As Wilson pointed out, This could also have nothing to do with technology and be a deliberate action by the commission. As they confessed they have the provisional results sitting on their servers or atleast were transmitted to the servers. Safaricom have absolved themselves saying their network is in tiptop condition and I have not known Nokia 1280s to crash due to a java app.

Questions must be asked and stones thrown. We are talking about 9 billion bob spent on dell laptops, Nokia 1280s, a server, server and phone apps, safaricom sim cards + vpn and training of staff. 

The chairman of the IEBC says the server is intact and working. If we remember the press briefing last night he deliberately refused to adress the provisional results issue and insisted on the official figurs being delivered by the returning officers. Maybe there really was someone in Ngong forest with access to the IEBC system.

All am saying is, the IEBC is an independent body funded by the taxpayer. Being answerable is part of the mandate. 


On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 11:21 AM, Bernard Owuor <b_owuor@yahoo.com> wrote:
You seem to agree that the issue is "we do not know."
And I've proposed a fix for this going forward.
I am probably biased, so feel free to propose anything as it comes to mind.
From: Rad! <conradakunga@gmail.com>
To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 11:07 AM

Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] IEBC Systems

Nobody knows what the issue is ... That is the point, we do not have sufficient information to make any calls. It could be a database issue. It could be a code issue. It could be a network issue. It could be that SIM cards don't have airtime. It could be a process issue. It could be a load issue. We don't know.

Ergo it is premature to start throwing stones.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, Bernard Owuor wrote:
Rad,
So what is the heart of the issue? And how would you fix it?
Don't waste time with the technical problem - which none of us noise-makers have any opportunity to fix - and would be speculation at best.

Try to focus on fixing the bigger picture. We've had similar large failures on publicly procured systems, yet most privately built systems eg mobile banking, agency banking etc cost 1/1000 times the price and carry a million times the load and value.

Don't get side-tracked by the windows 2008 server bashing either.... I'm using a windows machine to type this email :)


From: Rad! <conradakunga@gmail.com>
To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] IEBC Systems

As usual - any technical debate eventually loses issues and descends to open source vs closed source.

It is not in order to allege the issue is the openness of the code or the operating system in use without knowing the facts.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, Bernard Owuor wrote:
Erik, thanks for the link.
(And great job with the http://results.uchaguzi.co.ke/index.php/senator.)

This can never be a disk space issue... the error gives it away:
"Database Error: Unable to connect to the database:Could not connect to MySQL"

 It's a case of using Windows 2008 server - without tweaking - when a LAMP server would work out of the box :)
Which points to the bigger problem of using closed source systems for public interest software.
After paying KES 9B (or some happy figure) for it, and with the very detailed RFP in the public domain, IEBC should be able to own the software. They should open-source it - since it's paid for with public money. (I understand it is still proprietary to IFES)

For such a system, the cost of implementing the solution far outweighs the price of the software, so IEBC will still pay a lot of money for it. However, we get better quality, future-proofing and some savings (in future elections). Biggest payoff is the trust engendered by openness.


From: Erik Hersman <erik@zungu.com>
To: Skunkworks Mailing List <skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke>
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 9:09 AM
Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] IEBC Systems

http://iebctechkenya.tumblr.com/

On Mar 6, 2013, at 8:59 AM, Patrick Kariuki <patrick.kariuki@gmail.com> wrote:

Who said scaling MYSQL is necessary when the cheque and traffic comes
once every 4 years?


On 3/6/13, joe mwirigi <joemwirigi@gmail.com> wrote:
Lets just say its a KES 9B lesson to the government that hires 'foreign
companies' because they are 'big'

I hear, the 'weed' tells me one had to login to the same server(database)
to send the results. Am not sure they did run tests
with 30,000 concurrent users so the db kept giving way, halafu mnajua zile
logs za mysql on error. They filled the
disk like crazy! -- just speculating -- I in no way know these guys! Then I
can imagine the conversation

Boss: vhat is happening Signh (shaking his head)
Signh: donno databes only 10 MEg. Just chekin.
Boss: Vy data not coming in u nno.
Signh: dh -f
$ unknown command
$ df -h
   Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on

/dev/sdb1               2000G   1999.2G   0.6G 99% /
varrun                 393M   144k   393M   1% /var/run
varlock                393M      0   393M   0% /var/lock
procbususb             393M   123k   393M   1% /proc/bus/usb
udev                   393M   123k   393M   1% /dev

    Signh: They send too much, too much data, see
    Boss: Yeah, too much sending 2Tb full already, patel, vhere is that 4
Tb disk! just plug it and ve ar in business!
    Signh: >$sudo /etc/init.d/mysql restart
$password: **
$ wrong password try again:***
$ ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server
through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)
$

On a lighter note though
*__
------------
Other services @ http://my.co.ke


_______________________________________________
skunkworks mailing list
skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke
------------
List info, subscribe/unsubscribe
http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks
------------

Skunkworks Rules
http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94
------------
Other services @ http://my.co.ke


_______________________________________________
skunkworks mailing list
skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke
------------
List info, subscribe/unsubscribe
http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks
------------

Skunkworks Rules
http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94
------------
Other services @ http://my.co.ke



--
Regards,

Mark Mwangi

markmwangi.me.ke