Python from Wise Guy's Viewpoint

[Garry Hodgson]

Pascal Bourguignon <spam at thalassa.informatimago.com> wrote:

> You're  right, I  did not  answer.  I  think that  what is  missing in
> classic software, and that ought to be present in AI software, is some
> introspective  control:  having  a  process checking  that  the  other
> processes are  live and  progressing, and able  to act to  correct any
> infinite loop,  break down  or dead-lock.  

so assume this AI software was running on Ariane 5, and the same
condition occurs.  based on the previously referenced design 
assumptions, it is told that there's been a hardware failure, and that 
numerical calculations can no longer be trusted.  how does it cope 
with this?

> Some  hardware may  help in
> controling  this controling  software, like  on the  latest Macintosh:
> they automatically restart when the system is hung. 

in this case, a restart would cause the same calculations to occur,
and the same failure to be reported.

> And purely at the
> hardware level,  for a real  life system, you  can't rely on  only one
> processor.

absolutely right.  though, in this case, this wouldn't have helped either.

the fatal error was a process error, and it occurred long before launch.

----
Garry Hodgson, Technology Consultant, AT&T Labs

Be happy for this moment.
This moment is your life.