SIA contingency plan released

Wed May 26 10:15:04 UTC 1999

If you would like to see what a contingency plan looks like, the
Securities Industry Association released its industry Y2K contingency
plan yesterday.

http://www.sia.com/year_2000/pdf/Y2KReport.pdf

The SIA tends to refer to the Internet as the "web."  How many network
planning folks were aware one alternative for maintaining market operations
is using the web to post prices?  I'm glad the financial industry has
such confidence in our ability to continue to deliver service even if
other communication systems fail.

Also after the NANOG meeting I received a few additional comments on my
presentation.  I would like to clarify a few things.

1) I did not mean to imply that DRA has completed all of its Y2K
preparations.  See Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure Statement.

2) The US Government is (at least one US Senator has strongly suggested
it, so it seems pretty likely it will be done) setting up a Y2K network
which is independent of the normal telephone network (satellite, HF radio,
and other government communication assets) including electric grid
controllers and 'major' telephone company management centers.  However, at
the current time no ISP NOC has asked or been asked to participate.  Even
at those companies which have both a voice NMCC and an ISP NOC, the ISP
part of the company has generally been left out.  I covered some of
the reasons in my talk (although perhaps a bit obliquely).

3) I'm not recommending using the FCC 'emergency' rule to attempt ISP NOC
communication.  I think even the hams would agree, without training and
experience such ad hoc radio networks tend to quickly become unusable.
And no, I don't think having a ham license is sufficient (or necessary)
experience.  I'd rather teach 10 law firm receptionists how to use a
radio if I want to be sure the message will be delivered to the correct
person without being garbled, for many of the same reasons you don't
hire your typical telephone engineer as a telephone receptionist.
-- 
Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO
  Affiliation given for identification not representation