Novell NETWARE 6-DOCUMENTATION Manual page 2868

Developing Hypotheses and Performing Tests
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After you have gathered information, eliminated obvious causes, or simplified
your system, you can determine what you think is the most likely cause of the
problem. You might develop several hypotheses. If so, decide which is the
most likely, the next mostly likely, etc. Base your hypotheses on the data you
have gathered and on your own experience with the system.
After you have developed your hypotheses, test them, keeping these tips in
mind:
Decide which hypothesis seems the most likely and test this one first. Test
the least likely hypothesis last. The only exception might be a hypothesis
that is very quick and easy to test, in which case you might want to
eliminate it first.
Break down hypotheses into the smallest possible components and test
each one separately. For example, if you suspect the problem is with the
physical network, try to isolate which cable segments, boards, or
connectors might be the source of the problem and then test each one
individually. Test only one component at a time.
Try replacing components. If you suspect a faulty component is causing
the problem, replace it with a component that you know is good. Make
sure that you replace only one component at a time.
Simplify the system. If you have not already done so, try removing
components from the system. If the problem still occurs, you have a
smaller set of components left that can be the source of the problem. If the
problem goes away, start reloading components one at a time. After each
addition, note whether the problem occurs.
Be prepared, when asked, to tell the Novell Technical Support representative
what troubleshooting steps you have already taken.
Find Service Partners by locality or area. For a list of resellers and distributors
worldwide, check the
support.novell.com/partner_services.html).
Novell Support Web site > Partner Services (https://
Troubleshooting the NetWare Server 111