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How to make tech support work for you

As storage grows more complex, tech support becomes utterly indispensible -- so it pays to learn how to get the info you need

The tech support contracts you buy along with a new storage system are every bit as vital as any hardware or software component. And thanks to all the newfangled stuff built into storage systems these days, I can assure you that you're going to need a support contract for more than replacing the occasional failed disk.

Obtaining support resources trained to solve complex problems can be difficult at best. That's why you have to know how to work the system. Learn how to engage support personnel, and you can save tons of time -- and even avoid disaster.

Calling tech support isn't fun

I can't say I've ever met anyone excited about having to open a support ticket. It's a last resort that usually means two things:

1. Something is broken.
2. Getting it fixed probably entails spending at least the next couple of hours on the phone navigating through a series of different people you've never talked to before and you're unlikely to ever talk to again.