Army: 'Lessons learned'
'Title: Date Shifting (to 1972) Useful Contingency Workaro
Functional Category: Contingency Planning
Name: Madison, Betty G
Organization: HQ TRADOC, Deputy Chief of Staff for Base Ops
Email Address: madisonb@monroe.army.mil
Lesson Learned: Some embedded systems utilize a calendar to control infrastructure devices (EMCS/HVAC, etc) or to track occurances of an interrupt (from a fire or security alarm, etc). If an embedded systems cannot handle the rollover to 2000, it may often handle a "date shift" change to 1972, continue the critical operations normally, although recordkeeping/reports may be impacted. Date shifting solved a potentially critical security risk at one of our installations. Intrusion Detection Software (IDS) would not accept 2000 for the year, and the security monitoring system failed. When they changed the year to 1972, the system continued to function.
Resolution Method: "Date shifting" should be fairly easy to test, by setting a LCD, data entry screen, whatever method is used to normally reset the date. Then conduct tests of all known functions/operations of the embedded system. It is recommended you contact the OEM first to ensure the system will not lockup with a date shift, although this is not likely. It is also not likely that vendors will volunteer that a date shift will allow a user to otherwise continue critical safety/security related operations that would require costly system replacements.
Rationale: 1972 has the same calendar profile as 2000 - such as it is a leap year, and 1 Jan is a Saturday. A "mirror" year occurs every 28 years. This date shifting is more applicable for embedded infrastructure systems than traditional IT, because embedded systems are most often interrupt driven verses time/date driven. Even those that are time/date driven may function based on the 360 day calendar (EMCS to control building HVAC based on three day weekends, etc), thus date shifting is also an alternative for these systems. This can avoid costs emergency Y2K LCR of devices that may have safety and security impacts. Although some reporting may require interpretation (1972 to 2000, 1975 to 2003) it becomes an administrative and minimal impact, vs a non-op situation: an acceptable impact and the user can budget normally to replace the system at normal obsolescence.
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