(This was translated from Spanish to English using Alta Vista's translator. Words submitted twice in the translator or which I guessed their meaning are shown in [...] brackets)

Wednesday, March 1, 2000

SINGLE ISOLATED INCIDENTS IN CHILE:

Leap year Year Did not affect Computer science Systems

Date was risky, because it only takes place every 400 years in the effective calendar.

Only inconvenient isolated - in some private clinics and a small electrical cooperative of the south took place yesterday in Chile due to the disorders that the leap year day it caused in some computacionales [computational] systems, in syntony with the results obtained in most of the nations of the orb as opposed to this problem.

This computer science event - comparable to a certain extent with the feared crisis that previs [previously] for the past 1 of January of the 2000- had its origin in the coming of "special" a leap year day, which only occurs every 400 years, according to the effective gregoriano [Gregorian] calendar in the western world.

For that reason, it is first time that this event occurs under the existence of computacionales [computational] computers - the previous time was in year 1600-, with the potential danger of alteration on them, to incorpo-torar [incorporate] one dates extraordinary.

In addition to the years bisiestosque [leap year] every 4 years we are customary to incorporate, every 400 years includes an additional leap year year, with the purpose of correcting small hour differences that are accumulated.

These corrections aim to make agree the more exactly possible hours and dates established by convention in the gregoriano [Gregorian]calendar, with the Earth rotation.

The direct effect that this leap year special one could cause is the nonexistence of this 29 of February in the computers whose systems of count did not consider this special contingency, with which could be seen affected diverse computacionales [computational] operations.

Nevertheless, according to the antecedents compiled by the Ministry of Planning, in Chile isolated incidents were only reported, to the equal one as it happened with crisis Y2K of the 1 of January.

Some clinics yesterday were crippled computacionalmente [computationally] to fix appointments, disadvantage medical that was corrected with manual systems of attention, and in the South zone a problem of internal administrative operation in an electrical cooperative was only registered.

According to Minister German Quintana explained, to date exists complete normality in the operation of the basic services of the country, in the provision of potable water, energy, telecommunications, fuels, among other headings.

Quintana attributed this positive balance to the changes that at level country were developed during 1999 in the computer science area, with the purpose of facing the crisis of the change of digit, opportunity in which this contingency anticipated for the 29 of February was considered.

The global cost of this plan was of the order of the US$ 1,000 million. [?]

In any case the authority will carry out an intensive monitoreo [monitoring] until at least the 31 of March.

PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD

As it happened at his moment with the call Fault of the Millenium, most of the computers worldwide recognized without difficulties the date of the 29 of February of the 2000, reporting the inconvenient mayores [greatest inconvenience] in Japan.

The spokesman of the Japanese government, Mikio Aoki, admitted that the authorities fell asleep after not to have undergone mayores [greater] incidents the 1 of January of the 2000, when it thought that the computers would have problems to interpret the date.

In Holland some temporary interruptions in the internal communications of the Dutch Meteorological Institute took place, those that were solved in just a short time.

In Japan, the main problem was registered with the fault of about 1,200 of the 25,000 automatic tellers whom the Office of Post office has. More than half of the disturbed tellers they were repaired in afternoon.

The Japanese meteorological agency said that all the computers that process information on temperature and rains in the 43 offices of the country, registered faults in the first hours of Tuesday.

In Nueva Zelanda, [New Zealand] small incidents in the banking sector arose. The president of the commission that faced the Y2K, Basil Logan, said that "the problem is not ample and affects some commerce that makes electronic banking operations".

The Electronic Mercury, Chile

http://www.elmercurio.cl/diario_elmercurio/eyn_a/20000301/7028019010101032000002B0010161.asp

~~

ORIGINAL IN SPANISH:

Miircoles, 1 de Marzo de 2000 SOLO INCIDENTES AISLADOS EN CHILE:

Aqo Bisiesto No Afects A Sistemas Informaticos

Fecha era riesgosa, pues sslo se produce cada 400 aqos en el calendario vigente.

