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From: rfarris@serene.UUCP (Rick Farris)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: AT&T Crash Statement: The Official Report
Message-ID: <3495@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 3 Feb 90 07:52:59 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 73, message 8 of 13


In article <3440@accuvax.nwu.edu> munck@mwunix.mitre.org writes:

> > While the software had been rigorously tested in laboratory
> > environments before it was introduced, the unique combination of
> > events that led to this problem   couldn't be   predicted.
                                      ^^^^^^^^ ^^ 
> Is there any justification for the assertion that the prediction was
> (and is) _impossible_ in these circumstances?

Yes.

At least it is impossible in the same sense that it is impossible for
a computer to play a perfect game of chess.  There's just too many
possible combinations of subsystems to delineate (let alone test) them
rigorously.


Rick Farris   RF Engineering  POB M  Del Mar, CA  92014   voice (619) 259-6793
rfarris@serene.uu.net      ...!uunet!serene!rfarris       serene.UUCP 259-7757