RE: CISCO Easter Egg

North American Network Operators Group
RE: CISCO Easter Egg

From: Martin, Christian
Date: Thu Oct 29 07:44:05 1998
I don't condone this, however I fail to see how this is dishonest on
Cisco's part.  I fail to even see the use of this command; hence the
inquiry.  You have to reload the router either way to upgrade software,
right?  So, you can issue the command via a reload, or you can "test
crash."  The only difference is that the router displays "System
restarted via reload" or "System restarted via memory parity error at
0x67393028", or something.  So, what do  you use this for?  To 'prove'
to your boss that you didn't f*&k up?  "It wasn't my fault, the router
crashed.  See?"  I could see this being used on a production box, where
an operator foolishly does a 'debug ip packet detail' on an edge box
with a rapidly aging cache, the messages kill the console, and he needs
to save his arse.  So, he reloads the box via power on, the runs a "test
crash", so when the boss asked why they lost Orlando for 30 minutes, he
can say, "I dunno, router crashed.  Look."

Chris


> 
> Not only interesting, but dishonest. Forcing a company to 
> spend money on
> false premise is tantamount to theft or conversion. That 
> cisco gives them
> the opportunity for doing so is aiding an abetting. 
> Particularly so when
> the upgrade cost adds to cisco's revenue. In other words, I 
> sincerely hope
> that you are joking. Yes, I'm a "suit" and only a part-time
> operator/developer these days.
> 
> At 05:52 AM 10/29/98 -0500, Martin, Christian wrote:
> >Sean,
> >
> >Why would they use this feature for that purpose?  To fake a router
> >crash in order to load new software?  Interesting way of 
> "breaking the
> >rules."
> >
> >Chris
> >
> >> 
> >> This was put in to allow a small handful of engineers in 
> >> various companies
> >> to load new software into boxes outside the maintenance windows
> >> imposed upon them by misguided but fanatical operations management.
> >> 
> >> This particular feature saved the Internet on several occasions.
> >> 
> >> 	Sean.
> >> 
> >
> 
> ___________________________________________________ 
> Roeland M.J. Meyer, ISOC (InterNIC RM993) 
> e-mail: <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
> Internet phone: hawk.mhsc.com
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> ___________________________________________ 
> I bet the human brain is a kludge.
>                 -- Marvin Minsky
> 
>