Last-Minute Prep for DST Bug

Switch to daylight saving time usually is not a serious thing, but this Sunday, Jeff ronner has enabled people on the case.

Ronner is a scene in the San Francisco area manager of technical services contractor Perot Systems, Inc., as well as the way he handles the computer system a Perot large customers, the Catholic Health Care West. This week, he finally talking about his plans to make sure that Catholic health care voicemail systems and other networks understand daylight saving time .

These computers, like those of all but the last thing probably it were programmed to believe that daylight saving time begin the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October. These rules, the local In "br> 20 years, was overthrown by 2005 laws of the United States, that is, to extend daylight saving time by three weeks in the spring and one week In "br> autumn.

This is Nice for an after-dinner walk, and may even save some energy (This is the motive of the Congress), but produced for the computing industry.

Many people are aware of the recent changes, and even computers will be affected.

"This has been a little bit of a sleeper issue, said:" Brian mulford, administrative and technical personnel regulus Group LLC, will be responsible for payments and other transactions of large consumer electronics companies.

Computer makers to formulate and issue a patch, how to change the software against daylight saving time - which should include the majority of home PC users.

Those heavily dependent on the calendar program should visit its software vendors Web site for advice.

"For most people, John and Jane computer users, it is unlikely that see much of a problem, if any, said: "David Keller, founder of computer - doctors, a computer help suppliers in Florida.

In many complex network made a series of updates and obsolete equipment, on the no-fly fine-tuning sometimes unusable. This forced the system engineers how to make use of various computing applications processing time, to manually patch, if necessary.

Remind some people in the process of planning for the widespread concerns 2000 bug, even if the impact of this failure - the computer is a time hours to take off - seems to be threatening the same way.

"We will definitely go all out to return to our millennium bug list to review, to see we should do, and whether there is any place in these areas are applicable to this , sometimes the answer is yes, "ronner said.

Some ronner telecommunications engineers will be able to dial long-distance Sunday To ensure that time, a seamless change in the Catholic health care offices and hospitals. However, in certain circumstances, they may have to drive to a hospital a manual update.

Otherwise, ronner said, things like telephone message about patient care may get a wrong time stamps.

"There is a lot to consider," ronner said. "Things It seems so simple, theres a surprising turn the clock back and the impact of broad In everything you do, touch here, because there are many things are date and time stamped. " Mulford said to be a potential problem for the regulus customers are improper updated computers, in the financial services companies can register deposits or other transactions on the error, if one hour was taking off, so that they miss some day-to-day cut-off point.

He said, the customers system patches and security January - Although only for the sake of safety, he plans to have additional support and staff on this weekend in the case the parties have time to the problem. All the remains mulford list this week is to ensure that his companys own The employees use the PC and portable devices up to date.

"Its random print out, there is a time stamp, we are manipulation of this week, "he said.

Some computer failures may not be displayed until Monday, the first business summer day under the new schedule. But computer experts are not expected, the major issues must be promptly outbreak.

Even ronner to his meticulous plans to deal with the switch, not seems to be too worried. When a reporter asked what he would do early Sunday as the standard time change daylight saving time, he replied: "I have slept in. I would only be called if things do not work. "