U.S. Air Traffic Control chaos caused by not enough RAM ?(They should have downloaded some more!!)

[Jobobee]

On 30 April many domestic US flights were delayed or cancelled thanks to a U-2 spy plane flying high over several south western US states.

 

The U-2's imprecise flight plan forced air traffic computers to work out if it was in danger of colliding with all other aircraft in the area.

 

The computers ran out of memory trying to calculate all possible flight paths.

 

At the heart of the problem was the Lockheed Martin En Route Automation Modernisation (Eram) system that models where aircraft are flying to help ensure they do not collide, said the news agency.

 

With the main computer locked up, air traffic controllers in the affected area reverted to a back-up computer system. In addition, information about flights was swapped with other air traffic control centres via phone, and aircraft were logged using paper slips.

 

The FAA has now updated regulations to ensure accurate flight and altitude plans are filed for similar journeys. In addition, more memory has been added to the computer system to ensure it does not suffer the same problem in the future.

As someone who uses flight sims with VATSIM (Allows you to speak to real people who act as ATC), I can tell you that flight plans are a !$^%ing nightmare, there are hundreds of ways to go from A-B, and with SIDs, STARs, VORs, etc... (I have no idea how to fly a SID... Shhhhhh)

As for the tech part, wouldn't you think that it would be rather important for Air Traffic Control to have some pretty powerful computers? Especially the Area controllers..

I'm half considering trying to get into NATS to become an Air Traffic controller.

Source and full article: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27374759

[Jobobee]

Also, I know that the crash was posted before (Here), but that was before we knew the cause. If you consider it too similar, then sorry.

[Tea1337]

I think they need dual xeon 128gb systems

[Flyguygamer]

That was crazy. I am a real life pilot and I never thought that something like this could happen. 

[UnknownEngineer]

They seriously need to do some optimizing on that software it would seem. It's not enough to just add more ram (hurr durr neeads moar RAM) when you are calculating the meaning of life.

I would have thought that they have made changes to whatever software they use, to avoid it jamming the entire system when a task like that is presented.

[Toxic Tom]

Looks like someone needs to download more RAM!

[TechFan@ic]

Wow this has got to be the funniest news title I've ever read. Download more RAM for goodness sake !

[legopc]

I think they need dual xeon 128gb systems

pfff only 128gb 

[Misanthrope]

I understand that you guys like the tech angle but seriously, did you all missed this:

 

On 30 April many domestic US flights were delayed or cancelled thanks to a U-2 spy plane flying high over several south western US states.

 

What the fuck is there to spy in south western states, other than it's citizens?

[Jobobee]

Wow this has got to be the funniest news title I've ever read. Download more RAM for goodness sake !

I changed it. I think it's funnier now.

[archip]

http://www.downloadmoreram.com/

[Jobobee]

I understand that you guys like the tech angle but seriously, did you all missed this:

 

 

What the fuck is there to spy in south western states, other than it's citizens?

It was the USAF that was flying it. Probably just to move it. It should go out of use soon, they're 50 years old..

[mvitkun]

They seriously need to do some optimizing on that software it would seem. It's not enough to just add more ram (hurr durr neeads moar RAM) when you are calculating the meaning of life.

I would have thought that they have made changes to whatever software they use, to avoid it jamming the entire system when a task like that is presented.

Some programs, despite being very well optimized, still require more ram.

Calculating and simulating most likely a hundred or more airplanes and their flight path, then adding in the physics to calculate any slight deviations that may be caused by storms or wind take tons of memory and processing power.

Calculating and recalculating the flight path of the U2 every time it shifts direction ever so slightly, and simulating each time it shifts directions to find out whether it might have dire consequences.

The program must keep simulating and can't take the time to divert processing power to dump the data in case it's needed again.

So it must keep the simulations up and running, each deviation taking more and more memory to keep open.

 

Just a guess based on my loose understanding of it.

[jezza39]

I understand that you guys like the tech angle but seriously, did you all missed this:

 

 

What the fuck is there to spy in south western states, other than it's citizens?

I actually thought the U2 had been retired but it's 50 years old. 

 

Maybe it was landing at its base in US after a mission?