Dealing with withdrawn Service Releases - again!

[ekech_infomotio]

So, I'm quite disappointed that Qliktech has withdrawn its Service Release once again - this time QV11.2 SR4 (Build 11123). This is not the first time that Qliktech withdraws a service release - in the last two years there were at least two other bad SRs.

We - as Qlikview partner - have to deal with the customers directly. We get asked, if it is safe to install service releases.

Just a little example:

A few days ago one of our customers came to us because he couldn't work with IE10 and AJAX-Client on an QV11 SR2 server. Asking qliktech we got the advice to update to 11.2 SR2 or higher in order to get IE10 working. So which release will you recommend to your customer, if SR4 is out in the wild? Yeah - SR4. But our internal tests showed really strange problems with a custom directory - not a problem for our customer, so after some other internal tests we recommended 11.2 SR4 to our customer because using another browser or the IE plugin isn't a valid option (IT policy!).

And now - just a few days later - Qliktech withdraws its latest and greatest Version. Once again I have to go to the customer and say "Oh, there is a little problem with the latest SR, you should update to the new build".

Really annoying, isn't it?. After 3 bad SRs in 2 years I have real problems trusting in Qliktech's quality testing and quality management abilities.

Meanwhile I feel more like a beta tester, but my job is doing consultancy and implementation...

So here is the real question:

How do you deal with Service Releases? Do you recommend the latest SR or the previous one? And how do you make sure, that the customer isn't losing his faith in a good and quality assured product?

[luciancotea]

You are right Edgar, QlikTech has a bad reputation of having problems with new releases. But, like Windows or any other complex system, you should never deploy immediately into production the latest version.

There are situations when you are caught off-guard and you have to deal with it. As a policy, I always deliver more than promised so the customer is happy with QlikView and can easily overlook such problems.

[Gysbert_Wassenaar]

Same as for any other application/system. It depends on the need to upgrade, the known bugs and issues in intermediate releases and the period since the release of the latest version. If a release is withdrawn it usually happens within days of its release (at least in my experience). So a release that's been out for more than two weeks shouldn't be a much bigger risk than a release that's been out six months.

If you do need to upgrade find the releases that meets the requirements that drive the upgrade and then choose the release that is the least risky. And if you don't have a choice then try to be prepared for complications like a roll-back or another upgrade.

[ekech_infomotio]

G Wassenaar schrieb:

... And if you don't have a choice then try to be prepared for complications like a roll-back or another upgrade.

that's exactly the point: We have to deal with this complications. We are out at the customers. And we get another SR which has showstopper problems. Once again Qliktech published a so-called SR which has to be withdrawn with showstopper problems. This can happen once, but it definitely should not happen 3 times in 2 years - I think you agree with this. IMHO a SR should get enough testing at Qliktech to find showstoppers before it gets released.

Otherwise it's an indication for bad quality management. And that's IMHO the real problem.

[Gysbert_Wassenaar]

You asked how to deal with it. I gave you my answer.

[Jason_Michaelides]

Unfortunately I have to agree. QlikTech's intention to cut out intra-SR patches and go to a much more frequent program of SR releases is very worrying as so far I cannot see the QA improving.  I have been assured previously that they are employing many more QA staff but if they don't improve the process then any number of staff won't help.

We have just had to roll back our own UATserver from SR3 to SR2 due to an issue with bookmark links not working as they were. This kind of action wastes time and is very annoying. It pains me to say this but I have not been able to trust SR releases for some time (ever since the bug that killed all scheduled jobs back in v10 SR something I think...)