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Port Phillip's Y2K laboratory tests

Victoria's City of Port Phillip is not waiting until the Year 2000 to find out if it has taken adequate precautions to prevent Y2K computer malfunction. Council has set up a laboratory to test its Y2K precautionary measures. The laboratory is a mini network with three computers and three servers already switched to the Year 2000.

The aim is that any unforeseen glitches will show up in time to be addressed well before the end of the year.

Port Phillip's Y2K specialist Peter Morgan said Councils have many functions which are computer dependent.

"The community needs these systems to be functioning properly to receive vital services," he said.

"After Council contacted its suppliers and others to seek assurances that their systems were Y2K compliant, Council was left with just that, assurances.

"But by ensuring beyond doubt that our internal systems will function in 2000 we can be sure about the environment we control."

Having established the mini system, Council set down priorities for testing in terms of the most critical functions down to the least.

Financial applications have already been tested, with Rates, Planning and other Local Government applications to be tested shortly. Peter said the laboratory allows transactions to be entered in an environment identical to the City in the Year 2000.

He said it is vital to be careful of coincidences and not assume every problem is a Y2K problem.

"In one test case, we had an apparent failure and thought we had detected a bug," he said. "However it quickly turned out to be a basic hardware problem."

To date no difficulties with Y2K have been detected but tests will continue.

For further information contact Peter Morgan, telephone (03) 9209 6666.

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