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The number 2000 satisfies all three rules, so the reversal of the first rule by the second is itself reversed by the third rule. The year 2000 is a leap year, based on a rule invoked only every 400 years. The third rule has only been invoked once before, in A.D. 1600, soon after the establishment of the Gregorian calendar in A.D. 1582. Thus, those alive in A.D. 2000 are privileged to experience the rarest of events in the Gregorian calendar. Ironically, many will simply register the year as another ''fourth year," blissfully unaware of the calendric significance of the event. |
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1.8.3
Strategies and Techniques for Y2K Fixes |
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In this section, I examine some techniques for dealing with the Y2K problem. |
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1.8.3.1
General Standards |
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It is essential to put standards in place. Standard date/time routines could have been corrected once, in one place. If patches are made to systems, the patches at least should use a standard and known solution, rather than a patchwork of individual handcrafted solutions. |
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There are good many trade-offs in a problem of this magnitude. Can the organization afford to direct resources to the problem and leave its current development projects on the back burner? Can it afford not to? |
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The essential trade-off to be made involves dedication of resources. Once an organization has accurately assessed its vulnerability to Y2K, it must decide on a course of action that makes sense within the available time frame. If a labor-intensive solution is required, then personnel resources must be dedicated to the task. |
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In general, working smart is preferable to working hard. Organizations will be better served by biting the bullet and switching applications to proven hardware and software when possible, obtaining increased functionality for their money and avoiding the trap of dedicating valuable personnel time to endless and expensive hours of maintenance. |
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A system not unlike medical triage is required. First, you must identify the time frame available for your solution. No solution will be useful if it takes more time than you have. And time, as of this writing, is a rapidly dwindling commodity. |
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Next, you must separate essential from nonessential systems. Among the essential systems, you must next identify the systems that can be fixed, those that will not survive and must be tossed, and those that will survive without help. The bulk of your effort must be directed toward the first group. |
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