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The FAA has apparently had it with embarrassing flight-plan system crashes. The agency has upgraded its once-flawed system by going virtual - finally.
And the company that’s helping them do it?
Stratus Technologies.
The new open-systems server and storage infrastructure now replaces critical filing systems that directly affect ALL travelers in the United States.
The new network separates government and non-government data, a federal requirement. The system uses virtualization to better provision services on new heavy-duty Stratus FTserver 6400s hardware. The servers feature Intel Xeon quad-core processors. Designed by Lockheed Martin engineers, the system replaces two 21-year-old Phillips DS714 mainframes — located in Atlanta, Ga., and Salt Lake City — that first went live in 1989.
Not with virtualization.
The FAA believes most of its IT problems - from upgrades to maintanence costs - have been solved.
“Our biggest use of virtualization is that it allows us to install one physical server, then provision services across that server, in a much faster manner, without having to do any modernization, upgrades or hardware installations,” said Jim McNeill, FAA IT administrator.
McNeill also added, “It’s travel to a facility for a hardware installation, power modification, training — it’s very costly and time-consuming to have to do all that. Now with this common server using virtualization, we can have a template for an operating system and provision a new service in days, requiring no facility upgrade or travel.”
The system - which also includes a superior NAS-approved security gateway - is considered to be critical to the future of national security and air travel.
Perhaps I can breathe a bit easier next time I fly.
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| Around the ’sphere:
Virtualization Anchors FAA Air Traffic System Modernization … - Virtualization also is helping the system with its upgrade needs. States Mr. Mcneill, “It’s travel to a facility for a hardware installation, power modification, training — it’s very costly and time-consuming to have to do all that. … DailyTech News - Driven by Virtualization, FAA’s Flight Plan … - New FAA flight plan system beefs up security and processing power. FAA Updates Flight Plan Infrastructure Hardware - Air Traffic … - Virtualization means that the system allows one server to provide services “to provision services across that server, in a much faster manner, without having to perform modernization upgrades or hardware installations,” according to FAA … Virtualization Anchors FAA Air Traffic System Modernization … - Virtualization Anchors FAA Air Traffic System Modernization · Open this link in a new window. submitted by Celeste LeCompte on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. Pedro takes the somewhat unorthodox approach of always noting virtualization news as … |
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