Riding the Time Warp!

On Saturday, November 13, 1999, members of the CAIS Staff traveled a Time Warp to January 12, 2000.  We saw that the system was up and running, and returned back in time.

As part of the final Y2K testing, the CAIS cluster did a system date roll-forward test.  In this test, the computer date was changed to be January 12, 2000 to simulate a business date next year.  Application programs and system utilities were tested to identify potential problems caused by the Y2K bug.

Overall, the testing was a success.  Although there were several minor problems detected, all critical processes worked.  A problem is considered critical if prevents the system from being used, would be difficult to fix, or would cause damage to data that would be difficult to repair.

The several problems detected would be classified a nuisance.  These would mean that had the problem not been detected until next year, that the problem could quickly be fixed and the job rerun.  These problems took about an hour to correct on Monday morning.

Testing does not prove a system is defect-free.  It can only confirm the presence of problems.  If you read the fine print in most Y2K certification statements, they do not guarantee the system has no Y2K bugs.

You should carefully review any computer output for the next few months, especially if it is the result of date processing.  This includes CAIS software, as well as third party software, bank statements, bills, etc.

If you do detect an error, calmly notify the vendor or organization of the problem.  Remember -- most problems can quickly be repaired without causing lasting problems.

For problems detected in CAIS application software, CAIS will fix the problem in a reasonable timeframe, and rerun the process free of charge, or credit your account for computer resources.  User specific code, such as report writer formats, select files, etc. are the responsibility of the user to detect and correct any problems.

[by Kathy Roberson]