Skype says Windows patch caused crash
Millions of simultaneous user reboots after a
routine Windows update overtaxed the VoIP system.
The widespread failure of Skype's Internet telephony service last week happened when millions of Windows users tried to log in to the system at the same time, after downloading a software update from Microsoft and rebooting their machines, Skype said today.
Skype said that the load placed on its system as computers rebooted after receiving a routine set of patches from Microsoft's Windows Update service revealed a previously unknown bug in the Skype software.
Although the Skype network has a built-in self-healing function, the bug within the network resource allocation algorithm prevented the function from working as designed, according to the company. Skype has identified the bug, which was a design error and not caused by hackers, it said. The company has already introduced "a number of improvements" to its software to help resolve the problem.
Knowing exactly what happed to the Skype network is difficult because the company uses proprietary technology and says little about it in public. I have more confidence in Skype - than I do in Microsoft.
Posted: Mon - August 20, 2007 at 09:14 AM