ZBW CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE NEWLY DEPLOYED 'E-BUS' HOST SOFTWARE BACK-UP SYS AND SEVERAL INSTANCES OF INCORRECT CALL SIGNS.

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AT XA30; ZBW TRANSITIONED TO THE BACK-UP SYS CALLED 'E-BUS.' THIS IS A NEW ALL SOFTWARE TRACKING PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN RECENTLY INTRODUCED TO THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. JUST BEFORE XB00; ACR X DEPARTED PWM. (ZBW OPERATES PWM AIRSPACE ON THIS SHIFT.) ACR X WAS PRE-LOADED INTO THE 'FLT LIST' WHEN THE BACK-UP SYS WAS ACTIVATED. HOWEVER; WE WERE UNABLE TO TRACK ACR X BECAUSE OF A 'BUG' IN THE SOFTWARE THAT CAUSED US TO BE LOCKED OUT OF USING PRE-LOADED CALL SIGNS AND CODES. MEANING THAT EVERY ACFT WE NEED TO INITIATE A TRACK ON NEEDS A NEW CODE AND A MODIFIED CALL SIGN IN ORDER TO GET THE COMPUTER TO TRACK THE CODE. ACR X (ABC XXXX) BECAME ACR X (ABD XXXX). NOT EXACTLY ACCURATE. THIS PROB PRESENTED AN ENORMOUS DISTR BECAUSE NORMAL INPUTS DID NOT WORK. THE PROB REPEATED WHEN ACR Y FROM MONTREAL CTR APCHED UNITED STATES AIRSPACE. THE NAS OPS ENGINEER CAME DOWN TO THE AREA TO SEE IF HE COULD TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB; BUT QUICKLY REALIZED THIS IS YET ANOTHER 'BUG' AS HE CALLED IT. I ASKED WHY THIS SYS (THAT HE REFUSES TO CERTIFY; BY THE WAY) IS ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THE LIVE ATC ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT BEING ADEQUATELY TESTED. THE ANSWER IS TYPICAL GOV -- SOMEBODY AT OR NEAR THE TOP IS PUSHING THIS 'ALL SOFTWARE' BACK-UP SYS AND; THEREFORE; IT IS BECOMING A REALITY WITH NO PROVEN TRACK RECORD. THIS IS THE SYS THAT RUNS IN THE BACKGND OF THE HOST COMPUTER. IF HOST EVER FAILS AT AN FAA CTR; THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.