Y2K OFF TOPIC?: Example of systemic failure & domino effect.
MCI NETWORK PROBLEM CRIPPLES SOME ATMs, DATA SERVICES August 10, 1999
CHICAGO (AP) - A glitch in MCI WorldCom Inc.'s data transmission network has partially disabled thousands of automated teller machines and restricted financial market trading of corn, soybeans and U.S. Treasury bonds.
The problem at the No. 2 U.S. long-distance carrier began late last week during a system upgrade and has disrupted high-speed data service for nearly 30 percent of MCI's global data network customers, spokeswoman Linda Laughlin said Tuesday.
``Our technicians are still investigating what caused the problem and are working to identify all the service interruptions,' Laughlin said, adding that she did not know when service would return to normal.
MCI was upgrading network software from Lucent Technologies Inc., a former AT&T Corp. subsidiary, when the system began experiencing problems in large cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As a result, ATMs nationwide - and in some cases outside the United States - have had intermittent trouble dispensing money because the bank machines couldn't communicate with each other, making it impossible to determine the customer's balance ....
greenspun.com
Cheryl
143 Days until 2000 |
