Narrative:

Thunderstorms had just impacted den when I received a phone call from flight on ground about a fuel request. He advised me that he had sent me 2 ACARS messages and received no reply. This was my first indication that my ACARS program was not receiving messages. I tried 2 restarts and a dca shutdown with no change. After 5 mins of going through our trouble procedure on desktop; I called the system administrator for assistance. The new administrators are poorly equipped to handle our applications; and the procedures are to duplicate my actions; then shutdown my entire system in an effort to reboot. It seems rebooting is their method of choice and have no actual procedures for checking or fixing problems. I eventually had to sign in to another work station since he had to go back to his desk to shut down my desk. After I signed into another desk and assigned the sectors and started up all my applications; my ACARS program went red with backed up messages. Air to ground inquiries; plane changes; weight and balance; and reroutes. Why do we not have an indicator when the ACARS program is offline? If one of these was an emergency; we would be useless and oblivious to the problem. Our other dispatching programs all give us some indication of connectivity. The ACARS program should send out alarms when it is offline. Overall; I had to respond to numerous; 'anyone home' ACARS messages and we looked poorly in the eyes of the crews. I still do not know if I responded to everyone who looked for assistance so you may see safety reports coming in. The lack of computer support is appalling and I have never seen it as bad as it is now. You can give us the best tools in the world; but if they go down; we better have someone competent and reliable who can fix them. Starting a ticket or rebooting is not an acceptable means of dealing with computer problems. We need on site experts who can fix these problems. This event had pointed out glaring deficiencies in our ability to assist flight crews when they are looking for assistance. It took me the better part of an hour to catch up and feel in control of my sectors again. Both flts I had in holds made it in; but luckily holds were all I had to deal with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER IS CONCERNED THAT LACK OF EFFICIENT MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FOR DISPATCH COMPUTERS DEGRADES PERFORMANCE TO UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS.

Narrative: TSTMS HAD JUST IMPACTED DEN WHEN I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM FLT ON GND ABOUT A FUEL REQUEST. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD SENT ME 2 ACARS MESSAGES AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT MY ACARS PROGRAM WAS NOT RECEIVING MESSAGES. I TRIED 2 RESTARTS AND A DCA SHUTDOWN WITH NO CHANGE. AFTER 5 MINS OF GOING THROUGH OUR TROUBLE PROC ON DESKTOP; I CALLED THE SYS ADMINISTRATOR FOR ASSISTANCE. THE NEW ADMINISTRATORS ARE POORLY EQUIPPED TO HANDLE OUR APPLICATIONS; AND THE PROCS ARE TO DUPLICATE MY ACTIONS; THEN SHUTDOWN MY ENTIRE SYS IN AN EFFORT TO REBOOT. IT SEEMS REBOOTING IS THEIR METHOD OF CHOICE AND HAVE NO ACTUAL PROCS FOR CHKING OR FIXING PROBS. I EVENTUALLY HAD TO SIGN IN TO ANOTHER WORK STATION SINCE HE HAD TO GO BACK TO HIS DESK TO SHUT DOWN MY DESK. AFTER I SIGNED INTO ANOTHER DESK AND ASSIGNED THE SECTORS AND STARTED UP ALL MY APPLICATIONS; MY ACARS PROGRAM WENT RED WITH BACKED UP MESSAGES. AIR TO GND INQUIRIES; PLANE CHANGES; WT AND BAL; AND REROUTES. WHY DO WE NOT HAVE AN INDICATOR WHEN THE ACARS PROGRAM IS OFFLINE? IF ONE OF THESE WAS AN EMER; WE WOULD BE USELESS AND OBLIVIOUS TO THE PROB. OUR OTHER DISPATCHING PROGRAMS ALL GIVE US SOME INDICATION OF CONNECTIVITY. THE ACARS PROGRAM SHOULD SEND OUT ALARMS WHEN IT IS OFFLINE. OVERALL; I HAD TO RESPOND TO NUMEROUS; 'ANYONE HOME' ACARS MESSAGES AND WE LOOKED POORLY IN THE EYES OF THE CREWS. I STILL DO NOT KNOW IF I RESPONDED TO EVERYONE WHO LOOKED FOR ASSISTANCE SO YOU MAY SEE SAFETY RPTS COMING IN. THE LACK OF COMPUTER SUPPORT IS APPALLING AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT AS BAD AS IT IS NOW. YOU CAN GIVE US THE BEST TOOLS IN THE WORLD; BUT IF THEY GO DOWN; WE BETTER HAVE SOMEONE COMPETENT AND RELIABLE WHO CAN FIX THEM. STARTING A TICKET OR REBOOTING IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MEANS OF DEALING WITH COMPUTER PROBS. WE NEED ON SITE EXPERTS WHO CAN FIX THESE PROBS. THIS EVENT HAD POINTED OUT GLARING DEFICIENCIES IN OUR ABILITY TO ASSIST FLT CREWS WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE. IT TOOK ME THE BETTER PART OF AN HR TO CATCH UP AND FEEL IN CTL OF MY SECTORS AGAIN. BOTH FLTS I HAD IN HOLDS MADE IT IN; BUT LUCKILY HOLDS WERE ALL I HAD TO DEAL WITH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.