Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
A crash or malfunction occurs as you are in the process of
making your transfer.
Crashes or Malfunctions Before You Try to Make Your ATM Transfer:
The process of making an account transfer using an ATM typically in
volves several steps:
1.
You insert your bank ATM card and enter your personal
identification number (PIN).
2.
You select menu options to indicate the desire to make a
transfer, you indicate the relevant accounts, and you specify
the amount.
3.
The ATM sends relevant account, PIN, and transfer informa
tion to the bank.
4.
The bank indicates the transfer is legitimate (that is, the ac
counts and PIN are appropriate, and there is adequate money
to cover the transfer), makes the transfer, and reports that the
work has been completed to the ATM.
5.
The ATM reports that the transfer is complete and returns
your bank card (if it has not been returned earlier).
In this outline, observe that the process involves a dialogue be
tween the ATM and your bank; the ATM sends a message, and it
expects a response. The ATM banking system, however, has estab
lished time limits for all such messages and responses. If the ATM
sends a message but does not receive a response in the specified time
(perhaps 50 seconds), then the ATM cancels the transaction, dis
plays a “timeout” message for you, and returns your card.
Fortunately, this time limit handles the situation when the
bank's computer crashes or malfunctions before you enter your
bank card at an ATM. Following the prior sequence of events, sup
pose you insert your card, type your PIN, and enter the transfer in
formation. When the ATM packages this material into its message,
the computer crash will prevent a timely response, so the ATM will
cancel the transaction, and you receive your card back. At that
point, your transfer deposit did not take place, you have been noti
fied of this failure, and you can try again later.
Crashes or Malfunctions After You Make Your ATM Transfer: If
your ATM or the bank's computers crash after you made a transfer,
