[Hwcert-announce-list] Change in procedure for opening hardware certification requests

[Engineering Partner Management]

Greetings Red Hat Partners,

We would like to update you on a change in our requirements for new 
hardware certification requests. On July 1st, 2015, we will start 
requiring the creation of a hardware specification entry with every new 
hardware certification request as we currently do for all Red Hat 
Enterprise Linux 7.x requests.

Starting on that date, the option to create a certification without the 
required hardware specification entry will be removed from the 
interface. The current default option of "Both" on the "Entry Type" line 
of the new hardware certification request page already creates the 
specification entry for you automatically. No action is required of you 
beyond acceptance of the default setting on the "Entry Type" line in 
order to comply with this new rule.

Completed or in-progress certifications will not require any changes as 
a result of this new rule. Furthermore, you may begin opening hardware 
specification entries immediately for all your new certification 
requests; there is no requirement to wait until the listed date to begin 
following the new rule.


Background
----------
A hardware specification entry is a separate entry in the hardware 
catalog that holds a list of testable hardware for a particular system 
or component. The review team creates the list by analyzing the 
specification URL or document you submit with your hardware 
certification request. This information is used to create the official 
test plan, which lists the items that must be successfully tested for a 
system or component to achieve certification.

The storage of the hardware list separately from its associated 
certifications makes it easier to create the test plan for additional 
certifications requested for the same hardware. For example, Red Hat 
Enterprise Linux 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 certification requests 
would utilize the same specification entry instead of repeating the 
process of specification document analysis and hardware list creation.

The following link to the user guide explains how to open additional 
certification requests from a hardware specification entry:
https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux_Hardware_Certification/1/html/Test_Suite_User_Guide/sect-User_Guide-Preparing_to_Test-Opening_Additional_Standard_Certification_Requests_for_the_Same_Hardware.html 


We value your ongoing participation in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 
Hardware Certification efforts and thank you for your continued 
partnership. If you have any questions or comments, please do not 
hesitate to contact your Engineering Partner Manager or Engineering 
Account Manager.

Regards,

The Red Hat Hardware Certification Team