CIT works to ensure that the Year 2000 is no problem for Cornell's systems By Beth Goelzer Lyons   Twenty-two months from now, countless computers and computer-operated systems may malfunction or fail for one reason: they won't know which century it is. That's the Year 2000 problem. Being able to correctly calculate the date is fundamental in the electronic world. Systems that miscalculate it may generate inaccurate reports, overwrite data, operate incorrectly or shut down altogether. And it's not just computers. Environmental safety systems, medical and research equipment, security systems, phone systems and thermostats, among other devices, all use dates to determine when and how to operate, detect developing problems or request periodic maintenance.

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For decades, years were encoded in computer programs using only the last two digits (98 instead of 1998, for example). Although this shortcut saved huge sums of money by freeing up precious computer space, payback time has now come, as the world struggles to solve the problems that will result when the shortcut meets year 2000. The choices: completely replace problem systems, find and fix specific problems or upgrade the hardware or software to versions that are ready for the next century. Cornell is doing all three. PeopleSoft, the software behind Cornell's Project 2000, is replacing several administrative systems. In addition to being integrated, better-performing and more efficient, the new PeopleSoft systems are "Year 2000 compliant." As a result, far fewer resources will be needed to resolve Year 2000 problems, explained Cecilia Cowles, Project 2000 communication manager. In the areas of human resources/payroll, financial operations, student administration and services, sponsored projects administration and alumni affairs and development, Cornell Information Technologies has analyzed the impact of Year 2000 and worked with Project 2000 to schedule PeopleSoft implementation dates. To raise awareness about Cornell's other Year 2000 problems, CIT has partnered with the University Audit Office. Last month, each of Cornell's units named a Year 2000 manager and completed a survey detailing which of the unit's most important computer systems have Year 2000 problems. Each unit is now assessing which systems are critical to Cornell's business and deciding how to deal with them. In addition, a special information technology audit will be done in fiscal year 1998-99. "We're concerned about failures that pose a real danger, not those that will be merely a nuisance. For instance, a research project that's been funded for years for hundreds of thousands of dollars could suddenly go by the boards because some system fails. That obviously has serious repercussions for scientists, graduate students, the people who funded the research, the community, for knowledge itself," said Michael B. Dickinson, university auditor. Facilities and Campus Services is checking equipment such as traffic gates, elevators, building control systems and the campuswide Energy Management and Control System, which operates the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems. "We've identified all the pieces and, though we have a lot of work left to do, we and our vendors should have everything fixed or replaced well in advance," said Keith E. Boncek, F&CS manager of computing resources. CIT's focus is on Cornell's central computing systems. In addition to implementing the new PeopleSoft systems, CIT will perform Year 2000 impact analysis on all mainframe ("legacy") systems. To date, CIT has fixed the mission-critical portions of two administrative systems and all the network routers and plans to upgrade the mainframe operating system by April of this year. Other Year 2000 problems, especially in research computing and office systems, are expected to be revealed by the CIT/audit survey. Some trouble spots already discovered: a system that will record data after 2000 but won't allow it to be retrieved; data stored with 10-year-old software that is not Year 2000 compliant; and research equipment driven by old desktop computers. Most contemporary Windows and Macintosh computers and software already are Year 2000 compliant. Many pre-1996 Wintel (PC) systems aren't, but can be made so through software upgrades. Outdated software may also be a problem, especially if it manipulates or calculates dates and uses only two digits for the year. More information about these issues is on CIT's Year 2000 web site and the web sites of major computer and software vendors. "CIT can provide reference materials and guidance to help our colleagues decide what solutions would be best for their particular situation," said Marilyn Baxter, CIT's Administrative Systems and Distributed Technologies (ASDT) project manager for Year 2000. Questions and requests for assistance can be sent to Y2KQuestions@cornell.edu. "Given the diversity of systems at Cornell and the insidious nature of Year 2000 problems, it is essential for everyone to think about how their area might be affected. Our shared goal is to ensure that Cornell's business is not disrupted," said Helen Mohrmann, director of CIT's ASDT division. Background story about the Year 2000 problem CIT's Year 2000 web site Year 2000 Information Center A Glitch in Time (interview with Edward Yourdon)   This article originally appeared in the 5 March 1998 Cornell Chronicle.