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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Re: Contact handles disappearing mysteriously from the whois database!
At 04:44 PM 4/27/99 -0700, Randy Bush wrote: >> I find it rather curious that QA procedures were not in place to prevent >> the bug from happening in the first place. > >to paraphrase dijkstra because i am too lazy to look up the reference, >testing can demonstrate the presence of bugs, it can not demonstrate their >absence. >i.e. if they could do what you suggest, there would be very few new bugs in >the world. this would be a truly great advance. So what's the problem in *testing* your software before putting in general release? Running the "upgraded" software on a testbed machine before putting it on-line? Dropping contact information is kinda noticable...it's not like this is some obscure, only-happens-on-wierd-configurations, blue-moon bug; this is pretty obvious. Hell, even *I* test a new part in a computer before closing the case and pronouncing it fit for use...you'd think NSI could do the same. It's basic common sense, after all. > >> I also find it curious that there are no rollback procedures in place to >> recover quickly from a bug in generating whois data. > >good point. a possible explanation is that they changed the back end, and >hence the front end. while one might roll back the front end, the back end >could be much more difficult as > o new updates had flowed in, i.e. can't just roll back, need to convert > the data back, and > o when people write database conversion code, they tend to think of it > as one way, and do not double the cost by writing un-conversion code. Or maybe testing their code? Or would that have been more expensive than writing a patch? >in private email, an acquaintance suggested that extensive alpha and beta >testing might have caught it. with a product such as whois this might be >hard. i.e. alpha/beta tests are usually done by shipping product to a >select few. how would one do this with whois? with registration services? >etc.? not saying one could not, just that this is far from trivial or >obvious. Hmmm...how about using a partial database to test the revision before deploying it? Say, just a random sampling to make sure everything works the way it should before you step on your privates in front of a few million people. That's certainly what I would have done! It's pretty obvious and yes, even trivial...one machine (or two, if you want to verify network performance). > >randy, who spent 20+ years in software development And never learned to test before deployment? I learned that in high school BASIC classes.... "Let there be light!"...and God invented Thomas Edison. Dean Robb Owner, PC-EASY (757) 495-EASY [3279] On-site computer repair, upgrades and consultations Lead SimOps columnist/reviewer on http://WWW.TheGamers.Net
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