The root cause of the blue screen issues isn't just a system fault but a lack of redundancy. Curious? Read on...
The Background of the Blue Screen Incident
Last Friday, July 19th 2024 was a terrible day for Microsoft fans because many people saw this very screen right here:
The Blue Screen of Death 💀 (“BSOD”) and it affected thousands of companies with millions of Windows PCs, from banks to airlines, to 9-11 operatorAs. What’s crazy is that it wasn’t even Microsoft’s fault. The company to blame is actually CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company that sent out an update to its clients, causing this issue. CrowdStrike isn't a small player but a global leader in cybersecurity (as shown in the image below). Before the incident, its market cap was nearly $100 billion.
This raises a crucial question: did they not test this before they sent it out? How do you mess up this bad? The current fix involves booting Windows into safe mode and executing specific commands. This means every affected PCs need someone literally go to each individual system and do this actual prompt. That’s for millions and millions of PCs.
The reason for this incident is reportedly due to rushing the update without thoroughly checking for potential errors, leading to conflicts with the Windows system and resulting in the disaster.
Redundancy and System Reliability
The CrowdStrike update issue highlights the importance of choosing reliable partners. What defines reliability?
Reliability comes from redundancy. One of the reasons CrowdStrike rushed the update without sufficient testing could be a lack of time or manpower. Extra time, extra manpower, and extra backups are all manifestations of redundancy.
As a leading futures brokerage and software solutions provider, Direct Access Group places great emphasis on providing clients with a secure, stable, and low-latency futures trading network.
We not only offer Direct Market Access (DMA) to major futures exchanges worldwide, such as CME, HKEX, and SGX, but also ensure the reliability of order transmission through dual backup systems. For high-frequency trading (HFT) needs, we also offer colocation services. Why dual backup lines? This is an embodiment of redundancy.
For futures brokers using Direct Access software, we offer hot backup options. Hot backup ensures that in case of severe system issues, the backup system can immediately take over, ensuring that brokers can continue to provide stable and secure services to their clients. Hot backup is another example of redundancy.
Direct Access's technical staff are on standby 24/5. When technical issues arise during client trading, we can respond promptly. 24/5 standby is yet another form of redundancy.
Redundancy requires additional investment in hardware, software, and manpower. These are all costs, but to ensure the stability of our clients' trading, Direct Access Group spares no effort. This is the essence of our "Born for Trading" philosophy.
Finally, for those with risk management experience, you know risk assessment has two dimensions: probability and consequence (as shown in the image below). Why does Direct Access invest heavily in infrastructure? Emotionally, it's our "Born for Trading" philosophy. This is our passion. From a risk management perspective, it's scientific. Because if there’s a severe downtime in the trading system, the consequences are dire.
When global IT failures occur, we take pride in ensuring your smooth trading experience. That’s really cool. Happy trading! 😎
Ready to start trading? Open an account with us today and take advantage of our competitive rates and expert support!
Disclaimer:
The information is meant purely for informational purposes and should not be relied upon as financial advice. The information provided in this content is general in nature, strictly for illustrative purposes, and may not be appropriate for all investors. It is provided without respect to individual investors’ financial sophistication, financial situation, investment objectives, investing time horizon, or risk tolerance. You should consider the appropriateness of this information having regard to your relevant personal circumstances before making any investment decisions. Past investment performance does not indicate or guarantee future success. Returns will vary, and all investments carry risks, including loss of principal. DAFS makes no representation or warranty as to its adequacy, completeness, accuracy or timeline for any particular purpose of the above content.
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