Will the Year 2000 Create A Computer Crisis?

Imagine returning to school in January 2000, and the heat in your house does not work, the elevator--if you have one--is stuck on the first floor and your key card does not work.

These are some of the possible results of what has been called the year 2000 computer-date problem--a recently discovered problem that industries, universities and governments worldwide currently face.

Joseph T. Yanci, manager of the Year 2000 Project Office at the U.S. State Department says the problem is a serious global issue that will affect all facets of the technological world.

"We recognize it as a [global] problem affecting industry, academia and federal governments worldwide which will cost billions of dollars to fix," he says. "And the clock is ticking."

The computer-date problem stems from computers' having been programmed with only the last two digits of the year. So rather than identifying the year as 1997, the computer only knows it as "97."

Concern was raised in the computer industry a few years ago over how computers would interpret the year 2000: would it be seen as a new century, or read simply as the year 1900?

When some systems were set to the year 2000 in a trial run, many computers crashed or misinterpreted data. For example, some credit cards with an expiration date past the year 2000 failed, saying that they were 99 years past their expiration date.

And while Harvard may not have to worry about such specific cases, the University is working hard to solve any complications that may arise from the year 2000.

The year 2000 computer-date problem is being addressed across the University by auditors, deans and administrators.

In some cases, the millennium bug problem has already been fixed. With the admit of the class of 2000 last year, the registrar's office underwent its first trial run of its system, which according to Dean of College Harry R. Lewis '68, "was uneventful."

"Indeed, since some of the data fields are for class year, we had our first test more than a year ago, when we admitted the class of '00," he adds.

"Next spring, there will be a test of the payroll system actually running with the system date set forward to the year 2000," says Gene C. Madden, managing auditor of information systems. "Each unit based on what the system is and what the impact would be were it to fail has developed some of its own testing plans."

For the past year, the scope of the problem has been assessed and plans have been put into effect for converting systems to make them ready for the year 2000--or making them compliant--or replacing the systems.

Madden says that his office is currently assessing the problems and determining what systems, if any, could pose a problem.

"In the administrative areas, which is where we've focused our attentions so far, we're in pretty good shape," Madden says. "The major systems are already compliant or there are plans in place to either replace or repair them."

The Embedded Chip

But one of the largest threats of the year 2000 computer-date problem--also known as the millennium bug--is not the threat to computer systems, but the hazard to anything with an embedded chip--such as elevators or security systems.

As a security precaution, embedded chips in some elevators are programmed to make the elevator stop working if it is not serviced every year. In test runs, some elevators with an embedded chip stopped when the year was set to 2000 because they thought they had not been serviced in 99 years.

Madden says that the Internal Auditor's Office has been working with University Operations Services (UOS) to ensure that embedded chips will not create problems for Harvard buildings.

Associate Director of Applied Technologies for UOS Paul J. Malagrifa says that the group is examining the potential problems and has made an inventory of its systems.

To battle the embedded chip problem, Malagrifa says that UOS has put together a strategy to test the hardware in "all the buildings on campus, any building that has a fire alarm system or building automation system."

While solutions to the problem have not yet been implemented, Malagrifa says that UOS hopes to solve the embedded chip problem "as soon as possible."

Nevertheless, Chayim Herzig-Marx, director of information resources and services, says he plans to play it safe for the first few months after the turning of the new millennium.

"I personally plan on only taking the stairs for the first couple of months," Herzig-Marx jokes. "I've been practicing."

Herzig-Marx, who is leading the year 2000 effort in financial administrations says that student loans will not be affected by the millennium bug.

His office is currently addressing year 2000 issues which could affect student financial systems, budgeting and human resource operations.

But Herzig-Marx says the major systems are already fixed or are scheduled to be fixed soon.

"We are centrally responsible for the system that assigns student loans," Herzig-Marx says. "There will not [be a problem]--guaranteed," he says.

And according to Former Dean of engineering and applied sciences Paul C. Martin '52, whose office leads the year 2000 effort in FAS, the network should not experience any problems either.

Martin says that FAS, which deals with the Faculty appointment systems, HASCS and student systems--such as the network--is addressing the year 2000 computer date problem. From the assessment which has been completed thus far, Martin says that he does not anticipate any serious mishaps.

"I'm sure there will be problems of some form, but we as of now haven't identified any," he says. "We hope we're not in for a big surprise."

Nevertheless, Martin says that FAS will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that there are no problems come the new millennium.

"We continue to talk about it, but in fact, in most of our systems, appointment systems, we have four digits [already]," he says.

Building Awareness

Madden says that, like many problems, the best way to attack it is to increase people's awareness of it.

"We're still in the process of trying to design an awareness program that will reach as many people as possible," he says.

According to Madden, the year 2000 problem is highly recognized at Harvard.

"Certainly within the [Information Technology] organizations, we found the awareness very high," Madden says. "Everyone was well aware of the problems and has...already taken care of the issues on or around their systems or were developing plans to specifically address their systems."

And most administrators say that although the problem is serious, the University has it under control.

"My impression is that the problem is significant, but certainly not overwhelming," says Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles.