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Last revision: 01/04/00 04:53:01 PM
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RLG Year 2000 Status Report
The following is a statement from RLG regarding the Year
2000 compliance status of the products and services they provided to
Columbia University Libraries in 1999.
The following is an update received by email on October 21, 1999:
October 21, 1999
Subject: Report on RLG's Year 2000 Readiness
Dear RLG Customer:
This is a final update to our original reply to your previous
inquiry as to the year 2000 compliance status of The Research
Libraries Group, Inc. (RLG). In summary, except as stated below
all RLG production systems are fully year 2000 compliant. By "year
2000 compliant," we mean that we expect RLG's applications, files
and services to operate without disruption caused by the change from
1999 to year 2000 dates. RLG has nearly finished its year 2000
compliance programming and testing. The status of our services and
supporting software/hardware follows.
1. RLG Services:
Systems: The RLIN library and archival search and processing
system, RLIN interlibrary loan system, Eureka search system, Zephyr
Z39.50 server system, and Z39.50 gateway to remote databases are all
year 2000 compliant, except for an incorrect leap year calculation
that could affect SCIPIO input validation. That will be corrected
before year end.
The Marcadia batch cataloging system jointly developed with
Ameritech Library Services' Retro Link group has been said to be
year 2000 compliant, but staff at MarcLink, our new vendor-partner
for this software, are reconfirming its status.
The systems used to generate batch products (catalog cards and
reports) from the RLG union catalog are year 2000 compliant. The
systems used to convert, add, and export data in RLG's databases are
compliant. (For more about bibliographic formats, including
exported records, see the Library of Congress site
http://www.lc.web.loc.gov/marc/yr2000.html.)
Software products: All versions of the RLIN processing program
(RLIN Terminal Software for Windows) are year 2000 compliant.
Version 2.2 of the Ariel document transmission software for the
internet is compliant; upgrades to this version from earlier
versions can be accomplished at the RLG Web site
(http://www.rlg.org/ariel). Ariel software depends on the operating
system date, which uses BIOS. Users are asked to check with their
particular BIOS producer for upgrades as needed. The forthcoming
ILL Manager software is compliant.
Databases: A current list of RLG databases appears on pages 4 and 5
of the RLG Price Lists for Information Resources and Related Library
Services in effect for September 1999 through August 2000.
All of RLG's Library Resources - including the RLG union catalog
(RLIN bibliographic and authority files), Blackwell's Table of
Contents file, English Short Title Catalogue, Hand Press Book
Database, and SCIPIO: Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs - as well as
processing files not appearing on those pages, such as the ILL
files, are nearly year 2000 compliant. A few minor problems with
file definition date processing rules were identified in a review of
work completed last winter; these will be corrected in October.
In addition, we are still investigating one potential problem.
Authority record ID's are generated from LCCNs assigned by the
Library of Congress. These are now formatted with two-digit years.
LC plans to change to a four-digit year format, but not until
January 2001. Thus, we must ensure that the ID generation algorithm
works properly in 2000, and then change it again in 2001.
All of RLG's Citation Resources (CitaDel Files) are year 2000
compliant. (Both Library Resources and Citation Resources, based on
the USMARC format, already used four-digit year dates.)
RLG's Archival Resources integrates access to the Archival and Mixed
Collections file from the RLG union catalog with full-text finding
aids (collection guides). Dates entered within these finding aids,
by the various organizations who have created and contributed them,
are not used in nor affect any RLG processing systems. As
implemented by RLG, this database is year 2000 compliant.
2. Supporting Infrastructure:
RLG's services are supported by integrated components supplied by
Stanford University, IBM, SUN, and other vendors. Our review of
statements provided indicates that all suppliers feel they will be
essentially year 2000 compliant.
Operating systems: RLG uses the IBM OS/390 operating system on an
IBM 9672 server/processor ("mainframe"). IBM has certified that all
OS/390 products are year 2000 compliant. RLG uses the Sun Solaris
2.5.1 operating system on all other RLG servers and has applied
Sun-supplied year 2000 compliance modifications to all of them.
Stanford software: Additional information about Stanford's own
compliance status is available from the Stanford Data Center's Year
2000 Coordinator, Mr. William Bauriedel (billb@stanford.edu). Many
RLG online systems are based on the SPIRES database management
system, which is year 2000 compliant. So is the Stanford
Timesharing Suite (Orvyl, Wylbur and Wings, Milten, and Amelia) used
by RLG. RLG also uses the Stanford version of a tape library
management system and a Stanford version of IBM's job entry
subsystem; both RLG implementations are year 2000 compliant.
Server software: RLG is in the process of upgrading the several
copies of Netscape Commerce Server that support our Web-based
interfaces to a version certified to be year 2000 compliant.
Networking and communications: RLG's PC-based communication
front-end processors and core router have been tested and/or are
certified to be year 2000 compliant by the vendor. RLG's dedicated
network depends on routers provided by UUNET (formerly called
CompuServe). UUNET has replaced each of these devices with new ones
that are year 2000 compliant. We are in the process of upgrading
two RLG-owned routers sited at the British Library.
Billing: RLG's invoicing and customer record systems are year 2000
compliant.
3. For More Information:
Mr. John Eilts, Ariel product manager, can answer further questions
about the Ariel software. Call 650-691-2266 or e-mail to
john.eilts@notes.rlg.org. Dr. David R. Richards, director of
development and Chief Technical Officer, can answer questions about
other systems, databases, hardware, and supporting software. Call
650-691-2244 or e-mail to david.richards@notes.rlg.org.
