Re: Y2K Customer nuts?

[Dave Shaw <dshaw1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

If they're going to use the backdate technique, the correct interval is 28
years - that ensures that leap years and days of the week match up through
the calendar cycle.  I've never heard of anyone actually testing setting an
AS/400's system date to 1970 - I don't know how gracefully it would handle
the transition.  Obviously you or your customer would have to do mass
updates of every date in every file on his system as part of the cutover -
I'd probably do that with SQL, except for files with a LOT of records, where
RPG or COBOL should perform better.  Clearly there would also need to be
some program changes in at least the programs that print external documents
like purchase orders, checks, invoices, and so forth.

In the short term, this technique probably would save them money.  In the
long term, they will build a maintenance nightmare that will cost them a
bundle.  I think you're probably in the position of being able to say to
them "Pay me now, or pay me for years."

Dave Shaw, General Nutrition, Greenville, SC (just down the road from BMW -
Bubba Makes Wheels :)
The opinions expressed may not be my employer's unless I'm sufficiently
persuasive...

-----Original Message-----
From: Art Tostaine Jr <art@link400.com>
To: midrange-l@midrange.com <midrange-l@midrange.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 2:00 PM
Subject: Y2K Customer nuts?


>I have a customer who has just told me that they cannot afford the $500K it
>will take to upgrade all of their software/hardware (AS/400, PC's, Retail
>store Cash registers, store controllers, etc.).
>
>They want to know if they can just set the date back on their /400.  The
>controller knows of people who are going to do this.  They want me to test
>this on another 400.
>
>I can do this, just wondering if anyone has any serious reason why you
can't
>do this?
>
>I know things like reports will show wrong dates, etc.  But they don't seem
>to bother the customer.  I think they are crazy.  What do you think?
>
>Art Tostaine, Jr.
>CCA, Inc.
>Parlin, NJ  08859
>
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