* Posts by Wensleydale Cheese

1381 publicly visible posts • joined 28 Jan 2011

BA IT systems failure: Uninterruptible Power Supply was interrupted

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: When You Don't Test And Train And Your Setup Sucks...

"Nobody loves the smell of fried computers in the morning. Or do they?"

Not too sure about that. One especially warm weekend a customer's aircon failed and the computer system got so hot that the only sensible thing to do was condemn it, claim from the insurance, and buy a new replacement.

Our hardware salesman was not displeased with an extra sale landing in his lap.

Wensleydale Cheese

"In Sweden they actually raised the voltage at some point. Used to be 220V - now it's exactly 230.0V from the substation in most cases."

Ditto in Switzerland. I think it was someone in Holland who told me about it and when I checked the wall outlet with a meter, sure enough, bang on 230V.

Wensleydale Cheese

"The UPS (or, rather, presumably a number of them) in an installation of that sort of size will be supplied directly from the three-phase supply and will provide 240V single-phase AC only at the UPS outputs."

What about computer systems that require three-phase?

Even if such beasties are no longer common, I would have thought that someone the size of BA would have some legacy kit using three-phase.

Stingy DXC Tech tells staff to breathe in and tighten those belts

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Hang on a Minute

"What about our Exec Golfing days ?"

Marketing budget.

Life is... pushing all the right buttons on the wrong remote control

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Finding and identifying the correct AC to DC power blob for a particular device

"You could add the swearing involved when trying to read the voltage and amps of the smallest text ever known to man until you eventually give up and dig out the microscope just to read the b*stard."

I take photos of 'em nowadays.

I grab serial numbers and MAC addresses from new devices that way as well.

And increaingly, do that for the ever-increasingly small "instruction books", though I'll look for online PDFs first.

Wensleydale Cheese
Happy

"Finding and identifying the correct AC to DC power blob for a particular device"

Dymo Label printer, that came free with a Brother laser printer.

BA's 'global IT system failure' was due to 'power surge'

Wensleydale Cheese

Early adopters of data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) software

"Some information about BA's data centres here : www.ait-pg.co.uk/our-work/british-airways/"

BA was an early adopter of data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) software and wanted to extend its use with an easy to use flexible solution that could make server allocation faster and provide instant reporting and real time dashboards of power and cooling capacity.

Clients testimonial: Keith Bott, Service Manager, British Airway [sic]*

The new DCIM software allows us to quickly allocate space for new servers, manage power and network connectivity, issue work orders and provide capacity planning across all British Airways data centres. AIT provided the expertise and man power to audit and upload data, incorporate our modifications, and support the team during initial role out, to give us a leading edge DCIM solution that meets our exact needs.

What could possibly go wrong?

* an obviously un-proofread testimonial, when they missed the comma out of Client's and the final 's' from British Airways.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Access from India

"Could it be that the support team that is now in India cannot access the systems to restart them ?"

They'll be on the next plane.

Oh wait...

Brocade goes bye-bye: Out on a high note ahead of Broadcom slurp

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: it seems only yesterday I saw them on a box of FiberChannel

I first came across Brocade on a Fibre Channel course in 2001.

Oddly enough the moniker always used the British spelling of Fibre, which made a pleasant change. Dunno why or how though.

Windows is now built on Git, but Microsoft has found some bottlenecks

Wensleydale Cheese
Joke

Typo of the week?

"the source code for the entirety of Debian is about 270GB. And that contains a vast suite of applications: everything from EDA tools to several office suits to multiple browsers to compilers to FPS games."

I'd love to be able to modify the behaviour of certain office suits.

Where do I get the sources?

Google wants to track your phone and credit card through meatspace

Wensleydale Cheese

"Has anyone ever bought anything on the strength of a web advert? I know that I haven't."

The one exception is special offers when I'm already looking at the website concerned. A good offer, when displayed on the landing page, will attract my attention, but that is something the suppliers can do themselves.

Suppliers really don't need Google for that.

Wensleydale Cheese

"Now if google have this information will they not also need the sellers database of transaction codes to identify which item you bought?"

