----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 1999 3:51
PM
Subject: RE: log printer
For the State of Texas, we need to have an
on-demand-printer that is connected to the host/server computer that prints
everything that comes into to the host computer. I know that GEMS
keeps an audit log. This type of log needs to be printed out when the
host computer is receiving data. Please give me an idea when this will
become available for our newest and greatest version of
software.
I am
told this has come up in the past with VTS (perhaps Minnesota), but we were
able to convince them that an electronic log is better. It
is infinitely more likely for a line printer to fail on election night
than it is for a RAID disk to fail, so this feature does not make much
sense on technical merit. Paper trails of a log file can be generated at
any time based on the electronic log. If people know of other
jurisdictions other than Texas that require this, please follow
up.
GEMS does of course log election activity on
election night. We do that through the Upload, Central Count, and Poster
logs. Review these logs and see if the information there is
sufficient for Texas. The logging for AccuVote-TS upload is
currently lacking -- I will improve it to the level of AccuVote logging, so
just review the that log for how it will work. Follow up in detail with
any events that need logging but we don't currently track.
Also
forward to me whatever applicable Texas state statutes so we can review what
is required by law regarding the line printer (just photocopy the
sections). I know we had some kind of certification to run
elections with our software previously since we ran six precincts in
Dallas last year (without the line printing feature of
course).
This
feature is not trivial to implement since we have multiple log files that
operate asynchronously. That is, GEMS performs multiple tasks
simultaneously and logs the events in separate files, while presumably there
would be only one log printer attached to the system. I already have
visions of a software bug where GEMS crashes when the line printer fails (ever
see your home software do that?), so we would have to be very careful with any
implementation.
Ken