19 Apr
2005
19 Apr
'05
8:13 a.m.
Read the bottom of the article, where they state that
numerous other
software failures on the Yorktown are associated with using Win NT.
Yes, big deal? It seems to me Windows did what it was supposed to - trap
errors caused by the applications. How many of these bugs caused blue
screens? We don't know, without being there. Keep in mind that many people
associate every GPF and other trapped errors in Windows as "crashing
Windows".
I think the real lesson here is, don't let any
computer be your sole
method of controlling a warship... didn't these people watch
Terminator?!? :-)
Remember that the ship was a testbed - she was getting old when they did
the tests (she is now decommissioned).
US warships will NEVER have only one level of control - I think there is
actually some doctrine in the Navy that states this. Warships have always
been incredibly fault tolerant, and if something major fails, a ship could
always go back several generations in technology still installed and
maintained, or several backup systems on "hot standby". This is how ships
beaten to a pulp can still get back to port.
William Donzelli
aw288 at osfn.org