* Dr. Internet columnist Steve Blass discusses timestamps and credit card processing * Help Desk columnist Ron Nutter discusses reasons to set up a test network
* How to keep time with your servers
By Steve Blass
Q: Recently our credit card processing page stopped working, and when I contacted the service provider I was told to make sure our system’s clock was set correctly. The clock was not quite right, and when I reset it things started working again. Why would the clock setting be a problem, and how can I fix the system so the clock stays accurate?
A: Accurate timestamps are required by many credit card processing services to ensure that transactions are not being replayed on purpose or by accident. Some cryptographic protocols also may make use of the current time at the start of the transaction-submission process as part of the information used to construct the initial session keys, which are used to establish the encryption and decryption keys for coding and decoding the information involved in the transaction.
To read Steve’s response in its entirety, please click here.
* Reasons to set up a test network
By Ron Nutter
Q: I’m attempting to gather research on why companies build test networks as a project that I’m working on. I’ve searched many, many Web sites and tech pubs and haven’t see many article providing some of the justifications and ROI statistics around this subject. Can you point out some resources for me?
A: I can do better than point you to articles or white papers for justifications or ROI data on building test networks, I can cite practical experience for you.
To read Ron’s response in its entirety, please click here.
