For systems integrators, providing a year 2000 solution is a big responsibility but a great opportunity - See TAVA paragraph!!!
Dilbert cartoon scene: A group of computer systems engineers sitting around the lunchroom table. The first engineer brags, "When I started programming, we didn't have any of these sissy icons and windows. All we had were zeros and ones-and sometimes we didn't even have ones. I wrote an entire database program using only zeros." Dilbert replies, "You had zeros? We had to use the letter 'O'."
With apologies to Scott Adams, this may be an overstatement, but it is close to the truth. When programmers and engineers were designing computer systems in the 1960s and 1970s, they had to make due with as few pieces of information as possible. The focus at this time was on writing tight code, as the wealth of storage space and processor capability we have now was only a dream then.
The victims of this information downsizing were the simple digits 1 and 9. After all, computer engineers believed the systems they were designing at this time would never see the turn of the century because they knew there would be upgrades. Why worry about something that isn't going to change for 30 years? But as time went on, the issue went unaddressed and computer makers continued producing machines with this design glitch-thus the origins of the year 2000 (Y2K)problem.
In fact, it was only in the early 1990s when the movement to address the problem first began to gather steam. Now there are about 800 working days before Y2K strikes. Many have not even begun to evaluate their installed systems base.
I've heard several automation engineers say, "Y2K is just an accounting system problem-mainframes and legacy machines." This simply isn't so. If you're a manufacturer, chances are there's a system somewhere in the corner of your plant that is running a critical process while producing time-stamped logs. If this system is resident on earlier hardware or operating systems (OSs), then you will definitely have difficulties. Not to mention the problems you may unccover if you use embedded microcontrollers or the issues that distributed control systems (DCSs) raise. Systems integrators can make the transition to the next millenium easier.
To overcome Y2K, systems integrators must educate themselves. There is no better place to start than the Internet, where the sites dedicated to Y2K are numerous. Integrators must know what platforms, BIOS, OSs, and application software are in question regarding the jump to 2000. While Internet sites about Y2K may be plentiful, there remains a dearth of sites focusing on how Y2K will impact industrial computing. This is where the Y2K-savvy systems integrator can distinguish themselves. Integrators can address Y2K with their current base and new clients.
When meeting with client end users, the integrator must first convey the nature of the problem. Don't be surprised if you are told an in-house information technology (IT) task force is already handling the problem. Instead, ask if the task force has studied any actory-floor devices or if they are focusing solely on business systems, to which the vast majority of these task forces are confined. Next, gain permission to perform an audit at your client's site. The audit process should make note of all possible Y2K problem areas (e.g., a SCADA system running on an Intel 386 running DOS 5.0).
Once the nature of the problem is understood, the integrator can then provide a pathway to the solution. TAVA TECHNOLOGIES (Lexington, Mass.), an independent control systems integrator, is well underway with a service titled PlantY2Kone, which systematically walks a client through these steps. In addition, Tava's services also provide search engines for locating data functions in custom code, a database for compiling hardware and software inventories, and a database of vendor statements for making a determination about the Y2K compliance of plant-floor components.
Concerning operator interfaces, two major SCADA manufacturers are unveiling methods to guarantee Y2K compliance. Intellution (Norwood, Mass.) has released Fix 6.15, which secures its SCADA system against the Y2K problem. Also, Intellution's forthcoming product code-named Raptor will be Y2K-compliant as well. Wonderware (Irvine, Calif.) has announced its new release of FactorySuite 2000 will be completely Y2K compliant in addition to all InTouch versions back to the 5.6 release.
Wonderware has also unveiled a Y2K-compliance program in association with several of its select systems integrators and distributors. Under this program, Wonderware will provide a kit to all authorized Y2K-compliance partners, which will include the tools to ensure a smooth transition to the next century. The company will also train its distributors in the role of auditors to assess end users' present situations. On completion of the audit, a list of Y2K-compliance partner integrators who can provide solutions to issues raised during the audit will be provided to the end user.
If you happen to be an end user, ask your systems integrator if they will support your systems for Y2K. If not, then find an integrator who will. Estimates on the price tag of Y2K compliance among Fortune 50 companies alone span from $50 million to $100 million per company. These figures may seem high, but imagine the billions that could be lost if no action is taken. Also, don't accept Band-Aid solutions since the year 2000 is also a leap year.
For systems integrators, providing a Y2K solution means continued business with current customers and a foot in the door to new accounts. Systems integrators-this is your chance to transform a problem into an opportunity.
isa.org
Pave the Way to Year 2000 Compliance By Jeff Richardson
Industrial Computing Magazine Oct '97 |
