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.
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 Manager must approve the release of all special versions, and define what acceptance criteria must be met before the special version ships to customers.