If I can assist you further, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Jack Grantham
Director, Customer and Operations Support
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| JXG@NOTES.RLG.ORG
_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/_/_/ | Jack Grantham, Director
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ | Customer and Operations Support
_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ | The Research Libraries Group
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ | 1200 Villa Street
_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ | Mountain View, CA 94041-1100
| US 650-691-2218 Fax: 964-0943
| http://www.rlg.org
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To: ALLSVCSY2K, ARIELY2K
__________________________________________________________________
The following is the original Y2K compliance statement from RLG:
February 25, 1999
Year 2000 Compliance Update
This in in reply to your email request of January 19, 1999 for the
Year 2000 Compliance status of The Research Libraries Group, Inc.
(RLG). The following is our standard response and a current update
From RLG incorporating the status for all of our products and
services.
1. RLG does not have separate liability insurance to cover Year 2000
problems.
2. We expect to make RLG's online systems' computer programs and
databases year 2000 compliant by the end of March, 1999. The
Stanford University SPIRES database management system on which
our online systems are based is already year 2000 compliant. The
additional changes we are making in RLG software for correct
handling of post-1999 dates are as follows -- unless otherwise
noted, these changes are scheduled for completion by the end of
March, 1999:
a. All but one component of the RLIN library/archival technical
processing system -- including access to the RLIN database
(including the Avery Index/CitaDel databases) and CitaDel
article-citations data -- are presently year 2000 compliant.
That component, interlibrary loan processing, will be changed
by the end of March, 1999 regarding statistics for the length
of transactions (e.g., the number of days to fulfill a loan).
b. The RLIN terminal software, regardless of version, being
terminal software, accepts and displays any data entered, so
is presently year 2000 compliant.
c. RLIN catalog cards and reports: We are updating the date-handling
in the job control language routines used to generate batch
products, and expect this work will be completed by the end
of May, 1999.
d. Data conversion and loading software: By the beginning of
July 1999 we intend to have reviewed and made any changes
needed for Year 2000 compliance in the RLG software used in
batch-loading records into our databases.
e. RLG has no plans to modify bibliographic formats for exported
records.
f. Billing systems are in the final stages of year 2000
compliance testing and modification. RLG expects to complete
this work by the end of February, 1999.
3. EUREKA and ZEPHYR systems are currently year 2000 compliant.
4. Our services are supported by integrated components supplied by
IBM, Stanford University, and other vendors. The status here is
as follows:
a. Operating Systems: We use the IBM OS/390 operating system on an
IBM mainframe computer; IBM has certified that all OS/390 products
are Year 2000 compliant. We use the SUN Solaris 2.6 operating
system on all RLG servers, and it has been certified to be
year 2000 compliant by SUN.
b. Stanford systems used by RLG: We use the Stanford Timesharing
Software suite of systems (ORVYL, WYLBUR and WINGS, MILTEN,
AMELIA), as well as a Stanford-maintained version of a Tape
Library Management System (TLMS). We also run a version of IBM's
JES (Job Entry Subsystem) under the Stanford systems having
Stanford modifications. The Stanford Data Center Director
has named a Year 2000 Coordinator, Bill Bauriedel, who can be
contacted at US 650-723-9797 or via e-mail at
BillB@stanford.edu for further information.
c. RLG's PC-based communication front-ends: Have been tested
and/or are certified to be year 2000 compliant by the vendor.
(The actual operation of the device for sending and receiving
data is not affected by its century date handling ability,
ongoing information flow is not dependent on or affected by
this change).
d. RLG's dedicated network depends on routers provided by
WorldCom. We are working now with WorldCom, which is
upgrading each of these devices with new devices that are year
2000 compliant. This project, for all dedicated Frame Relay
and dedicated Private Asynchronous connections, will be
complete by the end of March, 1999.
5. We expect to make RLG's Internet-based document transmission
software, Ariel, year 2000 compliant by the end of January
1999. (Ariel software uses dates for three general purposes: to
display dates for queues, show when documents arrive, etc.; to compute
retention times for messages sent and received; and to filter by date
certain log views for retrieval of stored messages. None of the
compliance changes to be implemented are critical to Ariel's basic
operation).
Ariel versions earlier than 2.1 are no longer supported, but may still
work. Ariel version 2.1 is the current version and Ariel version 2.2
will be the upgraded version, for which an announcement including
instructions on how to obtain it will be sent out by RLG by the
end of January, 1999.
Ariel software depends on the operating system date, which uses BIOS.
The compliance of the BIOS varies from one manufacturer and model to
another. Please check with your particular BIOS producer to for
upgrades to your BIOS that may fix the year 2000 problem.
For questions regarding Ariel, you may contact Mr. John Eilts, Ariel
Product Manager, at US 650-691-2266 or john_eilts@notes.rlg.org.
6. RLG has not prepared a white paper that includes further
discussion of our year 2000 compliance efforts. The technical
contact at RLG to discuss these efforts in more detail is Dr.
David Richards, Director of Development and Chief Technical
Officer, at US 650-691-2244 or br.drr@rlg.org.
If I can assist you further, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Jack Grantham
Director, Customer and Operations Support
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| BA.JXG@RLG.ORG
_/_/_/_/ _/_/ _/_/_/_/ | Jack Grantham, Director
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ | Customer and Operations Support
_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ | The Research Libraries Group
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/ | 1200 Villa Street
_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ | Mountain View, CA 94041-1100
| US 650-691-2218 Fax: 964-0943
| http://www.rlg.org
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