Computer Support Network

AOLs instant messenger client AIM has been part of business networking for years but like all services with a large user base it can run into problems. For the last few months many users have reported problems with the AIM service and the inability to log into their accounts. The amount of data that runs through AOLs servers is enormous so it is often possible for one group of users to be locked out while others remained signed in. Because this can be a huge headache for anyone involved, there are a few things that can be done to diagnose the problem.

The first warning sign to a problem is if you receive the message “Connection Timed Out” when you attempt to log in. Since the problem is with AOL server, it is unlikely that you will be able to fix the problem on your end. The best way to check if this is the case is to try to log in with a different screen name. Because each screen name is saved individually, it’s possible that one will be on a server that is still operational. If neither screen name works, it might mean that the culprit is either with your machine or office network. Check to see if anyone in your office is experiencing similar problems with the service. It is possible that your IT department has made changes or your firewall settings have been changed to block the AIM service. It is not advisable to tackle your firewall settings personally, instead bring the issue up with your IT department if you need AIM for work.

If none of these fixes return a result it’s possible that you will just have to wait the outage out. In most cases the AOL servers will go back online in an hour or two at which time you should be able to reconnect to your account.

Remember these AIM troubleshooting steps
• Attempt to sign onto aim with a different screen name
• Use alternate connection software such as the browser base AIM Express
• Check your firewall to see if AIM is blocked
• Contact your IT department

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department

In an interesting development Google has taken the concept of Green Technology and moved it to a whole new level; or to be quite accurate, out to sea. The novel idea has awarded Google with a patent for the production of offshore datacenters to be used to help with the massive amount of information that goes through their search engine every day.

The idea of the floating data centers is to benefit from all the resources of the sea. The “boats” will work as tidal energy harvesters which will power the hardware used in the datacenter as well as all the complimentary equipment needed to keep them functional. The vessels will be partially submerged in water which will dissipate heat and cut down on the required cooling cost. Since the datacenters would float 3-7 miles off the coast, there would be no real estate or property taxes to house the units. In order to accomplish all of these things, Google wrote the patent for a system that would include:

“A floating platform-mounted computer datacenter comprising a plurality of computing units, a sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units.”

Google hopes that these aquatic datacenters will one day provide a green alternative to one of the most energy using fixtures in business today.

Currently the Aquatic Datacenter Farms are just a pipedream but after the patent was filed, Google began full scale testing of the technology that could one day make this a reality. The Google search engine is currently one of the most energy intensive programs in the world. When averaged together the amount of energy it takes to perform a single Google search is on par with what it takes to boil a pot of water. When you consider the billions of Google searches that are run every day it should be no surprise that Google has devoted so much time to an energy solution. While it’s unlikely that aquatic datacenters will replace traditional models anytime soon it is a real possibility that these energy efficient designs could start to supplement older models over the next few years. As businesses work to acclimate themselves to run in a “green world,” experimental projects such as these could soon become the norm.

- Richard Keene
IT Computer Support of New York
Design and Optimization Department