Fragile Banking

[Photoguy21]

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server. This attitude of a single server at the branch is ridiculous. With it down and out of service nothing could be done. No payments into the bank and withdrawals. For me this is the first time I have heard of a bank with such a flimsy setup. It is hardly surprising that people complain about the overall service they sometimes receive when shoe string installations are the norm. This same bank incidentally has an ATM machine in the area which is out of receipts and has been for at least 2 month. Says a lot for the maintenance of the system.

[lopburi3]

With any luck they will have more servers for you next time.

 

[Morch]

Oh....that kind of fragile.

 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

1 hour ago, Photoguy21 said:

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server. This attitude of a single server at the branch is ridiculous. With it down and out of service nothing could be done. No payments into the bank and withdrawals. For me this is the first time I have heard of a bank with such a flimsy setup. It is hardly surprising that people complain about the overall service they sometimes receive when shoe string installations are the norm. This same bank incidentally has an ATM machine in the area which is out of receipts and has been for at least 2 month. Says a lot for the maintenance of the system.

Name of the bank - if it is onw of the big opnes that would be surprising - BKK, Kasikorn, SCB, Krungsri?

 

[digbeth]

if the internet is down there is nothing that can be done, 

but unlikely, even ATMs would have mobile data backup 

[stoner]

14 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Name of the bank - if it is onw of the big opnes that would be surprising - BKK, Kasikorn, SCB, Krungsri?

 

 

i see you like getting sued. 

[JayClay]

16 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that

 

It's highly probable that the person you spoke to (being counter staff, as opposed to qualified system technicians...) didn't have all the details of what exactly the problem was and was just relaying the only information they had been given.

 

To try and extrapolate from such an experience that the bank in question has a weak IT set-up is quite absurd.

[JayClay]

52 minutes ago, digbeth said:

Misquote

 

(edit: misquote)

 

16 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server

 

The bank would have 0 servers at the branch.

[Photoguy21]

56 minutes ago, digbeth said:

if the internet is down there is nothing that can be done, 

but unlikely, even ATMs would have mobile data backup 

Nothing to do with the internet. Basic Networking

[Photoguy21]

5 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

(edit: misquote)

 

 

The bank would have 0 servers at the branch.

Well only 1 is equivalent to none. Whoever thought up the network policy should get a job in 7-11 it will be better for them.

[Photoguy21]

6 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

(edit: misquote)

 

 

The bank would have 0 servers at the branch.

For End Computing I would be surprised if they didnt

[JayClay]

Just now, Photoguy21 said:

Well only 1 is equivalent to none. Whoever thought up the network policy should get a job in 7-11 it will be better for them.

 

0 is equivalent to 1, is it?

 

And you're dishing out network policy advice???

[JayClay]

Just now, Photoguy21 said:

For End Computing I would be surprised if they didnt

 

Why do you think they would have a server on site that had anything to do with interacting with customer data?

 

Are you confusing "server" with "router"?

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, JayClay said:

 

0 is equivalent to 1, is it?

 

And you're dishing out network policy advice???

I deal with network policies in my work and what the bank has is what an amateur would provide. What do you do in networking?

[JayClay]

Just now, Photoguy21 said:

I deal with network policies in my work and what the bank has is what an amateur would provide. What do you do in networking?

 

I try to avoid networking in my work as it's a minefield. I did have to study networking as part of my university course and as I work in related industries I still unfortunately have to deal with network issues on a semi-regular basis.

 

I hope you have an assistant in your role at work.

[chuang]

Change bank..

[Liverpool Lou]

19 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server. This attitude of a single server at the branch is ridiculous. With it down and out of service nothing could be done. No payments into the bank and withdrawals. For me this is the first time I have heard of a bank with such a flimsy setup. It is hardly surprising that people complain about the overall service they sometimes receive when shoe string installations are the norm. This same bank incidentally has an ATM machine in the area which is out of receipts and has been for at least 2 month. Says a lot for the maintenance of the system.

Gawd.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

4 hours ago, stoner said:

 

i see you like getting sued. 

That is why I was hoping for a 'Yes' or 'No' - to the question.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, chuang said:

Change bank..

