| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident happened again at the Long Island Rail Road. The article mentions that a similar incident occurred in August 2010 when the old World War I-era contraption caught fire, causing service disruptions. The new $56 million state-of-the-art computerized signal system, installed to replace the old system, failed when a bolt of lightning struck and fried the microchips, leading to service disruptions once again [7656].
(b) The article does not provide information about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the Long Island Rail Road incident can be attributed to the design phase. The article mentions that the high-tech new signal system with microprocessors and fail-safe features was supposed to prevent incidents like the one that occurred. However, the system failed when a bolt of lightning struck and fried the microchips, causing the backup system and triage software to fail as well. The president of the railroad expressed concerns that the software they invested in did not work as intended, indicating a failure in the design phase [7656].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The article describes how the railroad workers were unable to revive the signals due to a software program that provided false readings on the equipment's functionality. This operational issue contributed to the shutdown of the entire network and the stranding of passengers for hours, highlighting a failure in the operation of the system [7656]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident was primarily attributed to issues within the system itself. The article mentions that the high-tech new signal system, with its microprocessors and fail-safe features, was supposed to prevent failures like the one that occurred. However, the backup system failed, as did the triage software that was supposed to diagnose the troubles. The software program supplied by Ansaldo gave false readings on whether the equipment was functioning, further complicating the situation [7656].
(b) outside_system: The incident was triggered by an external factor, namely a bolt of lightning that struck and fried the microchips of the signal system. This external event led to the failure of the supposedly impermeable microchips and subsequently impacted the backup system and the triage software within the system [7656]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions, specifically a bolt of lightning striking and frying the microchips of the state-of-the-art signal system at the Long Island Rail Road [7656].
(b) The software failure incident also involved human actions as the backup system and triage software, which were supposed to diagnose the troubles, failed to function as intended, leading to manual intervention by workers using the old-fashioned method to set switches with mallets [7656]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in the Long Island Rail Road incident was attributed to hardware issues. The article mentions that a bolt of lightning struck and fried the microchips of the state-of-the-art computerized signal system, causing the system to fail [7656]. Additionally, the backup system also failed, indicating a hardware-related issue.
(b) The software failure incident was also related to software issues. The article mentions that the triage software that was supposed to diagnose the troubles failed to work as intended, giving false readings on whether the equipment was functioning properly [7656]. This indicates a software-related failure contributing to the overall incident. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. The failure was attributed to a bolt of lightning striking and frying the microchips of the state-of-the-art signal system, causing the backup system and triage software to fail as well [7656]. The incident was not caused by any malicious intent but rather by a natural event that led to the system's vulnerabilities being exposed. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions:
- The incident involved a state-of-the-art computerized signal system installed at the Long Island Rail Road, which was supposed to ensure reliability of train service [Article 7656].
- The new system was designed to protect against lightning strikes and power surges, but it failed when a bolt of lightning struck and fried the microchips, leading to a system paralysis [Article 7656].
- The railroad's president expressed concerns over the fact that the software they paid millions for did not work as intended, indicating a poor decision in investing in a system that ultimately failed during a critical situation [Article 7656].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental decisions:
- The failure was triggered by a bolt of lightning striking and frying the microchips of the supposedly impermeable system, leading to a system breakdown [Article 7656].
- The backup system also failed, along with the triage software that was supposed to diagnose the issues, indicating a series of unintended consequences that compounded the incident [Article 7656]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the Long Island Rail Road was attributed to development incompetence. The president of the railroad expressed concerns over the fact that the software they paid millions for did not work as intended, highlighting a lack of professional competence in the development of the system [7656].
(b) Additionally, the incident was also influenced by accidental factors such as a bolt of lightning striking and frying the microchips, which was an unforeseen event that contributed to the failure of the system [7656]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The failure occurred due to a lightning strike that fried the microchips of the state-of-the-art signal system, causing the backup system and triage software to fail as well. Workers had to resort to manual methods to set switches, and the railroad was paralyzed for hours. However, by Friday morning, service had nearly returned to normal, indicating a temporary nature of the failure [Article 7656]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the Long Island Rail Road article resulted in a crash as the signal system failed, leading to the railroad being paralyzed for hours. Workers had to resort to manual methods to set switches, indicating a loss of system state and failure to perform its intended functions [7656].
(b) omission: The software failure incident involved omission as the backup system failed, along with the triage software that was supposed to diagnose the troubles. This omission of critical functions contributed to the overall failure of the system [7656].
(c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident was crucial as it occurred at the start of the Thursday evening rush, making it nearly impossible to safely run trains between multiple stations. The system's failure at this specific time led to significant disruptions in service [7656].
(d) value: The software failure incident involved a failure in value as the software program supplied by Ansaldo gave false readings on whether the equipment was functioning. This incorrect performance of the software contributed to the challenges faced by the railroad workers in reviving the signals [7656].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure as described in the articles. The failure was more related to system crashes, omissions, timing issues, and incorrect performance rather than inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident also showcased a failure in communication as the railroad's president expressed frustration over the software not working as intended despite the significant investment made in the system. This breakdown in communication and expectations contributed to the overall impact of the failure incident [7656]. |