"The servers are timed to shut down after 49.7 days of use in order to prevent a data overload"
Sounds like improperly designed software and it's not the first time I've seen people try to sell solutions that require a periodic reboot to cover up for poorly written code. Why in the world does a system in charge of air traffic control need to be rebooted every 2 months?
I would have loved to say "that's what happens when you switch from UNIX to Windows servers" but you're right, it doesn't look like it's caused by Microsoft.
During new year celebrations in Seattle, they had to reboot Windows right in the middle of the fireworks! That took too long , so they had to set off the pyro manually.
First, when questioned by the TV crews, the pyro guys refused to say what OS they were running. They did say that they had to reboot the computer. Then later (may be after suits with duffel bags arrived) they said that it was just due to a corrupted file. It was a screw up big enough to be worthy of a cover up (since it touched the common man).
It sounds like a nut-job conspiracy theory but I have difficulty giving MS the benefit of the doubt.
"The shutdown is intended to keep the system from becoming overloaded with data and potentially giving controllers wrong information about flights, according to a software analyst cited by the LA Times."
What the hell? Data overload?? Maybe someone should tell them about garbage collection?...
(I am new to hacker news, not sure if posting older articles are okay)