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Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

telegraph.co.uk

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Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#4

Post by coldcode »

dx034 wrote: post #3

That's the problem with the cloud. On premise installations don't tend to all fail at the same time..

It's not the cloud per se. It Amadeus, like its rival SABRE, is mostly mainframe based systems (though it has been moving away from that for the past 20+ years). These systems were built in the 1960's. They are actually very reliable but when they go down, they take all their contracted airlines with them. There are only a handful of these companies and those two are the main ones.

Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#5

Post by lmm »

dx034 wrote: post #3

That's the problem with the cloud. On premise installations don't tend to all fail at the same time..

Why is that a problem? If you're Heathrow you care about how much overall downtime you have, you don't care about whether you're down at the same time as Charles de Gaulle. If anything having downtime at the same time as everyone else is probably less of a PR issue than having downtime while all the other airports are doing fine.

Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#7

Post by [deleted] »

coldcode wrote: post #4
dx034 wrote: post #3

That's the problem with the cloud. On premise installations don't tend to all fail at the same time..

It's not the cloud per se. It Amadeus, like its rival SABRE, is mostly mainframe based systems (though it has been moving away from that for the past 20+ years). These systems were built in the 1960's. They are actually very reliable but when they go down, they take all their contracted airlines with them. There are only a handful of these companies and those two are the main ones.

[deleted]

Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#8

Post by arpa »

kutkloon7 wrote: post #2

Well, this is awfully related to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15343559

It seems that there has been a networking issue, rather than software issue. So blaming code(rs) here is like blaming manufacturers of TV that doesn't work for you because you have no electricity.

Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#9

Post by j-tan »

coldcode wrote: post #4
dx034 wrote: post #3

That's the problem with the cloud. On premise installations don't tend to all fail at the same time..

It's not the cloud per se. It Amadeus, like its rival SABRE, is mostly mainframe based systems (though it has been moving away from that for the past 20+ years). These systems were built in the 1960's. They are actually very reliable but when they go down, they take all their contracted airlines with them. There are only a handful of these companies and those two are the main ones.

It's a c++ application running against a set of Oracle databases. These are the systems which replaced the older mainframe ones handling check in etc. Some comms with certain mainframe systems managing inventory for some airlines is possible, but less likely for these airlines running altea.

Re: Worldwide airport chaos after computer check-in systems crash

#10

Post by madeofpalk »

coldcode wrote: post #4
dx034 wrote: post #3

That's the problem with the cloud. On premise installations don't tend to all fail at the same time..

It's not the cloud per se. It Amadeus, like its rival SABRE, is mostly mainframe based systems (though it has been moving away from that for the past 20+ years). These systems were built in the 1960's. They are actually very reliable but when they go down, they take all their contracted airlines with them. There are only a handful of these companies and those two are the main ones.

What's the difference between 'cloud' and 'mainframe' systems?
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