[109259] in Cypherpunks
(fwd) Risks of testing a nuclear power plant for Y2K compliance
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sunder)
Mon Mar 15 12:46:41 1999
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 12:31:59 -0500
From: Sunder <sunder@brainlink.com>
To: cypherpunks@algebra.com
Reply-To: Sunder <sunder@brainlink.com>
from risks digest...
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 16:20:22 -0500
From: Robert Brill <RWB2@nrc.gov>
Subject: Risks of testing a nuclear power plant for Y2K compliance
Pennsylvania's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station was subjected to detailed
software analyses and simulations to check Y2K compliance, and concluded
that everything would be OK. However, when the clock was moved ahead, the
primary and backup monitoring systems crashed, every computer screen blanked
out, and forced manual procedures. The cause was attributed to a technician
improperly setting the test clock. The systems remained down for seven
hours. ``Although the cause was human error, technology specialists say the
glitch here illustrates an unanticipated peril of the Year 2000 problem: As
computer systems that have been repaired are now being tested in live
conditions, inadvertent mistakes and undiscovered bugs can bring the
machines -- and the organizations that rely on them -- to a grinding halt.''
[Source: Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Big Glitch at Nuclear Plant Shows Perils of
Y2K Tests, *The Washington Post* A03, 7 Mar 1999. PGN-ed]
------------------------------
