( SNUG 05 Item 5 ) ----------------------------------------------- [12/20/05]
Subject: Synopsys SolvNET
DIVERSITY HURTS -- Last year blah, blah, blah, I did this survey with the
exact same questions for Cadence in 2004:
"What do you think about *Cadence's* self-help SourceLink web support?"
Useful: ############# 25%
mixed: ##################### 41%
waste-of-time: ################# 34%
"What's SourceLink's usual quality like?"
Generally good: ############## 28%
somewhat mixed: ######################## 48%
waste of time: ############ 25%
"Do you usually try SourceLink before calling Cadence support (Y/N)?"
Yes: ######################### 49%
No: ######################### 51%
- from http://www.deepchip.com/items/icu04-06.html
And now the exact same questions for *Synopsys* in 2005:
"What do you think about the *Synopsys* self-help SolvNET web support?"
Useful: ############################### 61%
mixed: ############## 27%
waste-of-time: ###### 12%
"What's SolvNET's usual quality like?"
Generally good: ############################ 56%
somewhat mixed: ############### 30%
waste of time: ####### 14%
"Do you usually try SolvNET before calling Synopsys support (Y/N)?"
Yes: #################################### 71%
No: ############### 29%
Another measure of how well SolvNET is doing comes in the "Things I Would
NOT Change" part of this report -- the No. 1 item in that list was:
"What 2 or 3 things about Synopsys would you definitely NOT change?"
1. don't change SolvNET: ########################## 26%
Why SolvNET is successful here isn't a big mystery -- Synopsys is more of a
We'll-Make-It-Ourselves culture, while Cadence is a Let's-Buy-And-Market-It
culture. This means Synopsys can have one unified approach to docs and bug
tracking, while Cadence is stuck trying to fuse together 57 *different*
acquired approaches to docs and bugs. In this case, diversity is not a
strength, but a real pain-in-the-ass you have to overcome.
On the complaint side, users wish SolvNET had a better search engine and
its articles were updated regularly. Also, anecdotally Mentor appears to
have better online support, but that's only from 2 users' observations.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
"Very useful". If not why would other vendors try to replicate it? My
problems are addressed 50-50 between SolvNET and the support center.
- Jay Pragasam of Open Silicon Inc.
SolvNET is a waste of time. I always call their local office. BTW,
Mentor has an excellent SupportNet, which is heavily used by our users.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Mentor's SupportNet is still much better than Synopsys' SolvNET. When I
file an online SR a Mentor technical specialist calls me within 5 minutes
and is able to solve complicated methodology issues within 24 hours.
- Lauren Carlson of StarGen Inc.
Outstanding!!! I almost never need an AE since I find all the answers on
SolvNET, no kiddin. MOLTEN and SourceLink suck big time in comparison.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
If I am about to phone Synopsys support, it is usually because I believe
I have found a bug. For something like that, it is mostly a waste of time
to try SolvNET. On the other hand, if I am looking for information, 75%
of the time I will try reading manuals, 25% of the time I will try SolvNET.
Upon failing both, then I'd contact Synopsys support for the information.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET - Mixed / Generally good
- Tom Mannos of Sandia National Laboratories
Mixed. We have had better results by just doing Google searches and
checking the comments of other engineers.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Searching through the SolvNET database can be a pain. Article quality is
usually OK when you find something, but references to OTHER articles would
be better to be hyperlinks instead of "look for...". I do however
sometimes spend a lot of time trying to find something similar to what
I'm asking. Might be nice if they had an auto-pick to sort out stuff
applicable to the version of the tool you are currently using.
- Gzim Derti of Agere
Overall useful. Article quality is mixed and can be hard to find the
relevant articles. I usually use SolvNET before phoning. Actually I
rarely phone I just send a mail. :)
- Are Arseth of Atmel
SolvNET always tells me what I know, mostly even less. Maybe it says
what I do not know, but I can not catch it. I hardly use it.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I usually try SolvNET, but I rarely find the solution to the problem.
