Slashdot Mirror
Yet Another Use for Linux
TMOS writes "Well, more and more companies are using Linux, as if we all didn't know that. This is one
that utilizes Linux to operate and maintain small to large
telephone systems used by organizations such as the FAA and 911. It is nice to know that an underdog OS can be used to save lives."
Hasn't this been done a while back? Have a look here
I work with a company that has one of these, and I have played with it a little bit. Pretty darn cool setup. They run mostly from RAM. The phone system has dual linux boxes (with some arbiting code) for fault tolerance -- if the primary linux box goes down, the secondary box picks up automatically, without dropping any calls in progress.
They can do all kinds of phone system statistics and reporting, using MySQL as a backend for the data. They have a full featured ACD as well. They have support for many flavors of CTI, and I have seen some pretty nifty CSTA based CTI stuff that works with this equipment (they use Delphi for software development).
From what I understand they will shortly have available email, text messaging, and voice over IP as available features, all routed/controlled by the linux based switch. For the next generation call center...
This is getting seriously tiring. It seems like everytime anyone mentions that they made a product based on Linux it has to be announced on slashdot like some massive personal hurdle has been overcome. Next thing we're gonna hear is that Linux was the youngest OS in a family of 13 living in a mud floored one-third bedroom home with only a bucket in the corner to piss in. Father died in a coal mining accident when Linux was only six days old and the mother had to turn tricks to support the family. And all Linux ever dreamed of was to be able to take care of the family like pa would have wanted it to. It's just such a touching story I'm going to have to cry now.
Can't we just realize that the shit is there. Linux has "made it." There's no need to act like every little product is an accomplishment in the face of worldwide adversity.
Just generally on medical devices.
Most medical devices use a custom built OS. For good reason too.
They require such outstandingly specialised features, run on such peculiar platforms and the developers also want to feel that they can 'own' the entire device.
Take an MRI machine, for example. That has its own customised platform, etc... why you ask? Because it would need fault tolerance, self diagnostics, etc... that are hardly available off the shelf, or would require such re-engineering to an open source product you may as well build you own damn OS.
Also, it gives you such great control over your own OS. Linux doesn't offer the developers the feeling that they 'own' their OS and have access to it, etc... and nobody interfering.
This is why I think linux will never make it into that area. Its a stuck mindset, and with good reason, imho.
With 911. You have an arguement. However, I still think vast majority will run on customised platforms. Linux is stable. Sure. However, when it comes to healthcare and other industries. you don't need stable, you need un-crashable or at least have such unbelievable fault tolerance and self diagonistics. There are some things that can't be left to chance.
Anyone for a ride on a warship running linux? I sure wouldn't. I'd want its own OS, and i'm sure its builders would too.
**This message was brought to you by the letters N, T and the number 666**
Having a specialized platform, with specialized features, is all well and good - but 5-10 years down the line it becomes a major liability. Unless your "specialized platform" is widely used and supported, you're going to run into serious trouble when the hardware you were using becomes hard or even impossible to buy, and nobody has created any drivers for the hardware you can buy.
With Linux (or other open source solutions) it seems you can have your cake and eat it too - you can customize and debug and hack it to suit your needs, while still having a huge community that supports and maintains all the commonly used stuff, like ethernet adapters and video hardware.
If people are devoting resources to creating an uncrashable system (which some people do need), then basing it on a widely used, widely supported open source solution makes a lot of sense.
So yes, I'd definately prefer a warship running Linux (or one of the BSDs) than one running its own written-from-scratch OS. The many eyeballs rule applies especially to highly critical systems. That doesn't mean I want the warship designers to cut corners - I want them to spend their time and efforts on the stuff that actually matters for the application, not drudgery like writing a whole new OS from scratch.
Host your own websites, anywhere!