Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Blogs First Read
    • Blogs
    • First Read

    FAA Networks, Like Bridges, Collapse Far Too Often

    Written by

    John Hazard
    Published August 28, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      very_old_computer.jpg

      It is little wonder that the Federal Aviation Administration’s flight plan IT network crashed shortly after lunch Aug. 26, shutting down takeoffs at more than 40 airports nationwide.

      It is little wonder that the FAA’s IT staff and contractors had the system back up and running within a few hours. Smart, dedicated crews always do.

      What is a wonder is that the network had still been working shortly before lunch Aug. 26, say those managing similar networks. The network that handles more than 600,000 takeoffs and landings for millions of passengers daily relies on a mainframe system installed during the Reagan Administration, bought from a company that went out of business 20 years ago and running only at two sites — one West Coast, one East Coast — that serve as backup for each other.

      FAA networks, like bridges, collapse far too often. That isn’t too say the event is a frequent visitor to our lives, but once can be enough. A 40-year-old arched bridge collapsed in Aug. 2007 in Minneapolis, killing 13 and injuring about 100 and shutting down the important I-35 corridor in the nation’s 16th largest city. The collapse of one of the FAA’s virtual bridges, which keep millions of souls safe every day, could be far more catastrophic.

      Collapsing Infrastructure

      It was a corrupt file this time around, say the FAA media folks taking a beating this week, but it’s not the first time NADIN (National Airspace Data Interchange Network) or other pieces of the FAA infrastructure have stumbled.

      The network, NADIN, has such a long and storied history that were it a human it would be approaching the legal drinking age. Charlie Leocha, a writer at the travel site Tripso.com, with a much better grasp of the ins and outs of the FAA, recounts that history. Portfolio’s Kevin Kelleher recounts FAA network crashes, including one last week.

      This is all rather frightening for those of us who rely on this infrastructure to get us from point A to point B safely, if not on time.

      But it should come as no surprise that a government that allowed roads and bridges to collapse would achieve similar results maintaining our virtual roads and bridges. The United States scored a gentleman’s “D” in the most recent Report Card for America’s Infrastructure from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

      I would Hazard a guess that our virtual infrastructure is sounder, if for no other reason than that most of it was constructed in the last 10 to 20 years. But the latest news from the FAA reminds us that the computer age, along with some of the infrastructure supporting it, is approaching middle age and showing signs of age itself.

      John Hazard
      John Hazard

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.