Tanglefoot:
1. The CXSS used by NERC system is a hybrid. The COTS product I'm refering to (cannot name it obviously) is central to the use of sessions.
2. It was repairable by simply restarting the affected single workstation. However that doesn't mean that a host of highly skilled technicians had to be on hand to solve any problems that may have arisen following a DD&C (or any start up, and it was the start up which was where the 'error' came in). There are several solutions which have been aired, all to identify that this particular fault has been introduced. Knowing its there means a simple re-start of the affected workstation, which is hardly rocket science.
I don't understand your reference to the NERC system being an LM test harness. It is a fully working operational system shifting traffic every hour of every day. Or more correctly the Operational Staff are using it to shift traffic.
3. I concur.
Why would NATS not publish (in the parts of the company that need to know) the results of its own investigation? There are many lessons to be learnt here and I frankly doubt, whatever managements other failings, that they wouldn't want those lessons spread widely.