Re: The Insane Operator has struck again

On Wed, Jun 02, 2010 at 12:29:04PM -0700, Ron Hudson wrote:

> Is there an actual failure mode in a real installation that is like this?
> One assumes that an important Asset such as a mainframe would have
> redundant UPS's backed by Generators.

Did you have to bring back such memories?  The shop I work in only has a
single UPS and non-redundant generators.  The UPS has only failed once,
maybe twice, since I've been there.  I've been in mainframe operations about
a dozen years or so.  The time I definitely remember it failing I happened
to be the only one there when it happened.  I was still relatively new.  It
was around 20:00.  I was back at the burster bursting checks and everything
in the computer room went dark for about five seconds.  After recovering
from shock I started calling system programmers, etc., via the power failure
phone.  Our phone controller hadn't recovered from the power failure yet.
All in all it made for an interesting night.  I think when all was said and
done it turned out that a tech had accidentally left the UPS in bypass mode
after performing some routine maintenance on it.  


-- 

Kevin
http://www.RawFedDogs.net
http://www.WacoAgilityGroup.org
Bruceville, TX

What's the definition of a legacy system?  One that works! 
Errare humanum est, ignoscere caninum.