Errors, though undesirable, are inevitable in software products as large and as complex as ANSYS Multiphysics and its derived products. Even the most rigorous product tests do not always catch every defect before an ANSYS product ships. ANSYS, Inc.'s policy is to correct product defects and/or notify customers about the errors and provide workarounds, as rapidly as possible.
Trouble Reports and Error Resolution
Anyone can report an
error in ANSYS products (see Reporting Errors in
ANSYS Products). Once an error is reported or found the resolution process
begins with the creation of a Trouble Report. The employee initiating the
Trouble Report investigates and rates the severity of the error, based on its
potential to disrupt customers' use of the ANSYS product. The Trouble Report is
then sent to a member of the Development or Documentation Group, who further
investigates and corrects the error. During the correction process, the ANSYS
defect tracking system continuously monitors the status of all reported errors.
If a customer reported the error, the Trouble Report author notifies the
customer when it's resolved.
Resolving and Notifying Customers of "Hard to Detect"
Errors
Class3 errors, which may cause the program to yield incorrect
results that are not obviously faulty, produce immediate action. The person who
investigates and corrects the Class3 error produces a Class3 Error Report. A
qualified code reviewer studies the error report and its associated program and
documentation and verifies that the error has been fixed. The Class3 Error
Report is then reviewed by an independent technically qualified Corporate
Quality staff member. The Corporate Quality Manager then reviews and approves
the Class3 Error Report and it is communicated to all commercial licensees of
ANSYS products with maintenance, Class3 error notification service, or Quality
Assurance Services via email or web postings.
We send Class3 Error Reports to holders of our Quality Assurance Agreements within two working days after we complete them and by certified mail at the end of each quarter. We also post all Class3 Error Reports on the Customer Area of the ANSYS home page within two working days after their completion. Customers who have not purchased TECS may purchase a subscription to access Class3 Error Reports from ANSYS, Inc. In addition, Summary Class3 Error Reports are available here. For information on obtaining ANSYS, Inc.'s Class3 Error Reports contact Bonny Podolek by phone at 724.746.3304, fax at 724.514.1991 or by electronic mail at bonny.podolek@ansys.com.
In addition to Class3 Error Reports, the Corporate Quality Manager issues Quality Assurance Notices when appropriate; these contain information that we deem as important to all ANSYS product users.
Special Versions
To minimize the impact of errors on
ANSYS customers between releases of the ANSYS products, ANSYS, Inc. occasionally
issues special versions of the products that include customer-requested error
corrections. Special versions also may include system-specific program
modifications to address changes in hardware and operating systems. The
Development Services Director and the Corporate Quality Department must approve the
release of all special versions, and define what acceptance criteria must be met
before the special version ships to
customers.