Networks do contingency planning every day to prepare for normal day-to-day eventualities. For example, there is an impressive global web hosting service in Northern Virginia, USA. It is a complex facility offering premium services. In order to protect this investment and the customers, the Service Provider has a sophisticated fire control system, a security system, and a diesel generator with enough fuel to run for about five days. The Service Provider is simply preparing for normal life in Virginia which includes thunderstorms that knock out the power.
Now is the time for you to reexamine your own contingency plans. Whatever they are, they should be fully available for Y2K. What problems are foreseeable? What actions can you take now to prepare? Is it likely that you will have subscribers confronting problems? Perhaps you need to do additional training of your support staff so that you can respond to these problems and perhaps you may consider initiating a publicity campaign, giving notice to your subscribers that they should be using Y2K ready versions of applications. You may wish to plan full back ups of both your network and of your business (make sure all of your financial information is properly in order) and you may decide that now is the time to upgrade your backup power supply.
The sky is not falling. Contingency planning is a prudent part of any networks day-to-day experience. Y2K is simply an excellent opportunity to ensure that your plans are in order.
Check list of possible contingency items:
- Backup power supply
- Full system backups
- Full business backups (make sure your records are in order, etc.)
- Provide notice to users to update applications
- Train support staff to respond to users with Y2K problems
- Clarify command structure in event rapid response is required
- Determine technical staff needs during critical date conversion periods
- Emergency systems (fire suppression, security)
- Consider turning off nonessential equipment prior to date conversion and then slowly turning equipment back on one at a time
- Consider communication needs to remote POPs (for staff coordination purposes)
FCC Y2K Souvenirs
