Test Center Tracker: App limits

By now, pretty much everyone is aware that Skype suffered a massive meltdown last week, with bazillions of users unable to log into their P2P VoIP accounts. Skype says the problem was caused by Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, but not everyone is buying that explanation. Here at the Test Center, we’re accustomed to the routine of testing products and watching them break, so Skype’s explanation is plausible–though that doesn’t mean it’s correct. That’s the real value of the kind of testing we do here, and it’s why we’re going to keep doing it. Sure, we’re probably not going to be able to simulate every single combination of conditions, and modeling millions of clients rebooting at once is dicey, but we’ll test as many products as possible, under conditions that give readers as much information as possible. We’ll also be grateful that we’re not responsible for keeping the Skype network up and running, but that’s probably another blog entry.

Speaking of keeping things running, Ted Samson reports on Fujitsu’s installation of a hydrogen fuel-cell generator for back-up power. I’ve seen very small hydrogen fuel cells for emergency back-up power, but Fujitsu has gone out on the leading edge for a facility of its size. Since most building-sized back-up generators are diesel units, switching to hydrogen could have a significant impact on both particulate and green-house gas emissions.

Finally, it’s been amazing (and frustrating) to watch the evolution of the Storm Worm. Zero Day Security is tracking the twists and turns of this dangerous malware–if you’re responsible for the security of even one system, you should follow along and stay on top of this truly vicious worm.