supporting those technologies. Red Hat Global Support Services allows you to virtually extend your in-house expertise and deploy with confidence.

Support Process

Level 1 is served by Red Hat Certified Technicians, who respond to customers' queries through their general knowledge and theinformation documented in Knowledge Base. Problems solved at Level 1, can be described as a "common question/known issue."

Level 2 is served by Red Hat Certified Engineers. The problems that have not been resolved at Layer 1 (ie, those for which there is no prior known answer ), are transferred to this level. The task of Level 2 specialists are: to reproduce the problem, describe it and, if possible, resolve it through changes in the settings. If Level 2 process does not fix the problem by changing settings, or in cases where the issue may require changes in the program code, the problem is raised to Level 3.

Level 3 is served by a group of escalating seniority, which includes experienced technicians, highly dedicated to the solution of customer problems. They receive a description of the problem from Level 2 and then initiate the process of completely eliminating conditions that may have caused the error . If changes to the code are required, these professionals will write code, check it for errors, load resistance, and test specifically for the configuration of the client machines. In some cases, they will produce an interim patch specifically for the client.

Irrespective of whether a solution is attained at Level 3 or by further escalation to Level 4, the product developers themselves take part in the process of solving problems - especially in those cases when it is necessary to modify the code to eliminate errors . Ideally, in the interim, the client has already received a patch or configuration changes were made to reduce the critical error. After that the product developers will include the modified program code directly into the original product, inspect it by the standard test criteria, making further changes if necessary, and release the result as an official patch (update) via Red Hat Network.

Throughout this process, the company Red Hat is in constant contact with the customer.

You may also like to read the Quick Guide to Red Hat Technical Support - a whitepaper for IT decision makers.