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RIM Server Crash Leaves Millions Without BBM
Several readers have sent word that "tens of millions of BlackBerry users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been unable to receive or send emails and messages through their phones, following an outage at the server systems of parent company Research In Motion." RIM has confirmed that they're aware of the problem and working to restore service. A former RIM employee said to The Guardian, "They didn't start looking at scalability until about 2007, when they had around 8M active devices. The attitude was, 'We're going to grow and grow but making sure our infrastructure can support it isn't a priority.' They have their own clunky infrastructure to do something that you don't really need a clunky infrastructure to do anymore."
Okay, why does a disgruntled ex-employee's rant about scalability and infrastructure come into play before we know that scalability or infrastructure was the cause of the break? Seriously, maybe the taco bell dog just chewed through fiber lines in NY and LA while on tour. Could happen to anybody.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
If they had simply used DNS names, they could fail-over on many levels simply by re-pointing DNS.
Maybe they were worried about DNS poisoning or something like that. Still should be a way to remotely update those "service book" addresses though.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
In four years I'll be starting a company based on the idea of having a device that stores all your photos, emails, and applications locally so you aren't tied to the cloud.
You are stuck with RIM service if you want a blackberry handset, you don't have a choice unless you switch to a different type of handset.
Complete nonsense. Even without RIM service, it still functions as a phone, internet access, and SMS text messaging. Basically everything you use a smartphone for. You just dont have access to the secure RIM enterprise data and messaging services. Neither does any non BB device, so basically the BB just downgrades to a standard smartphone.
Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
He's jumping to the datastore because he can't cunningly fit in a link to his presentation about NoSQL database software if he doesn't.
Just out of curiosity: how are you going to manage 40 Android devices? Consumers are fleeing RIM, but without some semblance of enterprise management tools, Android really isn't a viable alternative for a larger business or enterprise that needs to lock down/look after/manage lots of devices. You might be able to do it with Windows Phone, but WP7 management options are a shadow of the WP6's. Until there's a real challenger to to the functionality of BES (despite the nightmare), RIM will continue to rear its ugly head.
Banylon 5???! I think you just lost your right to be on Slashdot.
Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
You need 'Enterprise' tools to manage 40 devices ?!? Methinks (and from experience) that you will spend more time and money 'managing' the 'Enterprise' tool than to manage the 40 devices directly.
Wow, another Slashdot hatchet job on RIM. Heavy into Apple stock, are we?
RIM certainly has issues, and it may not survive. But it seems the Slashdot editorial staff wants to make sure.