I can't see any seller who is clued up giving their databases away.

On the other hand, Google have managed to get Google Maps used by many places where >95% of their customers know exactly where the place is, so maybe.

Bankrupt school ITT pleads 'don't let Microsoft wipe our cloud data!'

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Estimations

"The overall figure was £1m out from the sum of the subheadings. Rounding errors!"

One of the golden rules of doing presentations is to keep away from arithmetic, as someone in the audience will check it, and holler if it's wrong.

If you really have to include arithmetic, get someone else to check it before the presentation.

IT firms guilty of blasting customers with soul-numbing canned music

Wensleydale Cheese

http://dilbert.com/strip/1999-05-10

Love the punchline on that one.

WannaCrypt: Roots, reasons and why scramble patching won't save you now

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Remember the Millenium Bug?

"Have to disagree there. It was mostly because way too many people seriously over-hyped the actual risks and made it look like the end of the world while those risks were in fact minimal if not non-existent."

You clearly didn't see some of the crap that happened when we tested for Y2K issues.

With some systems it was just cosmetic, with others it was disastrous.

And then there were the problems unearthed by doing a proper systems audit, which were nothing to do with Y2K, but were problems just waiting to happen. We came across quite a lot of those.

Ur dumped lol: Folk may be able to leave mobile contracts via text

Wensleydale Cheese

If you can sign up online, you should be able to cancel online.

This.

Wannacry: Everything you still need to know because there were so many unanswered Qs

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Wasn't "But we had to have SMB for our internal shares on the network" the NHS problem?

"I think sysadmins don't like to do port scans from outside their network as the can't see the point looking for something they know isn't there."

Most plain ordinary sysadmins probably have a clause in their contract that they won't do something like that unless they have specific permission in writing from their security bods to do so.

I know I've had contracts that say that, and I believe I’m far from alone.

LastPass now supports 2FA auth, completely undermines 2FA auth

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: I prefer being cryptic about something only I know

"What dad used to call his first car with its number".

Beware that old photo surfacing online.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: "detect if anyone is anyone"

"Oddly enough "anyone" isn't in the OED."

It's in the macOS Dikshunry, which I thought was based on the OED.

Its entry contains this note on usage:

usage: The two-word form any one is not the same as the one-word form anyone and the two forms cannot be used interchangeably. Any one means ‘any single (person or thing)’, as in: not more than twelve new members are admitted in any one year.

Yo, patch that because scum still wanna exploit WannaCrypt-linked vuln

Wensleydale Cheese
Unhappy

Is Windows Home Server 2011 one of the culprits?

"Rapid7 have some nice graphs showing what and where. It seems that Server 2008 R2 (with only service pack 1) accounts for about half of all directly connected Windows boxes."

The setup of Windows Home Server 2011, (a hobbled version of Server 2008 R2) recommended opening up UPnP on your router.

Police anti-ransomware warning is hotlinked to 'ransomware.pdf'

Wensleydale Cheese
Unhappy

Re: We chose not to open the PDF file

"Microsoft, the company that made letters and numbers dangerous"

They also gave us widespread use of the Arial font by dint of defaulting to the first font alphabetically.

It was a pleasant change from the previous choices of Times New Roman or Courier, but gave us a font in which capital I, lowercase L and the numeral 1 all look the same.

While Microsoft griped about NSA exploit stockpiles, it stockpiled patches: Friday's WinXP fix was built in February

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Latent product defect??

"Seeing as it no longer printed out on the box like it was with Win3.x, and Win9x"

If it was sold in a box big enough for that there'd be complaints about excessive packaging.

That raises an interesting point. Apple and other EULAs are available to peruse online.

When I tried to compare the Windows 7 and Windows 8 EULAs, the only place I could find the relevant text was on systems with those products already installed.

Apple and others also allow you to print EULAs and save them to disk as part of an installation, so that you can see what they contain at your leisure. It's a more transparent process.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Fixed your car analogy

"I would argue that something found 15 years later is not egregious. Especially as it's probably the result of numerous supported and unsupported components and work over time. Even for more modern cars that is not only beyond the 'manufacturer lifecycle' but likely also beyond the expected life of the machine."

