I just responded to a member's message about LoTW and thought the information in my reply might be useful to you. I expect more information will be available tomorrow. Kay, I hope he is not blaming you for non-response since he busted your callsign in the address both times. 73, Dave K1ZZ ________________________________ From: Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ Sent: Wed 11/28/2012 2:05 AM To: Alan Swinger; Alan Swinger; nk3n@arrl.org Cc: David Damon; Jim Crosby - AARC/K4JEC; Jim Owen - K4CGY Subject: RE: Fw: LOTW Non-Response by ARRL! Dear Alan: There are two major issues with LoTW right now, and they are related. The processing backlog, which I appreciate your saying is not the main problem, caused a larger queue to develop than previously experienced and larger in terms of the number of individual files than the system was designed for. Please bear in mind that the current IT staff was not involved with the original design and implementation of LoTW, so -- while the current staff is very knowledgable about the system -- it was not immediately apparent that the very large number of files in the queue was causing the main problem you identified. I believe we now understand what is happening and why, and that we'll get it under control tomorrow (barring some unforeseen development in the meantime). At this moment I don't know which of several options will be the best fix and it may have to involve taking the system offline for a couple of days in order to work down the size of the queue, although it's possible we will be able to avoid that. We should know tomorrow and I expect we will be able to provide a better explanation to the user community than heretofore. The other issue, processing speed, is being addressed through a hardware upgrade. That will take several weeks to implement and in the meantime, once the 10 meter contest is behind us the historic pattern suggests that the system should catch up anyway. I do understand the angst that the situation has created. Coincidentally, I am sitting just one credit short of the next level in the DXCC Challenge so you can bet I'm watching both my LoTW account and my USPS mailbox. 73, Dave Sumner, K1ZZ ________________________________ From: Alan Swinger [mailto:awswinger@earthlink.net] Sent: Tue 11/27/2012 10:54 PM To: Alan Swinger; nk3n@arrl.org; Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ Cc: David Damon; Jim Crosby - AARC/K4JEC; Jim Owen - K4CGY Subject: Re: Fw: LOTW Non-Response by ARRL! Kay and Dave - The problem mentioned below with LoTW continues and despite rumors among users - and not officials from HQs - solutions/progress et al are unknown. The biggest concern in the Ham user community (US and and a very large number of DX) of LoTW is not How Fast QSO File Uploads are processed, but rather that the files are not lost and that they are in fact being processed . . . i.e. the Integrity of the System is what is is question!! Your IT staff does respond to queries on e-mail, but not with substantive answers about real solutions . . . and certainly with nothing that inspires confidence with respect to lost files an system integrity. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that Uploaded files are Processed out of order in some random fashion. So, YOU have a problem that has international attention and a great deal of angst! I know I am PO'd and frustrated, but so are many others . . . and there is NO leadership interest or solutions evident to any of us. I hope you wake up and smell the coffee on this ongoing problem. Pls engage this matter and also respond so I and others know you are doing so. Best - Alan Swinger K9MBQ -----Original Message-----
From: Alan Swinger <awswinger@earthlink.net> Sent: Nov 25, 2012 2:45 PM To: nk3n@arrl.org Subject: Fw: LOTW Non-Response by ARRL!
Kay - Forwarded fyi and hopefully - action. The LoTW problem is not only annoying, but suggest that the ARRL should be embarrassed in the international community by the apparent length of the problem and inability of the HQ staff to remedy. E-mails on the LoTW reflector are brutal. Hope you can exercise some management support to get it fixed. Best regards, Alan Swinger K9MBQ