re: The Networks: Y2K Rollover Scenarios. And some help from GC.
Be prepared for some rocky surfing, come the rollover to the new year. It wont be because of Y2K calendar software related issues, directly, that I can discern. Rather, certain Internet arms are planning to power down for the rollover, and while these are not the ISPs themselves, although that wouldn't be surprising in some instances (edu's, org's, etc.), some of them are the glue that keep the guys behind the servers in sync.
Others (the actual services providers) will be very guarded. I anticipate that the larger ones [the Club] will be very quick to start shedding consumer-related routes, especially those which don't belong to them, at the slightest provocation or hint of abnormal conditions, possibly leading to an avalanche effect. While this is not very likely to happen on a broad basis, it might very well take place. This, amidst another several million newbies trying out their Christmas gift P-IIIs for the first time.
Here's a message [below] that was put out by GobalCenter on the North American Network Operators Group [NANOG] list today, with an offer to avail their tele-conferencing facilities to other ISPs who have cause to seek help during the rollover.
[Note: An interesting by-product of the Internet's chaotic nature is that there is no centralized authority overseeing Internet ISP issues during the rollover period, despite some grass roots attempts by some to do so. As one would expect, the same does not hold true in a Top 5 Bank or in the Military, or more akin to this situation, at the major carriers, themselves. The measures being taken in the latter organizations begin to approach the surreal in many instances. In the end, they all hope that it will have been for naught. Simply a high insurance premium.]
But it could become especially interesting if the hackers come out of the woodwork, spreading new forms of viruses, as many suspect.
The following is the conference call offer from GBLX's GC.
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Global Crossing is sponsoring a year-end Y2K Voice Conference Call
for ISPs and NSPs.
This starts approximately 6pm 12/31/99 EST, and goes through 1/3/2000.
This call is intended to serve as a forum for ISPs to convene if
certain actions need to be coordinated.
We believe that our conferencing system, configured for 100 lines,
will not have any issues related to Y2K.
We are not totally reliant on the PSTN, however, with some VOIP
nodes active, dependant upon the IP network.
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Dependent on the IP network? |
