R99-121 ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT

Home Browse Search

Management Information Services Division Memo No. 99-14 • , � Page 2 Discussion: Early on, �ve recognized that for the City of Decatur aovernment, as for virtually all other business and public sector entities, the so-called Year 2000 problem (or Y2K problem, or � "Nlillennium Bug") was in reality not a single problem, but a series of related problems: 1) Computer programs dereloped over many years bv our own pro�ammers may not process dates properly. ?) Computer programs purchased from third-party con:mercial enterprises may not process dates properly. 3) The operating systems soJnvare�vhich structure the environment under«�hich the application soft�vare mentioned above operate may not themselves process dates properly, or may not allo��us to chan�e our applications so that they do process dates properly. -l) The computer harrhvare in use by the city,both our large-scale mainframe svsrems and our numerous interlinked personal computers, may not process dates properly, or may not allow us to change our applications so that they do process dates properly. And, beyond the confines of the MIS Division, 5) Microprocessor devices other than computers(e.g.,handheld meter readin�data collectors)or microprocessor chips embedded in other pieces of equipment(potentially everythin�from fire engine transmission controls to the emergency radio system to�vater production process controls to elevator conu�o(s in public buildings)may not process dates properly and may fail in unpredictable fashion. 6) Goods and services critical to our ability to serve our citizens(includina electrical power and telephone service) normally obtained from outside providers might become unavailable or of limited availabiliry due to the failure of those providers to prepare for the millennium. 7) A breakdown in external systems could place extraordinary requiremenu on city systems to respond in a role of community support. Beginning in 1995, NIIS Division began the process of surveying hardware and software systems, focusing on prevention of any difficulties associated with the first four types of problems above. All new software development undertaken since that time has included 4-digit year field for date processing. The City elected to follow a five-phase methodolow in attackinQ the problem, a fairly standard approach. That methodology is outlined in the City of Decatur Xear 2000 Management Plan, a copy of which is attached as Enclosure 1, for your reference. We are essentially on schedule, as outlined in the plan. For the mission critical mainframe processing environment, both hardware and software, the process is complete. Following an eighteen month recognition and assessment period, we embarked on a two-year period of renovation, including replacement of our eYisting mainframe hardware and operating system. During the renovation period, city software developers inspected every line of computer code in some 23 separate softwaze systems -- a total of 432 separate application pro�rams with over 760,000 individual lines of code. All systems have been converted or replaced. Following completion of validation testing in February of this year, all revised systems are now in production(implemented). For other systems, both computer and non-computer,which are potentially impacted by Y2K--the last four types of problems outlined at the top of this page --the five-phase program began in earnest last fiscal year. The City has established a Technology Task Force to oversee the effort, which entails both inventory(Assessment) and remediation/contingency planning (Conversion) efforts.