Re: Y2K Testing

Dennis,

You will not have any issues regarding Y2K testing your Oracle database if you:

1. Bring down your database & reset the clock 2) Bring the database back up and perform testing 3) After testing a specific future date, bring your box back down and reset the clock 4) Bring the database back up and perform testing

So rolling the system clock forward and back, you will not have any issues as long as you bring it down before testing another date. It is inherent to the program to be able to perform these tasks.

What you need to be careful of is the O/S. I don't know what you're running but you will definitely have issues with the integrity of the O/S and the file system when you roll the system clock forward manually. All of the file time stamps will be updated to the future date which can cause database corruption or system havoc. Moreover, you may also experience system logging & backup issues as well. It's recommended that, if performing this function on a production environment, you have the necessary system backups in place. The major midrange O/S vendors do not recommend testing in this manner, without reloading the O/S after changing the system clock

As Izabella wrote in her response, yes, anything that is time-sensitive will expire the minute you roll it forward. Depending on your platform, there is a tool available which overcomes both of these issues: O/S havoc and expiring, time-sensitive applications and allows you to run multiple clocks on the same box.

Good luck on your testing…

Sincerely,

Harrison Caldwell
SolutionSoft Systems
hcaldwell_at_solution-soft.com
www.solution-soft.com

In article <uLgyZKoi#GA.192_at_nih2naae.prod2.compuserve.com>,   "Dennis Richter" <dennis_richter_at_csi.com> wrote:
> My application development team want's me to down my Oracle instance, change
> the date on the server to sometime in the year 2000, then up the Oracle
> instance so they can do some Y2K testing.
>
> I'm concerned that if I do this and then change the date back to 1999, that
> I'll corrupt something in Oracle. Has anyone ever tried to do this? Will I
> corrupt Oracle, or are all headers updated with the SCN and not a valid
> date/time stamp?
>
> Any advise will be appreciated.
>
>

-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own Received on Tue Apr 20 1999 - 19:23:24 CDT