September 19, 2004

Microsoft software implicated in air traffic shutdown

According to an article on ZDNet, a three-hour system shutdown that affected South California's airports was reportedly caused by a technician who failed to reboot an MS-based system.

Pointing to an article in the LA Times as its source, ZDNet said that a Microsoft-based replacement for an older Unix system needed to be reset every thirty days 'to prevent data overload', as a result of problems found when the system was first rolled out. However, a technician failed to perform the reset at the right time, and an internal clock within the system subsequently shut it down.

And this is the a critical system used to manage communications of US airspace? WHAT???

But here is the kicker. The blame appears to be in the wrong place. This isn't a problem in a Microsoft product itself, but an application written ON TOP of the Microsoft platform. And to top it off... people KNEW about this issue when they first DEPLOYED IT!!!!!!!!!!

HELLO????

Listen, put the blame where it belongs. On the poor software that was developed, and the poor management of the IT resources to deploy something KNOWN to have this issue. Or at the very least, have better safeguards in the process of managing the system to GUARANTEE a person reboots it on day 29.

Geez. Next we are going to blame SCO for the downfall of the Linux desktop or McDonalds for the downfall of the fruit industry. Get with it. Poorly developed software in other people's applications can't be blamed on Microsoft. (at least most of the time anyways)

Posted by SilverStr at September 19, 2004 04:06 PM | TrackBack
Comments

We actually call it "Southern California" but any IT dude or dudette who accepts that "rebooting their server" because of memory leaks or whatever, I'm sorry go back and fix the underlying problem. I ONLY reboot my server when Security hotfixes tell me they need a reboot. Otherwise it stays on and running.

Posted by: Susan at September 19, 2004 07:45 PM

I love when people do that.

The problem here is it's the finger pointing game, but when people play that they rarely turn the finger back in on themselves.

In my work, the finger points to me first. Only when I am 110% sure it's not me, that I start to work my finger out into other areas. I exhaust my efforts usually above and beyond my call for someone elses application. I've done many people's jobs for them in my pursuit of fixes but it doesn't amaze me that someone would point their finger like that.

I only attribute this type of stuff to one type of IT person: newbie. This is usually someone who was thrown into the position, or who got there because they know someone who knows something about computers. Sadly this is how I started out, but as I grew I realized that I can rarely blame others for MY mistakes.

I think that too this person or the group of people involved wanted a little notoriety and someone bigger than themselves to blame. If they could somehow pin it on MS then they get a little fame plus their screw up isn't entirely their screw up. Sad thing is MS would actually work with this company doing above and beyond what they should do in this sort of situation.

Most people see passed stuff like this, but the sad part is it tricks a lot of people into thinking there is a problem with MS, not this lame IT person.

Posted by: Jeremy Brayton at September 20, 2004 11:46 AM