Govt book warns of potentially disasterous y2k problems coming!
<<Texas/Pennsylvania Guidebook for Local Governments Outlines a Huge Problem
This guidebook was produced by the state of Texas and has been issued by several states. This is from Pennsylvania's site.
The threat of embedded chip failures is huge. It will not be easy to fix. This late in the game, it will not be possible to fix.
Upgrade or Replace
Remediation strategies for embedded systems differ from those for IT systems in that embedded systems cannot be reprogrammed. Due to their specialized nature, your most practical option generally is to upgrade or replace the equipment. You may choose to upgrade if your vendor can supply a Y2K-compliant version or retrofit for your system. If you do upgrade, check your existing lease, purchase, or maintenance agreements for any legal obligations on the vendor's part. If your vendor cannot supply a suitable Y2K-compliant product, you may be able to replace it with a functionally equivalent compliant system from a different vendor.
Beyond an upgrade or replacement, your options for embedded systems are limited. Sometimes, doing nothing is an appropriate response, but only if the device or system is not essential to your organization. In other cases, you may be able to develop a “work-around”solution that keeps the equipment functioning until a permanent Year 2000 solution can be developed. Whatever your strategy for your existing systems, it is extremely important to include Year 2000 compliance criteria, including leap year considerations, in all new embedded systems contracts and purchase orders, including construction contracts and leases, to make it absolutely clear who bears the risk in the event of failures.
Test Your Systems
Some embedded systems can be tested to verify vendor claims of Y2K compliance and to establish compliance for systems developed in-house.The object of such tests is to observe system performance subsequent to the Year 2000 through the use of simulated dates. It should be noted that you cannot set or reset the date for many devices with embedded computer processors. In these cases, embedded systems testing can be difficult if not impossible. Be cautious and backup all systems before testing. Backup and recovery procedures are a must; sometimes the testing process itself can result in system failures.
Due to their variety and range of function, there are no standard test plans or scripts for embedded systems.The tests performed must be specific to the technology involved. This guidebook cannot provide specific test information for the millions of embedded systems involved in modern technology; such information is available from your vendors or your service/maintenance contractor (p. 13). . . .
Contingency Planning
Because of the difficulties involved in setting and resetting the date for many embedded computer processors, you probably won't be able to perform a Year 2000 test on all of your critical items. Even major equipment manufacturers are struggling with the challenge of testing these products. Industry predictions indicate that about 5 percent of all embedded processors will fail as the Year 2000 transition occurs.The problem is no one knows which 5 percent will fail. In view of this uncertainty, the best thing you can do to address the Year 2000 problem for embedded systems is to develop contingency plans so that you can keep your critical functions intact even if vital equipment does fail (p. 14).
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