Another way to squash the millennium bug

Everyone's looking for a silver bullet when it comes to the millennium bug. Sorry to say, there isn't one. To make matters worse, this bug is like the common cockroach: If you actually find and address one occurrence, you can be sure there are 100 more instances you don't know about.

Most companies that are proactively addressing Year 2000 problems start with the biggest and most obvious potential sources: software applications, mainframe computers, network servers and desktop computers. While companies have spent millions rewriting or migrating software and installing new servers and PCs, they have forgotten about the transport mechanism that moves the data throughout the network.

The article "An answer to the Y2K crunch" (NW, June 29, page 1) had some good suggestions for how to keep track of a wide range of computer equipment that may or may not be Year 2000-compliant. The story described a Web-based service from Infoliant Corp. that includes a look-up database for Year 2000 compliance for more than 15,000 products, from PCs and applications to servers, routers and switches. This service is great for the do-it-yourselfer - the company that already has a complete asset inventory of all its network components.

But what if you don't know what all of your network assets are?

Entex Information Services of Houston has come up with a comprehensive service it calls a Year 2000 Infrastructure Readiness Survey. The service focuses on the network infrastructure - hubs, routers, CSUs/DSUs, remote access devices and so forth - which has been largely forgotten in the rush to rid software applications of the millennium bug.

The survey has three phases: audit and discovery, where Entex engineers collect your asset information for you; analysis, where they compare your equipment status to a master compliance database; and recommendation, where Entex advises you on your compliancy options.

The survey's audit and discovery phase uses SNMP, IPX and TCP/IP technologies to discover the active elements on the network by collecting the devices' Management Information Base data. The process creates a small increase in network utilization of approximately 1% to 2%, a minimal disruption for the duration of the discovery phase. Once each component is identified, it is checked against a master Year 2000 compliance database.

In the analysis phase, Entex prepares a risk assessment report that identifies each network element's risk factor as Pass, Warning or Fail. Pass indicates that, according to the device's manufacturer, it is Year 2000-compliant. Warning indicates a corrective action or solution is required to make the device compliant. Fail indicates the device is not compliant and no corrective action for compliance exists; therefore, the product probably will need to be replaced.

The final phase includes a report with recommendations on how to fix your Year 2000 problems. Note that the fix may be total replacement of some equipment that cannot be brought into compliance. Resellers warn that you shouldn't wait too long to replace your old communications equipment: There are waits of up to six weeks or more for some types of equipment, and the shortages are likely to worsen. For more about the Infrastructure Readiness Survey, contact Entex at (713) 688-7300.

Whether you take the do-it-yourself approach to Year 2000 compliance or hire a service such as Entex's, your study and ensuing course of action is only as reliable as your vendors' promises. No mandated industry standard exists. Some vendors are more diligent than others in testing their products for any problems that may result from the millennium date change. Read your vendors' definitions of compliance and how they have done their testing.

National Software Testing Lab, Inc. (NSTL) is recognized as the world's leading independent information technology testing organization. NSTL's Year 2000 Hardware Compliance Program is an open industry standard to verify proper date handling by PC systems. Its YMARK2000 testing tool is free and available on NSTL's Web site for a vendor's self-testing, or vendors can hire NSTL to conduct the tests. You can breathe easier if your PCs are marked with the NSTL Year 2000 Compliance logo. (For more information, visit www.nstl.com.)

You also should be aware that many vendors are using their Year 2000 compliance policies to limit legal liability for any millennium date problems you incur while using their products. This makes it doubly important that you understand each vendor's definition of compliance, as your legal options may be limited if you do experience a major problem that you can track to one particular network component.

Getting ready for the millennium change is a monumental task. Remember that every router, gateway and other piece of communications equipment has some sort of timing device that could be affected by the Year 2000 problem. If you haven't thought to check those devices, now is the time to start.

Musthaler is vice president for Currid & Company, a technology research and assessment firm based in Houston. She can be reached at linda@currid.com.