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Software Update Shuts Down Nuclear Power Plant
Garabito writes "Hatch Nuclear Power Plant near Baxley, Georgia was forced into a 48-hour emergency shutdown when a computer on the plant's business network was rebooted after an engineer installed a software update. The Washington Post reports, 'The computer in question was used to monitor chemical and diagnostic data from one of the facility's primary control systems, and the software update was designed to synchronize data on both systems. According to a report filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, when the updated computer rebooted, it reset the data on the control system, causing safety systems to errantly interpret the lack of data as a drop in water reservoirs that cool the plant's radioactive nuclear fuel rods. As a result, automated safety systems at the plant triggered a shutdown.' Personally, I don't think letting devices on a critical control system accept data values from the business network is a good idea."
Must restart reactor to complete software installation.
[Yes] [No] [OMFG!]
Adds a whole new meaning to "Critical Update".
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
Actually, I think that the lesson learned here was "when dicking around with the boss's computer, make sure it's not plugged into anything important first."
Took this comment seriously, did you?
"Vent radioactive gas? Venting gas prevents explosion. [Yes / No]"
Took this comment seriously, did you?
did it run Windows?
The only possible interpretation of any research whatever in the 'social sciences' is: some do, some don't
Yeah, but you don't want the reactor shutting down because the computer system is shit. That is most definitely not reassuring to me.
It says right in the EULA that it's not to be used in a nuclear power plant!
jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
"... The move to SCADA systems boosts efficiency at utilities because it allows workers to operate equipment remotely."
Another proof that Homer Simpson was truly ahead of his time.
Are you mad, woman? You never know when an old calendar might come in handy. Sure, it's not 1985 now, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? -Homer
"Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
Don't forget about the now mutated sharks living in the coolant water growing frickin' laser beams on their heads.
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"GROSS NEGLIGENCE - Failure to use even the slightest amount of care in a way that shows Recklessness or willful disregard for the safety of others." - 'Lectric Law Library.
Yeah, those bastards, the way they used THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF CARE in designing a system that shuts down in response to unexpected data so as to avoid RECKLESSNESS with the SAFETY OF OTHERS.
He's trying to find an opportunity to bash Microsoft!
The chemical company I work for has VAX/Unix systems that haven't been rebooted in over four years... and only then because of power outages.
Good enough evidence for me! Microsoft caused a nuclear meltdown! Quickly, to the Blogo-Sphere!
So you're saying it was an EPIC auto-fail?
meep
... enter 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.
Or else all hell breaks loose.
Have gnu, will travel.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=573665&cid=23655635
Come on people think about it, "Anonymous Coward" is a pretty English sounding name. I bet English is his first language.
Suppose, for example, that his first language was French, then he'd likely have a name like "Caword Anonoumouse".
You can't put too much water in a nuclear reactor.
You call this a sig?
Now I want to add a "Frequently Begged Questions" list to my site, just to piss off grammar Nazis.
Yeah, those bastards, the way they used THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF CARE in designing a system that shuts down in response to unexpected data so as to avoid RECKLESSNESS with the SAFETY OF OTHERS. And to top it off they had the gall to report it instead of covering it up.