[LINK] Navitaire was a Virgin, and now Blue as well

[Steven Clark]

  On 12/10/2010 7:11 AM, Roger Clarke wrote:
> Still no clue to Virgin Blue's $20m question
> Fran Foo
> The Australian
> October 12, 2010 12:00AM
> ...
> "Once it was determined that [fix the problem on the primary system]
> could not occur the decision was made to move to the recovery centre.
> (In) being brought up (the recovery centre) needs to be tested . . .
> (we need) to make sure that it's going to work.

Why they tried to fix the hardware without switching across to a backup 
system is just one of many bad decisions made by Navitaire ... not 
having an available backup system was just plain 
'flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants' - and explains why they didn't switch 
over - there was no system to switch over to... (something a colleague 
and I speculated about on that weekend as I waited to find out when I'd 
be heading home from Canberra after all ...)

I wonder if the other airlines who have systems hosted by N have asked N 
about whether they're being 'supported' in the same manner?

> ...
>
> [So, finally, we have the answer.
> [The backup and recovery plan had never been tested.]

which is fail! in both senses >.< it's not a backup and recovery system 
if you're not even sure it works. *headdesk*

though this is not as surprising as it ought to be. so very often, 
technologies are assumed to 'just work'.

i wonder how much of the complacency was due to the hardware begin very 
new? some make the mistake of assuming that 'it's too new to break' ...

[I'm still anticipating hearing that VB has switched to the same system 
used by VA and Qantas ...]

-- 
Steven R Clark, BSc(Hons) LLB/LP(Hons) /Flinders/, MACS, Barrister & 
Solicitor

PhD Scholar
School of Commerce, Division of Business
City West Campus, University of South Australia (UniSA)
http://people.unisa.edu.au/Steven.Clark

Deputy Director, Community Engagement Board (CEB)
Chair, Economic, Legal and Social Issues Committee (ELSIC)
Australian Computer Society (ACS)
http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=show&conID=acscas 
<http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=show&conID=acscas>

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