Oyster Card System Failure
 

"Mr Thant" wrote in message
...
On 25 Jul, 16:47, MIG wrote:
Today I used Cannon Street NR, where the barriers were working and I
didn't see crowds of people with travelcards on Oyster waiting to be
let through. I am on paper at the moment, so I didn't test it with an
Oyster Travelcard.

The problem was only affecting PAYG, which isn't available at Cannon
Street NR.

U

--
http://londonconnections.blogspot.com/
A blog about transport projects in London

Somewhat amusingly BBC South East were trying to do a slagging off report on
the incident and both times they failed to get any sound with their picture.
Another report was also delayed and ended suddenly. I don't know if the
irony will have struck them - maybe there will be a report at 1030 on how
the BBC systems failed.

MaxB

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:16:34 +0100, "dB" wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7524754.stm

The Oyster system used on London's transport network has broken down two
weeks after another fault left 40,000 customers with corrupted cards.

The latest problem has affected pay as you go Oystercards on the Tube
network.

Barriers are being kept open at all stations until the problem has been
rectified, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed.

It was only LU that was affected - nothing else. A notice was issued
this afternoon indicating an incorrect file had been loaded to the LU
system by Transys. It's been corrected and the gates are working
properly now.

While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On 25 Jul, 18:45, Paul Corfield wrote:
While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.

I'd be interested in hearing then why suddenly oyster goes down twice
in 2 weeks , the 1st time trashing 60K cards, if it was just some
"data upload error" that was being bounced around as the official
excuse. Data errors don't mess up hardware.

B2003

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On 25 Jul, 20:28, wrote:
On 25 Jul, 18:45, Paul Corfield wrote:

While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.

I'd be interested in hearing then why suddenly oyster goes down twice
in 2 weeks , the 1st time trashing 60K cards, if it was just some
"data upload error" that was being bounced around as the official
excuse. Data errors don't mess up hardware.

B2003

Of course they can - incorrect data downloaded to cards can easily
makethem inoperable. Both today anda couple of weeks ago are being put
down to Transys.& no hacking fix.

Oyster Card System Failure
 

"Chris" wrote in message
...
On 25 Jul, 20:28, wrote:
On 25 Jul, 18:45, Paul Corfield wrote:

While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.

I'd be interested in hearing then why suddenly oyster goes down twice
in 2 weeks , the 1st time trashing 60K cards, if it was just some
"data upload error" that was being bounced around as the official
excuse. Data errors don't mess up hardware.

B2003

Of course they can - incorrect data downloaded to cards can easily
makethem inoperable.

Only if you design your systems wrongly.

Incorrect data in the validators could easily make them not accept cards,
but it shouldn't cause cards to be trashed unless it has been specifically
designed to do so.

Both today anda couple of weeks ago are being put
down to Transys.& no hacking fix.

Hm, so we are told. It doesn't seem entirely believable.

tim

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On Jul 25, 5:57*pm, Mr Thant
wrote:
On 25 Jul, 16:47, MIG wrote:

Today I used Cannon Street NR, where the barriers were working and I
didn't see crowds of people with travelcards on Oyster waiting to be
let through. *I am on paper at the moment, so I didn't test it with an
Oyster Travelcard.

The problem was only affecting PAYG, which isn't available at Cannon
Street NR.

Well you know that and I know that ...

It's evidence for whoever can work out what the problem was.

So we know that touching an NR barrier at a station that never accepts
PAYG won't corrupt your Oyster if there is a valid travelcard on it.
But we don't really know anything else, like whether LU barriers would
have let travelcards through if they were switched on. Or the same
about NR barriers at, say, Liverpool Street.

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On Jul 25, 10:29*pm, "tim....." wrote:
"Chris" wrote in message

...

On 25 Jul, 20:28, wrote:
On 25 Jul, 18:45, Paul Corfield wrote:

While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.

I'd be interested in hearing then why suddenly oyster goes down twice
in 2 weeks , the 1st time trashing 60K cards, if it was just some
"data upload error" that was being bounced around as the official
excuse. Data errors don't mess up hardware.

B2003

Of course they can - incorrect data downloaded to cards can easily
makethem inoperable.

Only if you design your systems wrongly.

Incorrect data in the validators could easily make them not accept cards,
but it shouldn't cause cards to be trashed unless it has been specifically
designed to do so.

Both today anda couple of weeks ago are being put
down to Transys.& no hacking fix.

Hm, so we are told. *It doesn't seem entirely believable.

The whole point of consultants is to be paid obscene amounts of money
to take the blame for management decisions that were made before the
consultants were hired.

(I generally think of New Labour as consultants to the ruling business
interests of this country.)

Oyster Card System Failure
 

On Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:34:05 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

On Jul 25, 5:57*pm, Mr Thant
wrote:
On 25 Jul, 16:47, MIG wrote:

Today I used Cannon Street NR, where the barriers were working and I
didn't see crowds of people with travelcards on Oyster waiting to be
let through. *I am on paper at the moment, so I didn't test it with an
Oyster Travelcard.

The problem was only affecting PAYG, which isn't available at Cannon
Street NR.

Well you know that and I know that ...

It's evidence for whoever can work out what the problem was.

So we know that touching an NR barrier at a station that never accepts
PAYG won't corrupt your Oyster if there is a valid travelcard on it.
But we don't really know anything else, like whether LU barriers would
have let travelcards through if they were switched on. Or the same
about NR barriers at, say, Liverpool Street.

I travelled from Paddington to Ealing Broadway on the 0645 and thence
on the 65 bus without any problem (with Z1-3 annual). Had no problems
using the Tube today - but I suppose I should check my PAYG balance!

Oyster Card System Failure
 

"MIG" wrote in message
...
On Jul 25, 10:29 pm, "tim....." wrote:
"Chris" wrote in message

...

On 25 Jul, 20:28, wrote:
On 25 Jul, 18:45, Paul Corfield wrote:

While everyone is enjoying the card hacking speculation I don't think
this problem is anything to do with it.

I'd be interested in hearing then why suddenly oyster goes down twice
in 2 weeks , the 1st time trashing 60K cards, if it was just some
"data upload error" that was being bounced around as the official
excuse. Data errors don't mess up hardware.

B2003

Of course they can - incorrect data downloaded to cards can easily
makethem inoperable.

Only if you design your systems wrongly.

Incorrect data in the validators could easily make them not accept cards,
but it shouldn't cause cards to be trashed unless it has been specifically
designed to do so.

Both today anda couple of weeks ago are being put
down to Transys.& no hacking fix.

Hm, so we are told. It doesn't seem entirely believable.

The whole point of consultants is to be paid obscene amounts of money
to take the blame for management decisions that were made before the
consultants were hired.

(I generally think of New Labour as consultants to the ruling business
interests of this country.)

-------------------------------------------------

I was referring to the reason for the update, not the buck passing.

tim

Oyster Card System Failure
 

"MIG" wrote in message
...
On Jul 25, 10:29 pm, "tim....." wrote:
"Chris" wrote in message


The whole point of consultants is to be paid obscene amounts of money
to take the blame for management decisions that were made before the
consultants were hired.

(I generally think of New Labour as consultants to the ruling business
interests of this country.)

I always thought consultants were paid obscene amounts of money to waste
employees time asking them how to solve a problem, ignore their wisdom,
write a report based on the solution they had decided on beforehand and
depart before the whatsit hit the thingy!

MaxB