Century Readiness Services
A Process to Address Y2K Compliance of VS Applications
The Proverbial Needle in a Haystack
For most VS installations the Year 2000 problem is far more a problem of finding dates than fixing them. Without a disciplined and structured process you can not be sure that you have fully addressed your Year 2000 problem.
This paper discusses a multi-phase Y2K process recommended and supported by Wang. Wang and its service partners offer services that allow the customer to fully utilize this model.
The Y2K Process
The Y2K process is conceptually simple and is very similar to the classic specify, design, build, test, and install model that is often used for software development projects.
In this model we can define four phases, each with a clear definition and clear work product.
Phase 1 - Define the Present
The starting point of the process must necessarily be to understand where you are today. In simple terms this requires the development of an inventory of all components on the system. The level of detail may range from quite cursory for small production systems to extremely detailed for large development systems or multi-system environments.
In the inventory you need to identify each piece of executable software that you have on the system, determine who supplied the executable version and the revision level and other relevant information. A companion hardware listing is also desirable. If the system is used for development, a comprehensive code inventory is appropriate.
Wang's Phase 1 service, called the Readiness Assessment Program (RAP) makes use of tools designed to collect, consolidate and report on the system content. The tools are run during a consultant's on-site audit visit. The first tool collects a hardware inventory and also provides a detailed list of Wang software on the system, including release levels. This data provides you with the information needed to upgrade the Wang products with Y2K compliant versions.
The Source Finder Tool scans all volumes on the system and identifies each source file, providing language, type, and number of lines. Type includes things like COBOL FD, COPYLIB etc. This source inventory is almost impossible to do accurately with any manual process.
The output of the phase 1 service is typically delivered within 7 to 10 days of the consultant's visit.
Phase 1A - Planning & Preliminary Triage
At the end of phase 1, the Y2K project team can undertake two related processes. First, a cursory review of each application is made, and added data is gathered. It may be determined that some applications are no longer in use, or that the supplier of others can (or cannot) deliver a Y2K compliant product. This information allows you to identify major problem areas early in the cycle.
Each source code module must be examined to determine the application(s) to which it belongs. A byproduct of this triage process is the exclusion of code that has no use in the Y2K context. For example, on one system Wang found sample RPG subroutines, COBOL programs that were clearly homework from a programming class, multiple copies of the same source set, and one time "cleanup" programs that were kept "just in case". We often find the source code for one time reports, created and run years ago, but no longer in use.
The objective of this process is to identify code to be examined for dates and to throw away or set aside code that has no immediacy. This process will enable you to decide whether to keep or discard this code.
Phase 2 - The Assessment
Before you can begin to fix code, you must find references to dates in the code and get some idea as to the level of effort involved in doing the fix. We call this process the source code assessment.
Wang's Phase 2 Service is based upon a tool provided by Avatar, Inc. The Avatar tool processes your source, and using multiple approaches, identifies probable date fields and source lines that use them. All VS-based languages are supported.
The Avatar tool requires that code be segregated by application and source code type. The tool uses a number of standardized correlation tests to measure the complexity of the code. It can deliver a highly accurate estimate of the skill level and time required to remediate the application.
The Wang consultant will help you prepare code for analysis by Avatar. Typical turnaround time is 10 to 15 working days. (Avatar and Wang can provide any necessary representations regarding the security of the process and your code.)
Phase 2A - Advanced Triage
The results of phase 2 provide the data you need to plan your code remediation projects. The data can help you determine which people will do which projects and when the projects should be scheduled. If you are using an outside supplier for phase 3, the data will provide you with the information needed to negotiate contracts with realistic costs and delivery dates.
At this point you may discover that there is a need for more resources or time than can be made available. You may decide that it is necessary to triage applications, deciding which are truly critical to the business and which are, all things considered, luxuries. It may be possible and practical to examine the possibilities of outsourcing some tasks, for example, payroll. Other applications may be abandoned, or deferred until after 1999. Still others may be candidates for re-hosting on another platform.
The Wang Advantage
Wang has concentrated its efforts in the delivery of services for phases 1 and 2 because these are the most critical leverage points, and it is here where our tool-building expertise can best serve you. It is possible to move through Phases 1 and 2 in six weeks' elapsed time. Any other process will take five to ten times as long, or will not provide enough information to allow you to manage the risks.
With Wang and Avatar you may be able to address code problems in as little as two months.
Phase 3 - Remediation
In Phase 3, you actually fix the code to make it Y2K compliant. There are several acceptable approaches that can be taken, including data expansion, windowing, encapsulation and bridging. The processes are beyond the scope of this paper.
While you do the design work, you should also plan for the data conversion effort. We recommend that test plans be done at the same time.
If you elect to do some or all of the remediation work in-house, Wang can recommend project management tools and provide project management and technical consulting.
Regardless of how you approach the code remediation process, project management and tracking will be as important as the actual code work. We recommend that coding and quality standards and processes be defined. For complex programs, structured code walk through may be desirable. In all cases, a unit testing process is needed to insure that the compiles are clean.
Phase 4 - Testing and Implementation
The nature and amount of testing will depend upon the date management process used and the complexity of the code. At a minimum the application should have some integration testing on a system with the date set at, and then beyond, 12/31/99.
Wang has created a number of test facility options for customers who cannot interrupt production work on their system to test beyond year 2000. Dedicated (and shared virtual) systems are available in Tewksbury, Massachusetts on a scheduled basis. Wang will also provide short-term rentals of properly configured test bed machines for location at the customer facility.
As applications are completed and certified as Y2K ready, they may be phased into production. This process may involve data conversion and/or production transfer to a backup machine.
In many cases the need to minimize application downtime will necessitate a well-choreographed and well-rehearsed transition process.
Each customer will have a unique implementation plan. Wang can assist in this process by providing stand-by onsite engineering personnel and/or other resources to accomplish the data conversion and application cutover processes.
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