CFCSEIC News Briefs Week Ending February 20, 1998

CFCSEIC News Briefs Week Ending February 20, 1998

[CFCSEIC]

Center for Computer Systems Engineering News Briefs
Week Ending:  February 20, 1998

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CONTENTS:
Y2K FIX PROVIDES UPGRADE OPPORTUNITY FOR SPAWAR
YEAR 2000 TEAM RAIDS AS/400
CONTINGENCY PLANNING KEY TO Y2K SURVIVAL

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Y2K FIX PROVIDES UPGRADE OPPORTUNITY FOR SPAWAR
Topic:  Y2K

In her article in the February 16th issue of Federal Computer Week, 
Nicole Lewis explores the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center 
(SPAWAR)'s approach to turning what many agencies see as an onerous task 
into an opportunity to upgrade and modernize its computer systems.  In 
the process of searching for, and fixing, lines of code embedded with 
dates, SPAWAR will also apply a tool which will translate the old code 
into a new programming language.  This will help them move their old 
proprietary systems onto more modern platforms.

Source:  Nicole Lewis, "Warfare center views Y2k fix as chance to upgrade 
system", Federal Computer Week, Feb. 16, 1998, v12, n4, p. 24.  
http://www.fcw.com

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YEAR 2000 TEAM RAIDS AS/400
Topic:  Y2K

In her article in the January 10th edition of Computerworld, Maryfran 
Johnson gives an exciting account of  $1.3 billion medical supplier C.R. 
Bard, Inc.'s Year 2000 project.  Without warning to Bard's various 
systems groups, an outside project team, hand-picked and brought in by 
Bard's Y2k project chief, Paul Maszczak, snatched up every bit of source 
code from the data center's AS/400 and locked a copy of it away for 
critical data fixes.  According to Maszczak, the Y2k project "is as much 
a political and cultural challenge as it is a technical one."  Maszczak 
was determined to shield his IS organization from the tedium of Y2k 
conversion work.  "Nobody wants this.  It's the project that doesn't 
exist."  Maszczak's outside Y2k team is scheduled to convert 8 million 
lines of AS/400 and IBM mainframe code by April, implement the changes 
during 1998, complete testing of major systems by 1st quarter 1999 and 
roll the systems into production one by one as the Year 2000 approaches.

Source:  Maryfran Johnson, "Year 2000 team raids AS/400", Computerworld, 
Jan. 12, 1998, v32, n2, p. 28.  http://www.computerworld.com

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CONTINGENCY PLANNING KEY TO Y2K SURVIVAL
Topic:  Y2K

Warren Reid, in his article in January's edition of Enterprise Systems 
Journal, highlights the importance of having a contingency plan when 
unexpected Y2k problems arise.  He cites the example of the Social 
Security Administration (SSA), who thought they had the Y2k situation 
under control.  Since 1988, SSA had almost completely fixed the 34 
million lines of code they were aware of.  Unfortunately, they 
overlooked  another 33 million lines of  code buried in state programs 
that were used to determine eligibility for federal disability payments.  
According to Reid, a detailed contingency plan must be created which will 
be able to address unanticipated errors as they appear.

Source:  Warren S. Reid, "Contingency planning:  it's the real thing!", 
Enterprise Systems Journal, Jan. 1998, v12, n13, p. 13.  http://www.esj.com

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