Monthly Report: 04/19/2000 - 05/18/2000
Name: Honglin Su, Systems Engineer, Central Region


1. SUMMARY

This is a busy month, spent a lot of time on different accounts, build
customer relationship and help Fernando to close deals. It's a great
team to work, thanks to Daniela, Elaine, Peter, Ron, Aaron, Olivia,
Matthew, Bob Miller, ..., enterprise service, and many more, with their
help, I can deliver Sun's qualified technical support to our customers.


2. Accounts Activities

    + AGF Management Ltd.
    
    They are evaluating our Enterprise level servers, focus on
availability features. They raised some technical scenario, such as if a
CPU fails, will the system be panic? Conducted the research, not only
answered the question itself (CPU failure may bring down a system, but
there is way to protect it and minimize downtime.), also passed Sun's
excellent leading reliable, available, and serviceable features to
customers. 
    
    + CDS (Canadian Depository of Securities Limited)
    
    It's a big IBM fan. They have more than 35 IBM RS/6000 servers, we
are approaching this account in their ITRS project (Internet-related
application servers and database server, iPlanet solutions). We visited
customers, Ron presented Sun's product line, delivered the message of
Sun's low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) which is their concern,
meanwhile ES people introduced enterprise services. 
    
    Since they are new to Sun, in order to guarantee the customer
satisfaction, together with ES Andy Eng, we spent a whole day from 9am
to 8pm, with CDS system administrators, set up ITRS testing environment
(hosted by 3xE450 and 3xA1000, from loaner pool). 
    
    In the process, I did carefully answer their technical questions
regarding E450 CPU, disk storage, and Verities Volume manager.
    
    + CI Mutual Funds
    
    Sun StorEdge T300 (more than 1TB) was put into SunScope, waiting for
the further process. The T300 is planned to be shipped during the middle
of June.
    
    Also configured E5500 and L700 Tape Library for them, back and forth
a couple of times with the reseller Optus and customer to make a better
configuration.
        
    + Fidelity Investments
    
    Got to know their IT staff, thanks to Elaine's effort, they
purchased our StorEdge A3500FC during the benchmark testing at their
Valley Wood distribution center. While the ES people (Wayne and George)
were moving this big rack from distribution center to downtown center, I
was also there, gave my hand and knew more about our customer.
    
    A new E3500 was configured, which would be connected with existing
SPARC Storage Array (SSA 110). Solved some small product marketing
problem (25MB GBIC module end of life).
    
    + Mackenzie Financial Corp.
    
    With Matthew and Fernando, we met their IT staff to review and
comment their Internet architecture. Collected the background
information regarding their architecture, including single point of
failure throughout most of the Internet architecture between router and
internal LAN in their existing environment, Internet bandwidth
utilization, etc. 
    
    Then arranged the time for a formal Sun Cluster presentation, kept
in touch with their IT architect (Glenn Simpson), coordinated with
Aaron, set the time. It's a very successful presentation, thank Aaron's
effort, Sun Cluster's vision and technology were well received. 
    
    + Merrill Lynch
    
    I like this account very much, it's a very Sun-hardwared guy. There
will be more opportunities coming in this account. With Elaine, we had a
nice visit to this account, and got many relevant background information
on this account.
    
    Loaner machines (1xUltra10 and 1xE450) were shipped, and their
on-going project GLOSS will acquire Sun gear, including E4500s, E3500s,
1TB StorEdge A5100 and some upgrades. Did the configuration based on
their requirement, communicated with their counterpart (Tunny),
considering Enterprise server redundancy and some product line (Ultra
2)'s EOL, to make a small adjustment. 
    
    + Spectrum Limited and Charles Schwab
    
    Touched base with them, built a connection better support.


3. TRAINING SUMMARY

    + Presentation skills training, there were funs in this training and
I learned a lot from it, and will apply those principles into my daily
practice.
    
    + Miscellaneous training including Netra and desktop product update,
and developer's seminar;
    
    
4. Other Activities

    + Task team kick-off meeting in Portal.COM, I took the owner of
content provider, certificate server, etc. and will conduct research in
these fields, and contribution value to our team.


5. PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING MONTH

    + Based on my accounts' technical requirement, I am thinking of the
expertise that I should focus and enhance, such as Sun Cluster, T300
Storage, Thin Client(SunRay), Enterprise Management, Application
solutions, etc.
    
    + Continue to support all the accounts as well as our region, meet
the goal for FY00.
        - High level executive update for AGF will happen on June 2;
        - Collect Sun Cluster references, training resource, and deliver
loaner machines (3xUltra10) for Mackenzie;
        - CDS: work with iPlanet (Netscape), respond with our sizing
recommendation for their ITRS environment;
        - Merrill Lynch: well support their GLOSS project, help their IT
staff to make sure that the project is well going;
        - CI Mutual: trace the process of T300.
        - Fidelity: their e-business planning, currently Ron are making
great contribution to this.

    + Channel'2000, work with Peter, to set up the booth and be on duty.
    
    + Take the FO workshop.