The Importance of Detailed Repro Scenario Descriptions
The foundation for quick progress and resolution of an incident is usually a detailed repro scenario. So, this post describes some of the reasons, along with providing some insights into how the Support team works, in order to help you, our partners and customers.
Reproduce Incident in the CRONUS Demonstration Database
Firstly, in order to escalate an incident to the Development team, the Microsoft Support team need to reproduce it on a standard Cronus database. The reason is that there may be many customizations on a given database, add-ons can be installed, or there may be data corruption, which is not evident. The Cronus database provides a common baseline of objects and data. Accordingly, documented steps can be produced for another party to follow – whether it is a partner reporting a situation or Microsoft Support noting the steps that are being taken to test.
Once an issue can be recreated on Cronus, there can be confidence that the same problem is being considered and has been understood correctly, ensuring that the right problem is fixed.
How does one define a detailed repro scenario?
A scenario should include all the steps needed to reproduce a given issue, from set-up to processing of transactions, on a Cronus database. In this respect, the more information that can be provided about the steps and set-up, the better.
For example, Planning and Manufacturing scenarios relate to many different parameters and by including all details required for the scenario to be correctly reproduced, the possibility of replicating the issue, increases dramatically.
Taking the approach that all the details needed on a Cronus database, are documented in a logical, step-by-step sequence, means that it is more likely that the problem can be quickly recreated. Furthermore, by including the Cumulative Update version and Build version of the affected database, it can be ensured that testing is done on an equivalent environment to the customer, so the same result can be expected.
Where is the code going wrong?
In addition to a detailed description of the scenario, it is also valuable if the code section, believed to be responsible, is included. However, it should only be considered as additional information and cannot replace detailed steps for reproducing the issue. The code lines are helpful in understanding the result, but do not necessarily demonstrate how the user reached that point.
Ultimately, the result of providing a detailed repro scenario of the type described, is that corrections or answers can be provided more quickly and more efficiently, benefitting customers and partners.
Best regards,
The Microsoft Support team
