It really depends on the situation and how you deal with support.
I won't give any time frames, because I don't want anyone to assume that as a
rule of any kind, but I will make some comments...

- If it is a known issue and you are using one of the most common platforms you
probably can get a fix at fixcentral.
- If it's a new bug, it really can depend on a few factors:
  . Can you provide a test case that works on the labs?
  . What kind of bug it is... It's serious, "cosmetic", it can be worked
around, is it in an isolated component or on a critical system function
(meaning that R&D must have a lot of work and impact measurement)?

In any case, if you have a workaround you should use it. Before I'm hit by
someone, let me be very clear about what a workaround is: A temporary solution
to be used until a definite solution is provided. I had my history of "fights"
with tech support about "workarounds"... Many times a "workaround" in the tech
support "jargon" is not a real workaround for us (people who deal with the real
systems...)

One thing we should always try to do is to provide a test case demonstrating
the problem... We can waste time discussing if this should be done by the tech
support or by the customer, but the fact is that most of the time, the customer
has more conditions to do it... But many times they don't have the
time/imagination to create it...

I'm in a privilege position because I'm usually sitting at the customer site,
but with an "IBM attitude"... This meaning I have the conditions, and I push my
imagination... :)
The result when you can create a test case is very good most of the times. And
the response is quick. Last situation I had was with another IBM product, and
the patch (new bug) was produced in about a week... But I had a test case...

Besides this, I recommend a determined attitude... I posted a lot of times
before about tech support attitude (not specific to IBM and specially not
specific to Informix) stating I find it wrong, but when I browse through the
PMRs database many times I find a lot of situations where customers accept to
close the cases too easily (and I see a lot of these on the customer end with
other software and software companies). If you have a problem, you should have
a solution and/or explanation... It's good for you and it's good for the
software supplier (because it's good for other customers and for their
technical staff).

Regards.

It really depends on the situation and how you deal with support.
I won't give any time frames, because I don't want anyone to assume that as a
rule of any kind, but I will make some comments...

- If it is a known issue and you are using one of the most common platforms you
probably can get a fix at fixcentral.
- If it's a new bug, it really can depend on a few factors:
  . Can you provide a test case that works on the labs?
  . What kind of bug it is... It's serious, "cosmetic", it can be worked
around, is it in an isolated component or on a critical system function
(meaning that R&D must have a lot of work and impact measurement)?

In any case, if you have a workaround you should use it. Before I'm hit by
someone, let me be very clear about what a workaround is: A temporary solution
to be used until a definite solution is provided. I had my history of "fights"
with tech support about "workarounds"... Many times a "workaround" in the tech
support "jargon" is not a real workaround for us (people who deal with the real
systems...)

One thing we should always try to do is to provide a test case demonstrating
the problem... We can waste time discussing if this should be done by the tech
support or by the customer, but the fact is that most of the time, the customer
has more conditions to do it... But many times they don't have the
time/imagination to create it...

I'm in a privilege position because I'm usually sitting at the customer site,
but with an "IBM attitude"... This meaning I have the conditions, and I push my
imagination... :)
The result when you can create a test case is very good most of the times. And
the response is quick. Last situation I had was with another IBM product, and
the patch (new bug) was produced in about a week... But I had a test case...

Besides this, I recommend a determined attitude... I posted a lot of times
before about tech support attitude (not specific to IBM and specially not
specific to Informix) stating I find it wrong, but when I browse through the
PMRs database many times I find a lot of situations where customers accept to
close the cases too easily (and I see a lot of these on the customer end with
other software and software companies). If you have a problem, you should have
a solution and/or explanation... It's good for you and it's good for the
software supplier (because it's good for other customers and for their
technical staff).

Regards.

You can find defects with known fixes in the online knowledgebase
www.ibm.com/software/data/informix/support

If you have an IBM support and subscrition agreement you can downlaod
the the fix from Fix Central, otherwise you'll need to talk with your
support provider, make sure they have certified their app etc etc.and
they can provide the fix for you under their support agreement with
IBM. Hopefully they have one!

The intention is no more requesting the patch and waiting for it to be
uploaded on ftp.informix.com or boulder.ibm.com or wherever.

You may get a fix quite quickly with the workaround being temporary
relief
You may never get a fix.

It would depend on the complexity of the fix v the complexity of the
workaround.

As you already have a situation where the fix is known, I would assume
a fix is not known so IBM needs to identify the root cuase and code
the fix?

This will depend on a number of factors, the complexity of the
problem, the ease with which it replicates, the resources available to
work on the problem at the time  and the business impact.

Once the fix is coded and the patch provided it will appear in fix
central so any client that encounters tyhe problem can immediately get
the patch.