It depends on how often it happens and for how long.

 

Once every 6 months or so is no big problem if it is only down for an hour or so. If it happens every day for long periods, then changing banks may be a good idea.

 

I you desperately need money from the ATM at the branch, and there are other Banks ATMs close use one of them.

 

I think it costs about 20 baht.

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I you desperately need money from the ATM at the branch, and there are other Banks ATMs close use one of them.

 

I think it costs about 20 baht.

Actually for ATM Pool there is no cost for the first three each month when done in same area as card issued.

[Moonlover]

19 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server.

Bank branches do not have servers. The server is is located at the bank's HQ or their data centre. The branches are the clients of that server, so the clerk was very likely right when she said that 'the server is down'.

 

No system is perfect and occasionally they do cease to function. That's why they have repair/maintenance teams. Actually, given the complexity of these systems I'm just amazed at their reliability.

[billd766]

40 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually for ATM Pool there is no cost for the first three each month when done in same area as card issued.

Thank you.

 

I know it is 20 baht out of the province, but in some places that can be just a few hundred metres.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

3 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Bank branches do not have servers. The server is is located at the bank's HQ or their data centre. The branches are the clients of that server, so the clerk was very likely right when she said that 'the server is down'.

 

No system is perfect and occasionally they do cease to function. That's why they have repair/maintenance teams. Actually, given the complexity of these systems I'm just amazed at their reliability.

Not sure what happened there - but that is not my comment - it is the OP.  My only comments have been trying to get the details of the bank - or which ones it was not one of (big 4).

Your comments are right - within each branch would be routing type device/s - but not a full blown server. 

 

 

 

 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Not sure what happened there - but that is not my comment - it is the OP.  My only comments have been trying to get the details of the bank - or which ones it was not one of (big 4).

Your comments are right - within each branch would be routing type device/s - but not a full blown server. 

 

 

 

 

Ah my bad. I lifted his sentence off your reply rather than the original O/P so it was attributed to you, not him. I'll try again.

 

[Moonlover]

On 12/23/2023 at 4:06 PM, Photoguy21 said:

Today I went to the local branch of my bank and was told they couldn't open at the normal time as the server was down. This was a surprise that a bank would have, at any branch, a single server.

Bank branches do not have 'servers'. The 'server' is is located at the bank's HQ or their data centre. The branches are the 'clients' of that 'server', so the clerk was very likely right when she said that 'the server is down'.

 

No system is perfect and occasionally they do cease to function. That's why they have repair/maintenance teams. Actually, given the complexity of these systems I'm just amazed at their reliability.

[nrasmussen]

The "server" is most likely a mainframe located in the bank's data center. These are so reliable that unscheduled downtime is typically just a few minutes per year, so my guess is that in this case it was the branch's data communication link to the data center that was down.

[beautifulthailand99]

These local banking apps are trash compared to what I use in app-only banks in the UK such a Revolut, Tandem and Metro and I miss the SCB Easy web version which they discontinued this year to concentrate on the app.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

16 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Ah my bad. I lifted his sentence off your reply rather than the original O/P so it was attributed to you, not him. I'll try again.

 

All good no problemo.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

15 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

These local banking apps are trash compared to what I use in app-only banks in the UK such a Revolut, Tandem and Metro and I miss the SCB Easy web version which they discontinued this year to concentrate on the app.

Until things change drastically I will never use an App to access my banking funds in Thailand.  Besides all the obvious idiocy and constant IT failures here - as an Expat I will have SFA change of getting things sorted quickly and correctly - no access to Tribunals or whatever. 

 

The recent move by Thailand to join the EU world banking reporting system, hopefully means they will actually look into the rigour of their banking onlinbe security systems and processes.     

[Moonlover]

16 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

These local banking apps are trash compared to what I use in app-only banks in the UK such a Revolut, Tandem and Metro and I miss the SCB Easy web version which they discontinued this year to concentrate on the app.

Krungsri's App, the only one I use here is excellent and very reliable. I very rarely visit the on-line site nowadays. The only transaction I was unable to do with the app was pay my True Move account, but they've even fixed that now.