[EAS] CAP is Doomed

[Rich Parker]

Well said Richard - and as easy as it would be to jump on the CAP is
Doomed bandwagon (I've been there, done that), I think in this case it
is actually a 'failure' of creative IT thinking. IT is not always the
core business of Broadcasters, FEMA and Emergency management, and as
this story shows, the results are often not pretty.

Regarding CAP - we were told that the FEMA 'aggregators' would be in at
least 2 'secure' locations - one can only assume that means 'those
places we know and love' in Colorado and West Virginia - but I suppose
now that I've said that, someone will 'have to kill me' ....:)

Nevertheless, Akami/Google/Amazon have dozens of 'secure sites' all over
the country (Globe actually). Many companies use SunGuard (or similar)
with 'fleets' of backup server 'trucks' roaming the countryside. This is
probably a better 'model' for something like CAP which one might presume
is a bit more important than getting your order processed for a new
book, etc.

At a more 'local' level there are also (particularly in SF of all
places) numerous companies who actually know how to run server farms,
and handle secure information - it would be good for state and local
EM's to begin constructive dialogs with these folks - rather than trying
to roll their own, or reinvent wheels when that isn't their core expertise.

Locally, while I know we have a kind of 'gov.net' going, I continue to
lobby for at least putting backup servers at a local 'long haul carrier'
head end here which has multiple IP POP's, dual generators, halon fire
suppression and some pretty darn good security (steel doors, man-traps,
the works) at the site - and of course, probably most of the Government
sites have connectivity to the 'outside world' provided by this carrier,
or one they are 'connected to'.

The idea of another transport solution is also interesting - but we must
remember that in Japan the batteries died on cell sites, long haul fiber
repeater stations, and so forth - reducing them to a network of 20 or so
FM stations providing emergency information; this is worth remembering
under any proposed scenario.

So, CAP isn't dead - just sleeping....and you're not likely to get  your
money back even if it looks like the feet are just nailed to the perch :)

-rp

On 4/20/2011 12:10 PM, Richard_Rudman wrote:
> Bill, Bill Bill...
> 
> Too early to predict doom or success.
> 
> However, I am aware of at least one reasonably cost effective
> national wireless vendor solution that could bypass the public
> internet to get CAP warnings to various warning entry points. I am
> not able to go into more detail at this time.
> 
> Richard Rudman
> 
> On Apr 20, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Bill Ruck wrote:
> 
>> Another example of why I believe that CAP -- although a great idea
>> in theory --  is doomed.

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