Sslo inconvenientes aislados - en algunas clmnicas privadas y una pequeqa cooperativa elictrica del sur- se produjeron ayer en Chile debido a los dessrdenes que el dma bisiesto ocasions en algunos sistemas computacionales, en sintonma con los resultados obtenidos en la mayor parte de las naciones del orbe frente a este problema.

Dicho evento informatico - comparable en alguna medida con la temida crisis que se previs para el pasado 1 de enero del 2000- tuvo su origen en el advenimiento de un dma bisiesto "especial", el cual sslo acontece cada 400 aqos, de acuerdo al calendario gregoriano vigente en el mundo occidental.

Por ello, es primera vez que este evento acontece bajo la existencia de ordenadores computacionales - la vez anterior fue en el aqo 1600- , con el potencial peligro de alteracisn sobre ellos, al incorpo-

rar una fecha extraordinaria.

Ademas de los aqos bisiestosque cada 4 aqos estamos acostumbrados a incorporar, cada 400 aqos se incluye un aqo bisiesto adicional, con el fin de corregir pequeqas diferencias horarias que se van acumulando.

Estas correcciones apuntan a hacer coincidir lo mas exactamente posible las horas y fechas establecidas por convencisn en el calendario gregoriano, con la rotacisn de la Tierra.

El efecto directo que este bi-siesto especial podma provocar es la inexistencia de este 29 de febrero en los computadores cuyos sistemas de conteo no consideraran esta especial contingencia, con lo que podrman verse afectadas diversas operaciones computacionales.

Sin embargo, segzn los antecedentes recopilados por el Ministerio de Planificacisn, en Chile sslo se reportaron incidentes aislados, al igual como ocurris con la crisis Y2K del 1 de enero.

Ayer algunas clmnicas se vieron impedidas de fijar computacionalmente citas midicas, inconveniente que se subsans con sistemas manuales de atencisn, y en la zona sur sslo se registrs un problema de funcionamiento administrativo interno en una cooperativa elictrica.

Segzn explics el Ministro German Quintana, hasta la fecha existe completa normalidad en el funcionamiento de los servicios basicos del pams, en el suministro de agua potable, energma, telecomunicaciones, combustibles, entre otros rubros.

Quintana atribuys este positivo balance a los cambios que a nivel pams se desarrollaron durante 1999 en el area informatica, con el fin de enfrentar la crisis del cambio de dmgito, oportunidad en que se considers esta contingencia prevista para el 29 de febrero.

El costo global de dicho plan fue del orden de los US$ 1.000 millones.

De todas formas la autoridad efectuara un monitoreo intensivo hasta al menos el 31 de marzo.

PROBLEMAS EN EL MUNDO

Tal como ocurris en su momento con la llamada Falla del Milenio, la mayor parte de las computadoras de todo el mundo reconocieron sin dificultades la fecha del 29 de febrero del 2000, reportandose los mayores inconvenientes en Japsn.

El portavoz del gobierno nipsn, Mikio Aoki, admitis que las autoridades se durmieron luego de no haber sufrido mayores incidentes el 1 de enero del 2000, cuando se penss que las computadoras tendrman problemas para interpretar la fecha.

En Holanda se produjeron algunas interrupciones temporales en las comunicaciones internas del Instituto Meteorolsgico Holandis, las que se resolvieron en poco tiempo.

En Japsn, el principal problema se registrs con la falla de unos 1.200 de los 25.000 cajeros automaticos que posee la Oficina de Correos. Mas de la mitad de los cajeros descompuestos fueron reparados en la tarde.

La agencia meteorolsgica nipona dijo que todas las computadoras que procesan informacisn sobre temperatura y lluvias en las 43 oficinas del pams, registraron fallas en las primeras horas del martes.

En Nueva Zelanda, surgieron pequeqos incidentes en el sector bancario. El presidente de la comisisn que enfrents el Y2K, Basil Logan, dijo que "el problema no es amplio y afecta a algunos comercios que realizan operaciones bancarias electrsnicas".

-- Lee Maloney (leemaloney@hotmail.com), March 19, 2000