The only fix is looking at every line of code, looking at every embedded system, correcting and then testing, testing, and testing again.
Here we have a perfect example of a Y2K perception problem. Y2K is the buzz word that addresses the same issue in two distinctively different environments (legacy mainframe applications and factory floor). The public hear's about a "Silver Bullet" fix and believes all we be well in both environments. An "expert" (who's claim to fame is "I was there at the start") says I have a Y2K fix and the "layman" finds the explanation plausible. While this fix may work in the "experts" controlled mainframe legacy environment once you move it to the real world it breaks down rapidly.
This fix has nothing to do with embedded systems (TPRO specialty), the fix scans for year 2000 violations based on some internal proprietary routine. Since COBOL does not have a specific "Date" description attribute associated with fields other than is it a character or a number (and a date can be described either way) the fix has to scan for obvious "Date" characteristics such as a six digit field that has been broken down into two digit subnames (YYMMDD).
As a programmer I could have set up the "Date" as three two digit fields and given each a name of "A", "B" and "C" and then have the application act on each field separately. Some Y2K fixes scan the source code looking for the obvious, but at best this may find 80% of the problems if the programmers were straight forward in the naming conventions. I have seen applications written by consultants that utilize naming conventions that are purposely obtuse so that you would
hire the consultant to also maintain the application.
Until the public and companies realize there is no "Silver Bullet", there is no "magic fix", there are tools that will assist you but only to identify some and not all the problems. The only fix is looking at every line of code, looking at every embedded system, correcting and then testing, testing, and testing again. Many of the problems associated with Y2K will be minor annoyances but the rest of the problems will have the potential to create a major impact on our lives. For me I plan to have a Y2K complaint generator hooked to a propane tank to provide heat and electricity as January 1 tends
to be a bit cool in my part of the world.
Ron this is not meant as a slam directed at you, I work with computers (15 years), I have programmed in COBOL (10 years), I am the "expert" for my regulatory agency and started work to make my systems Y2K complaint in 1989 (done at almost no cost). I have been working for over a year to get my management to look into the companies we regulate, I have worked for over a year to get NARUC involved at a
national level. At this time it has been to no avail as the "layman" either considers themselves an expert or they are taken in with the "silver bullet" theory, or they don't believe that 2 digits can cause any harm.
Ed Howell
techstocks.com |