As I recall from a project long, long ago, airbag component data had to be kept for 14 years.

Edit: I see that Patched Out in this comment has had a recall for a defective airbag on his 14 year old car.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Plenty of blame to go around

"Car analogy: Vehicles are sold with a serious brake fault. Instead of a recall customers are told "you can only get them fixed if you have a maintenance agreement".

Only the software industry can get away with this."

s/serious brake fault/cheating on diesel emissions tests/

Judge orders Volkswagen to pay a $2.8-billion U.S. criminal penalty for cheating on diesel emissions tests

'Jaff' argh snakes: 5m emails/hour ransomware floods inboxes

Wensleydale Cheese

"Most MCSE/MCP courses are useless. I was an MCP with over 80% score in four MCSEs. They are rubbish. Microsoft marketing."

They are Microsoft Marketing.

There, FTFY.

Dude hit with $300K bill for faking his hours, hacking boss's website

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Security Specialists hacked by security guard

"managed to lose all their own financial data in a server meltdown recently, despite backups being one of the services they offered.

I once saw an typewritten invoice for just over a million quid, from a company whose success was based on selling word processing and invoicing systems.

(It's entirely possible that their own invoicing systems couldn't cope with a single invoice that large)

Microsoft touts next Windows 10 Creators Update: It's set for a Fall

Wensleydale Cheese

This Holiday

“Our partners plan to market and sell these controllers on retail shelves this holiday,” says Myerson.

Translation needed.

Does he mean "Next Christmas"?

America 'will ban carry-on laptops on flights from UK, Europe to US'

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Fly via Canada?

"Or Thule could offer a special 747 roof box !"

A quick mod of the AWACS housing might do the trick.

It's been two and a half years of decline – tablets aren't coming back

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: @AC re: dogs.

"What's the atmospheric re-entry speed of a dog?"

African or European?

Anecdotal evidence only. My Labrador* was a lot faster into the water than next door's Rhodesian Ridgeback.

* Yes, I know that Labradors originated from over the pond, but they were bred into their present form over here.

Today's bonkers bug report: Microsoft Edge can't print numbers

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Well one of the features of Windows used to be...

"Eh, I think that you'll find that Display Postscript was developed by Adobe and NeXT. Before Quartz."

Display Postscript was once upon a time used by VMS, but disappeared from the product when the licence with Adobe expired.

VMS had lost the battle for the workstation market by then, but Display Postscript was missed by those of us who still found it useful.

Fortran greybeards: Get your walking frames and shuffle over to NASA

Wensleydale Cheese

"The code's in Fortran – Modern Fortran, to be exact."

If it's modern Fortran, I suggest a rewrite in Fortran 77, which can be faster* than the new stuff. A lot of Fortran 77 is apparently still about for performance reasons.

* Obviously depends on the particular problem being solved.

Need the toilet? Wanna watch a video ad about erectile dysfunction?

Wensleydale Cheese

"We had to be content with contests measured against the black tarred wall above the school's urinals."

A pub I used to frequent had a realistic image of a housefly stuck on the bottom of each urinal.

Apparently giving you something to aim at works well.

Variations on this theme include a replica of a footie goal, complete with ball, especially during Euro and World Championships.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Bog Design

" Who washes their hands but then can't be bothered to dry them?"

Me when there are no working dryers and the towels are filthy.

Well, hot-diggity-damn, BlackBerry's KEYone is one hell of a comeback

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Hyped up nonsense...

"Can anyone tell me why a keyboard is a necessity for an Android device?"

It's a lot easier to enter a wodge of text for me. I'm the customer, why shouldn't I have the choice?

"And all this talk of the keyboard being a trackpad is just the same trackball nonsense the company used in earlier devices."

It's not nonsense. I often hit something unintentionally when scrolling on a touchscreen. The ability to use the keyboard to scroll avoids that completely.

I have a BB Passport and my above points reflect my experience with it.

systemd-free Devuan Linux hits version 1.0.0

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: It is not that clearcut

"Bonus points for implementing a device that sits between your VT102 keyboard (VT52 acceptable; VT220 is right out)...

