[LEAPSECS] Schedule for success (was Re: (no subject))

[Rob Seaman]

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:


> Steve Allen writes:

>

>> Please identify the operations which need one second predictability  

>> over a time span of six months.

>

> Wrong question.

>

> Try:  Please identify computer communications where it is not  

> guaranteed that all involved computers will have their software  

> updated every six months.


Meant as a bon mot, I guess?  Seems to emphasize Steve's point in any  
event.

However, you've actually identified a potential mechanism for  
distributing scheduling data of all sorts, including for leap  
seconds.  Instead of building computer hardware, operating systems and  
applications that pretend the relentless update cycle doesn't exist,  
build such systems to expect scheduled updates to software and key  
data structures.  Leap seconds are just one from a large class of non- 
static information that needs to be widely shared in common for  
infrastructure to work.

Perhaps my frequent observations about the wisdom of following system  
engineering best practices simply need to be redirected to a broader  
class of problem to find more acceptance :-)

Rob