Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: gutierre@oblio.arc.nasa.gov (Robert Gutierrez) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: More 800, 900 Curiosities Message-ID: <4144@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 21 Feb 90 01:29:28 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: Robert Gutierrez Organization: NASA ARC Lines: 30 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 117, message 3 of 9 djcl@contact.uucp (woody) writes: > A while ago, I called an 800 number that told me that the number could > not be called, but suggested I try 1 800 888.1800 for assistance. > (This was dialed from 416 area code, and I think it worked from 519 as > well). > Well, I would try 1 800 888.1800 only to get the recording (from MCI > presumably) that the call could not be completed. The recording then > suggested for assistance that 1 800 888.1800 be dialed for further > assistance. You got timed out while the local MCI switch was polling the 2 VAX's they use for 800 number lookup. What happens is that the switches have dedicated data lines to 2 VAX's, one in West Orange, NJ and the other in Richardson, TX. The switch has a 'primary' VAX to poll, and if there is no response, then the other VAX is polled. What has happened in the past is that one VAX has crashed, and the other VAX has to take up slack, but the response time is so slow that the switch polling it just times out the call and routes it to that recording. And then there was this one time when both VAX's died for 45 minutes.... Oh yes, 800-888-1800 routes to Customer Service most of the time. Robert Gutierrez - NASA Science Internet Network Operations.