Advice from the Computer Users Group on the Year 2000 transition

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The Computing Service (USCS) has taken steps to ensure that all its own systems are Year 2000 (Y2K) compliant and there has been an audit of all other systems in the University. However, it is possible that failures of systems outside the control of the USCS, or of the electricity supply, could lead to a failure in the service that they deliver to users. Such failures could occur over the period 31 December to 1 January or at any time up to Easter 2000.

With respect to the transition from 31 December to 1 January, the Computer Users Group makes the following recommendations:

• Non-USCS University computing equipment running essential services such as School domain names servers (DNS), web servers (http daemons) and fileservers should be able to continue to function as usual. However, each School/unit should assess its own risk in continuing to provide these services. Ideally all such equipment should be connected to uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), which will power down the machines in a controlled fashion in the event of a sustained power cut.

• Equipment not running essential services and not connected to a UPS that would otherwise merely be sitting idle (e.g. office and personal computers) should be powered down and have the electrical supply switched off at the wall over the Christmas/New Year vacation to avoid possible damage in the event of a power cut. (Note that it is not sufficient simply to power down the PC. Many PCs power up automatically when connected to an electricity supply, and such machines might sustain severe damage in the event of an intermittent power cut unless their power supply is disconnected.)

• You are strongly advised not to rely on alterations to files stored on USCS or other University computers made over the Christmas/New Year vacation. In the case of data stored on USCS machines, this applies to any alterations made after 21 December (as 22 December is the last working day before Christmas). Similar information applies to data stored on other University machines, unless your unit's Computer Officer advises otherwise. You are advised to keep copies of any altered files on removable storage media (e.g. floppy disk) or off-campus computers.

• You should make back-up copies of all your important computer files before 31 December. This applies equally whether the data is stored on your own (or someone else's) personal computer or on a University system.

• You are recommended not to make plans that have a time-critical dependence on guaranteed network connectivity over the Y2K transition. USCS believes all its systems are Y2K compliant, and our external network connection provider, UKERNA, is taking steps to ensure the Y2K compliance of its equipment and the continued provision of JANET services. Details can be seen at http://www.ja.net/y2k/y2k_index.html. However, the campus network and external network connection - and hence all networked services (including email) - will also be at risk from possible failures of other systems and power supplies, and should therefore not be relied upon.

Some universities are ordering the shutdown of all non-essential computing equipment over the Christmas vacation. While the Computer Users Group believe this to be unnecessary, it indicates the seriousness of these issues.

See also the advice that USCS has issued (in its November newsletter or on the web at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/USCS/Publications/Newsletters/199911/Y2K.html), and the Vice-Chancellor's letter on Y2K computer problems (copies are available from the Vice-Chancellor's office by email pa2vc@sussex.ac.uk).