( SNUG 07 Item 3 ) ----------------------------------------------- [03/25/08]
Subject: Synopsys SolvNET vs. SourceLink vs. Molten vs. SupportNet
SOLVNET IS BETTERISH! -- OK, so overall from the stats the users are saying
that SolvNET is mostly "useful" and its article quality is sorta "generally
good":
"How would you rate the Synopsys self-help SolvNET web support?"
2005 - Useful: ############################### 61%
mixed: ############## 27%
waste-of-time: ###### 12%
2007 - Useful: ############################## 59%
mixed: ################# 34%
waste-of-time: #### 7%
"What's SolvNET's usual quality like?"
2005 - Generally good: ############################ 56%
somewhat mixed: ############### 30%
waste of time: ####### 14%
2007 - Generally good: ########################## 52%
somewhat mixed: ##################### 41%
waste of time: #### 7%
"Do you usually try SolvNET before calling Synopsys support (Y/N)?"
2005 - Yes: #################################### 71%
No: ############### 29%
2007 - Yes: #################################### 72%
No: ############## 28%
But comparing SolvNET vs. it equivalents at the other Big Four is difficult
at best:
"How does Synopsys SolvNET rank vs. Cadence SourceLink, Mentor
SupportNet, Magma Molten? (choose) -- Better, equal, worst?
Better: ######################### 49%
Equal: ################### 37%
Worst: ####### 14%
It all depends on exactly which specific rival support system you're talking
about -- and the fickle tastes/moods of the individual user using it!
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
SolvNET is a waste of time. It does not provide good search algorithms in
regards to narrowing or broadening a search. I would like to find more
customer cases that they provided solutions to on there, but most
of the time its usually just manuals. SolvNET is not the first place I
go to when I have a problem with their tool.
I have only used SolvNET and SourceLink. SourceLink is far superior in
its search algoritm and is the first place I go to when encountering
problems with their tools. Has lots of examples, tutorials, customer
problems, and good search capability. SolvNET has nothing but manuals.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is much, much, MUCH better. Cadence SourceLink searches yield
largely irrelevant results, and the whole interface is contankerous. I
don't even dare set foot on Mentor's SupportNet; I go straight to
model.com for ModelSim support. "Molten" sounds too scary, but we
don't use Magma products anyway.
- Tom Mannos of Sandia National Laboratories
SolvNET web support results are mixed at best. The article usefulness is
mixed at best. I usually give SolvNET a try only because I know I will be
asked if I tried SolvNET before contacting support. I think the problem
with SolvNET is that the search engine stinks and it is hard to get hits
on the information needed.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET ranks much better then SourceLink and Molten, the only two other
sites that I have experience with. SourceLink is hard to navigate, while
Molten lacks information.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET vs. Cadence SourceLink - equal
Both are OK. The articles tend to be about usage of new or esoteric
features, which is fine, and it's nice to have a place to get such stuff.
However, most of the time that I need central support is when I've
encountered a bug, which is almost never already documented.
I think I've used these services more to get Release Notes and copies
of other formal documents (user guides, reference manuals) rather than
the support articles. Sometimes to read manuals for tools I don't
have, to help me find out if that tool would serve my need and if I
should take the time to evaluate and acquire the tool. Both services
are fine for this.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET's help is usually mixed. Half the time I can't find anything
related to my problem. When I do find articles they are well written.
- John Stiles of Silicon Logic Engineering
I find SolvNET fairly useful. For syntax and more tool specific things
like that instead of flow questions it is pretty good. I usually try
SolvNET first because it tends to be quicker than going through support.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET's search facility is geared better towards what I like to see
than Cadence's or Mentor's, so I give SolvNET the nod there.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SourceLink much better. Software downloads alone are far away better
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better - SourceLink is also pretty good, but I can never find what I'm
looking for in Molten.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better than SourceLink, worse than SupportNet. Cadence and Mentor both
seem better about rolling out bugfixes in a timely manner, with SolvNET
it's more a phase-of-the-moon type thing.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET similar SourceLink
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better - larger database, though Molten is growing in content, partially
due to our work.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Mixed usefulness, somewhat mixed article quality, and I typically do try
to use SolveNET before contacting our AE.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET support I'd rate mixed, usually good regarding older issues
but lacking in details when it comes to new uses of the tools. For
example in DFT with multimodes in scan compression, or On-Chip-Clocking
support to use PLLs for at-speed scan clock sources. The article
quality I'd rate as mixed. Yes, I usually try SolvNET and the latest
tool documents online before calling the field support folks.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Mostly a waste of time. Y
Sourelink worst
Magma equal
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Mixed, somewhat mixed, N.
SolvNET tries to be proactive in working around things, but if I want to
know why my tool coredumps when using a certain option, I have to contact
support. I'd say Molten is slightly better, and I've never used
SourceLink or SupportNet.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
about the same as SourceLink and SupportNet.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better than Cadence SourceLink because SourceLink is poorly done.
- Gautham Kamath of Cirrus Logic
Better than Molten, Molten is still improving.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Equal. The best support site I know of is at Atrenta.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET used to be the best but Cadence SourceLink has caught up
quickly. Mainly SolvNET has not improved much over the past two years.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I think other vendors should learn from Synopsys. I did notice that
Magma Molten is better than Cadence or Mentor.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is much better than SourceLink.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better than Mentor SupportNet. Don't know Cadence and Magma.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Searching any topic, one usually finds an appropriate & detailed app
note - not only links to the manuals. And the manuals are anyway
better than Cadence.
- Jerome Poidevin of Atmel
Much better than Cadence SourceLink - very hard to find relevant/useful
articles on SourceLink - it's not as well maintained.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET web searched are much better than Mentor SupportNet, mainly
because of the extremely weak (nonspecific) search capability on Mentor
SupportNet.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better. Much more information that is relative to question and easier to
use than either Mentor or Cadence
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Better.
Compared to SourceLink - articles are easier to find and more informative.
- Garrett Godfrey of Imagination Tech
SolvNET is mixed. Article quality is somewhat mixed. It appears to be
tool dependent. For example Tetramax articles do not give TCL examples
even though some were updated in 2007. I usually try to use SolvNET
before contacting Synopsys support.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is better than SourceLink or Molten. SourceLink and Molten just
seem more cumbersome for finding anything, and the articles/documents I
do find seem to usually be less directly related to the task I'm trying
to do with the tool that I needed help with.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
I was a heavy user of SolvNET until as recently as earlier this year.
Starting using Mentor SupportNet around 6 months ago. I find Mentor's
to be quite good. SolvNET is fine, too. Used Cadence SourceLink
lightly but find it horrible (that contributes to me using it lightly).
Categories are confusing..search is bad.
One thing Mentor can improve on is adding ability to "save" your
favorite articles. It's a pain to find them everytime you login.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Yes, I usually peruse SolvNET first. It does better than 50% success
rate at answering common problems. Cadence, Magma & Mentor sites are
pretty completely useless ( under 25% hit rate at useful answers)
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
Cadence SourceLink and Mentor SupportNet are definitely much better
than SolvNET. Former two have great search engines that generally give
me the answers I want 90% of the time. I don't have that sort of
success rate with SolvNET.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET is the best knowledge base of any EDA vendor I've tried.
Definitely better than SourceLink.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
SolvNET has always been good and improving. Molten is improving quite
a bit too. Lot more articles are being added and the search returns
relevant results.
- Jay Pragasam of PLX Tech.
These sites are great for Cadence and Synopsys for tracking there own
issues. I find it difficult to find any real answers to problems at
these sites.
- [ An Anon Engineer ]
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