9 Sep
1999
9 Sep
'99
11:48 a.m.
> For
>example, he claims that this [perhaps] regenned rt11 monitor supports
>multi-threaded execution to the degree of its enabling things like race
>conditions, etc.
Heck, he also believes that PDP-11 assembly is
*difficult*!
A few folks asked me in private E-mail how *I* feel about the
issues involved. I've worked with AECL folks in the past, and I
continue to support some RT-11 based medical systems using some AECL
hardware and firmware in components. Leveson's article is, I think,
much more on target - it doesn't blame the failure and resultant
casualties on any technical decisions made wrong, but on much higher-level
decisions - the organizational components that failed.
It's like answering "What was the cause of the Challenger Disaster?"
Yes, the easy answer is to point at the technical decisions made which
caused the explosion. But the real causes - and what we have to pay
attention to in order to prevent disasters in the future - are the
organizational and institutional systems that prevented, on multiple
occasions, the problem from from receiving its due attention (and solution).
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927