Complex troubleshooting: cause and effect when the software stutters
Who would YOU complain to?
1. to the maestro! What's wrong with him? Doesn't he realise that the musicians are out of time?
2. to Bose! These headphones are expensive and no good!
3. to Apple! Only problems with the new iPhone!
4. to Spotify! They charge money every month for something that doesn't work properly!
5. to Cisco! This WLAN hotspot is simply not reliable!
6. to Huawei! How can one buy a Chinese switch!
7. to Swisscom! They are known for their network failures!
In short: the music stutters and it is anything but clear to whom you should address your complaint. The product you consume - the music - comes to you through a complex system in which numerous components or layers build on each other.
It is exactly the same with timeSensor LEGAL. We compose the software with which you manage your law firm data. If it stutters, the causes often lie deeper.
Example from our everyday life:
The law firm Smith & Partner (name changed) complained in summer 2021 that timeSensor LEGAL was suddenly very slow since the last update. A ticket was opened and our first-level support undertook the usual investigations according to the checklist. Nothing was found at the timeSensor LEGAL level, so the recommendation was made to the law firm to have the local IT supporter check the network. He did not find anything either, so the law firm continued to suspect that the last timeSensor update was to blame for the slowdown.
A deeper analysis by our developers showed a suspicious delay in the traceroute protocol at the first hop. The problem apparently arose during the transition from the office modem to the Internet. Based on this finding, the law firm activated the Internet provider. Finally, we received the following letter from the law firm:
The root of the evil could be found:
During renovation work in the basement of our house, the fibre optic cable for our offices was damaged. After the failure, our system automatically switched to an "emergency system" from Swisscom. But this is much slower. Now Swisscom has repaired the damage. So our network technicians feel "innocent" and have not been able to find any fault in the measurements that concern our network. Swisscom then checked "their part" of the fibre optic network and found the fault on their end. Well then: the problem has been solved with the new fibre optic cable!
Timesensor now runs wonderfully fast again (<5ms) and it's fun to work with the solution.
The layer model
The layers that build on each other can be represented as a pyramid. The top layer is timeSensor LEGAL. The programme communicates permanently with the database. Below that is the operating system, which in turn is structured into different layers. At the bottom is the physical hardware.
Errors in one layer affect the higher layer. A defective network card (physical layer) affects all higher layers up to the top layer. However, errors are often only noticed in the uppermost layer because they have a noticeable effect there.
It can be tricky to find the layer that is causing the misbehaviour. Since timeSensor LEGAL is the top layer, errors are often noticed here. However, this does not mean that the error was caused by timeSensor LEGAL or can be fixed by timeSensor. The defective network card triggers an error message in timeSensor LEGAL. But the cause lies in a much deeper layer. Therefore, each layer must be analysed when troubleshooting.
Troubleshooting in three phases
In order to be able to determine the cause of a misconduct efficiently and systematically, we proceed in three phases:
Phase 1: timeSensor First Level Support
In the first stage, our support checks the most common causes of errors using a checklist. This can catch 80% of the cases at this stage. In the case of unexpected connection losses, a typical error at this stage could be that the computer goes into sleep mode and thus the network connection is cut.
Phase 2: IT support for the law firm
If the problem could not be solved with this, the ball goes to the IT supporter of the law firm in the second phase. He is asked to check the error from his perspective. Often, this clarification results in further information or even directly the solution to the problem.
Phase 3: In-depth system analysis
If the problem persists, an in-depth analysis becomes necessary. In this third phase, our developers usually take over. timeSensor LEGAL has been running for over 10 years and in several hundred law firms, so we have accumulated a lot of experience. This knowledge is now combined with the evaluation of log files and tests by specialised tools.
Costs
If you have a software maintenance contract, the clarifications of the first stage are free of charge. From the third stage onwards, we charge for the working time spent on the analysis, provided the cause of the malfunction is not located in the timeSensor LEGAL layer. To keep the costs manageable, we offer discounted hourly packages which remain valid for up to two years.
Conclusion
When the music stutters, it is not necessarily the musicians who are out of time. In-depth analyses are sometimes necessary so that the real causes can be found quickly and the problem solved. The timeSensor has the necessary tools and specialists so that you can soon enjoy the music again.
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