You do realise that the VT52 keyboard was part of the main unit? (see pic at top RHS)

Microsoft promises twice-yearly Windows 10, O365 updates – with just 18 months' support

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Dear gods...

"They don't want the power to do something in multiple different ways, they want it to work in one way, reliably, every time they do it""

Memories of a Windows Server 2008 course. According to the lecturer there were "Two ways to do everything" and he was only talking about the GUI.

And don't get me started on the never ending reboots.

I'm one of "most users". You've just described why I don't use Windows.

Resounding ditto, but I'll add that financially it was not unlike being a blackmail victim. There was always some demand or other on my wallet.

Script kiddies pwn 1000s of Windows boxes using leaked NSA hack tools

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Nation state grade

"I'm loving seeing the "nation-state grade software" phrase thrown around. "

I think it's meant to indicate that huge bucket loads of money are available to buy the expertise and support it with loads of hardware.

In reality,

a) government pay scales are simply not that good

b) truly bright developers will choose to work in industry sectors involving something more constructive.

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Ah Hell NO!

"The worst thing is that thanks to this my volume of SPAM just went up two orders of magnitude."

I've noticed an uptick in the level of spam here.

FWIW, "SPAM" is the trademark for the meat product which comes in tins, "spam" is the stuff that comes by email.

NASA agent faces heat for 'degrading' moon rock sting during which grandmother wet herself

Wensleydale Cheese

Regulate This! Time to subject algorithms to our laws

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Feedback

"Algorithm - a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations".

I once had some university professor ask me what algorithms I was using on my current project, which was a simple data transfer from one system to another.

No calculations or problem-solving as far as I could see, it was simply shifting data from A to B.

As such, I didn't understand the question.

I suppose it did demonstrate that I wasn't used to obfuscating stuff by the use of academic language...

Apple nabs permit to experiment with self-driving iCars in Cali

Wensleydale Cheese

Will they be thin?

If these are as skinny as their other products, they'll need pedals to supplement the lack of battery power.

Boss swore by 'For Dummies' book about an OS his org didn't run

Wensleydale Cheese
Happy

Re: But the real issue is

"the look on the face of the disappointed child who thinks it's an egg of solid chocolate."

Greatly alleviated if said egg contains Smarties, as I recall.

Ooh, a childhood memory of Thornton's Easter Eggs has just surfaced. Now they were a treat. Complete with your name in icing on the outside.

Alert: Using a web ad blocker may identify you – to advertisers

Wensleydale Cheese

Blocking at the firewall, then?

Shiny new firewall winging it's way to me after Easter.

Apple wets its pants over Swatch ad tagline

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Daft thing is ...

"Depends on the phone, I guess. Some have IP67 ingress protection, which will keep rain out just fine."

Is IP67 the next thing after IPv6?

Is there a corollary that IPv6 is leaky?

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Daft thing is ...

"Despite the posters comment about clocks everywhere, it's surprising how often I need to know the time and there no damn clock anywhere in sight."

I've had periods when l've managed quite nicely without a watch.

Electronic displays at bus stops and bus/train ticket machines, and ATMs are a common source of time where I live, not forgetting electronic parking meters in many places.

Wensleydale Cheese

Put down your coffee and admire the sheer amount of data Windows 10 Creators Update will slurp from your PC

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Soft target?

"Even if it meant missing out on a deal you need to research on the spot to find out if it's legit or not? There ARE times when you just can't wait (you snooze, you lose)."

Hmm. What deal is so special that you can't wait until you get home to research it?

Outsourcers blamed for cocking up programmes at one in three big firms

Wensleydale Cheese

one in three major UK companies...

Only one in three?

WikiLeaks exposes CIA anti-forensics tool that makes Uncle Sam seem fluent in enemy tongues

Wensleydale Cheese

Re: Attribution is a myth

"745e034ad95227b200de4b5e9b09d78ae64e4b3ad3b359d62bc9d89efead

(OK, that's actually from /dev/random. Of course, I _would_ say that...)"

If you are a player in the spying game, can you be 100% certain that your /dev/random hasn't been compromised?