SolvNET is useful for script examples in specific cases where someone has
already posted the sample script, but normally when I'm trying to solve a
problem, the articles on SolvNET are usually too simplistic.
- David Smith of STmicroelectronics
SolvNET articles are good. Definetly useful. Always check on SolvNET
before calling support.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I don't use it anymore. In the past, I never got the answer I was
looking for. Better documentation might help. (Cadence does a much
better job.)
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Very hard to use. Cadence SourceLink seems more useful in my area
(front end).
- Yossi Levhari of Verisure
Useful but only about 40% of the time.
Article quality - all over the map so I would say somewhat mixed.
I only try SolvNET before support if I know its likely to not be a bug
but rather a usage issue so "N"
- Russell Petersen of Scientific Atlanta
Mixed, article quality is somewhat mixed but often out of date.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is quite useful. I wish that each article mentioned what
tool version to which it applies since sometimes commands change in
a tool from one version to the next. I also wish that there were
more articles with more complete script examples.
- Jonah Probell, consultant
I always use it to get ideas on how to fix, sometimes (not often) others
have solved the same problem. Some of the articles are pretty old.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is useful, but you've got to read the fine print on tool revs;
some of the papers may not be relevant to newer versions.
- Neel Das of Tallika Corp.
Good but not always useful. Ok quality. No, I don't try SolvNET before
calling because most problems are technical related to the tool versions.
Those don't always show up on SolvNET
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET support is mixed as is the article quality. Sometimes try it
before phoning support.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Useful. Quality of newer article is generally good, but older articles
are not maintained and therefore mixed. Yes, I use SolvNET first.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is awesome. It's the gold standard of knowledge bases for EDA
vendors. I go to it first. I wish it had a search engine that didn't
require you to pick the exact right keyword or else you miss a
helpful article.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I think SolvNET is useful. However, I have been told that SolvNET filters
out many articles related to newer technologies and hidden variables.
Since most of the things we are currently working on require knowledge of
the newer technologies, I am growing less confident in SolvNET having any
knowledge of anything pertaining to what I am currently involved in. For
old items which are related, I usually provided helpful information. I
almost always try SolvNET before phoning a support person.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I use SolvNET several times a week. I often find my answer, or at least
one that indirectly helps me solve a problem.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I was an extensive Synopsys user until one year ago when we switched to
Magma. Up to that time, SolvNET was the best web site I've seen for real
on-line help. Sets the industry standard. But I've hardly used it at
all in the past 12 months. SolvNET was always my first stop, long before
contacting Synopsys directly for help.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is good, really good.
- David Black, consultant
Never liked it. Tried it but usually talk to FAE first.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is the best self-help among all EDA tools. I've tried Cadence
and Magma, and they are not as good as SolvNET.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Useful. Generally Good.
- Larry Ping of BroadLogic Network Technologies
Just try to find something in SolvNET, then try to find in SourceLink
(Cadence), you'll see SolvNET is simple and efficient. SourceLink is
confusing and gives you too much repeated info. The same basic problem
repeats in user documentation: Cadence is confusing x Synopsys is
clean and simple.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Useful, somewhat mixed
- Garrett Godfrey of Imagination Technologies Ltd.
Don't use it much at all because of good on-site/direct AE phone support.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
only used it a few times many, many years ago.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
waste-of-time - I have not found any useful information to help me around
issues I have found with their tools.
- Joseph Panec of Teradyne
SolvNET is mostly a waste of time for us...
We go direct to SNPS on all of our issues.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I find SolvNET very useful. One thing I wish other vendors would bother
to copy!! I find that I use SolvNET in preference to calling the support
line for minor things such as "how to".
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is quite useful. I generally try SolvNET and ESNUG before
calling Synopsys support.
- Nandakumar Natarajan of Agilent
I have one caveat. I have found SolvNET is good for DC, PT but not
as great for VCS/Vera.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I always go to SolvNET first.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Good articles, but forget logging issues there. We use SolvNET first.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Useful. I would be helpless without it.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
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