Perhaps the complexity and importance of the data has something to do with it.
From the security point of view, the system was a potential disaster. The centralized system implemented no access control whatsoever - all of that was to be handled by the client applications!
Source? Have a look at this, under the Access Control Framework section.
They are pretty much trying to go from Doctors scribbled notes in a patients folder to a complete, online, centralized system.
Not really. notes still on paper are pretty rare now in the UK.
I would ask, why centralised?
The NHS does things like health promotions, and does reporting based on records. Had to report on records that you don't have because they're on a patient's USB key.
Hospital needs a copy?, Just use the same paperwork they do now to request patient records.
This is the sort of issue the system was supposed to address. Except without the need to wait for paperwork, which might be a pain in you're rushed to A&E (emergency room).
Instead of a central massive do-everything system all that should have happened / be happening is to specify a set of formats and protocols and then each provider from giant hospital campus to small outreach surgery can use whatever system suits their needs, so long as it talks the language.
The standardised format and protocol idea exists. It's used for the summary care record (the spine). GP software has been able to support it for quite some time now. Of course GPs want to carry on using the software they've been using for years, rather than ll move to a new software system, and all the data migration issues that entails.
..in the UK, I found it to be even more restrictive with binary speed limits...
You're telling me! Even on the open road with a 1000110 speed limt, people still drive at 1010000 or 1011010. Personally I'm fine dawdling along at 111100. Except for that time I did 10010110.
The only thing that really stopped the IRA was the economy of Ireland improved, not the UK intelligence and police.
Nothing to do with the Good Friday Peace Agreement then?
If I have a very recent computer: Leopard-->Snow Leopard: $10 Vista (any) --> Win7 (same): $0
Here in the UK, the Vista to Windows 7 upgrade is *free*, but you have to pay for postage and packing for the DVD. That costs £12.77 (about $US 20). All of a sudden Microsoft's free upgrade looks a lot more expensive than Apple's paid-for upgrade.
They would be wise to port WAPBL; it looks better than gjournal...
WAPBL and gjournal work at different levels. WAPBL works at the filesystem level, while gjournal works at the device (actually, the geom) level, so it should work just fine for things like raw devices, RAID, and non-FFS filesystems.
I'm curious to know in what ways you think WAPBL is better.
Only through hard work and perseverance can one truly suffer.