InformationWeek

As with desktop operating systems, most network operating systems will require a service pack, patch kit, or upgrade to handle the millennium change correctly. One exception is Novell's NetWare 5, which is ready for the change. It's critical to check the manufacturers' Web sites for all operating systems in use to find out what upgrades or patches may be necessary. It's also important to identify any servers that are not yet updated and prepared for the changeover.

There are several ways the millennium change may affect applications. Some applications may access the real-time clock directly or may not handle a date properly. In addition, many applications may include scripting, macro, or programming capability, which may also be affected by the date change. Some Y2K remediation applications will not only search for applications that handle the millennium change incorrectly, they will search for macros or other code that may use date functions, then either suggest changes or automatically replace the functions with new code.

The remedy to application millennium problems may be upgrading to a new version, a patch kit, or simply redoing functions in new ways.

Vendors from Boxware to WRQ provide utilities to search the network for systems that have potential year 2000 problems. Most will provide a report on each PC and server, whether they have possible problems with hardware, operating system, or applications. These utilities may also provide a way to roll out fixes automatically to all systems on the network.

One way to differentiate between programs is to note the size of their databases. The larger and more complete the database is, the less likely it is to get a response like "Don't recognize this application-check it yourself."

Fix And Test
Whether the fix requires installing a patch kit or upgrading, it's important to test the fix. Specialized software such as Vinca Corp.'s Y2K TimeLab allows testing NT servers by creating an image of the server and testing the image by rolling the date forward. This ensures that a critical production server can be tested without the threat of having the server fail during business hours.

At the very least, PCs, operating systems, and applications should be tested by rolling the date forward past the millennium, testing application functionality, rebooting, and trying again.

While many IT managers have left their desktop PCs and applications as the last year 2000 compliance effort, the good news is that there are now many mature tools available to identify and help fix problems on the desktop. Obviously, one should check servers first, then workstations. But it's crucial not to assume that new PCs, operating systems, and applications are invulnerable to millennium problems simply because hardware and component manufacturers and software publishers have known about the millennium challenge for a decade.

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