[geeks] Re: [rescue] Do you remember when? Security software. ....

[N.Miller]

On Tuesday, August 12, 2003, at 12:54 PM, Brian Dunbar wrote:

> N.Miller [mailto:vraptor at promessage.com] on Tuesday, August 12, 2003 
> 2:31 PM
> said;
>
>> There was another amazing story about testing modern warships and the
>> lack of automation I should write up some time as well.
>
> Don't tease ... tell us the story!  Um, please.

OK, I'll give the short version.  So, all warships have to have "live 
testing" before they are put into service, and have to be retested 
every X number of years (all systems--think about this for a second or 
two; also, this was early 1990's).  Tests included things like a guy at 
the front of the ship watching a series of gauges while one or more 
guys in other parts of the ship did things like open valves, throw 
switches, etc.  And all this had to be timed exactly.

So, the way they were doing this before the SGML consultants came to 
talk to them (and write YADTD), was by going through the original 
engineering documentation, and making a schedule, by hand, with cross 
references for each tester on onionskin paper (overlaying schedules to 
reduce errors).  Each tester was then handed his clipboard with a 
synchronized watch *and* a stop watch at the beginning of the day and 
would go through his check list abiding the time schedule exactly.

The Navy guys wanted to know if SGML would help them automate this. :-)

=Nadine=