(Translated from French to English using the Alta Vista translator. After the January rollover, France reported "10 bugs per company member" - I'm not exactly sure what that means. Your clarifications are welcome. Also, parking meters in France had to be reprogrammed, otherwise they would have failed the Feb 29 date.)

Vigilance before possible a bug of February 29

[ 28/02/2000 - 16:20 ]

PARIS (AFP) - The State, the large companies and the French banking structure prepared Monday with vigilance, but without concern, with possible "a bug of February 29", which could put out of order the computers having forgotten that year 2000 is bissextile.

The centuries are not bissextile, except if they are divisible by 400: therefore 2000 is well a leap year. If this rule were not envisaged at the beginning in the data-processing clocks, the badly programmed computers will spend Tuesday directly to March 1.

From where, according to Cigref (data-processing Club of the large French companies), of possible computational errors of interests, accountancy, or the release of processing before the date envisaged. But taking into account the victorious mobilization against the bug of the year 2000, which in general included the tests necessary to correct that of February 29, confidence prevailed Monday among principal French persons in charge.

"Monitoring yes, mobilization not", declared with the AFP Jean Michon, one of the persons in charge of the interdepartmental Mission for the passage to year 2000, charged with controlling the operation of the computers of the State.

"It should nothing occur, or not large-thing, because the corrections carried out for the passage to year 2000 also took into account the bug of February 29", it underlined. The persons in charge of the Mission thus do not hope to take care all during the night: "We will see Tuesday morning", commented on Mr. Michon.

The banking structure, for which the least error can involve consequences in cascade, played prudence by reactivating the cell of day before December 31. It will be installed at the Bank of France: as at the time of the passage to year 2000, the banks will have to announce to him by fax the significant incidents.

The AFB (French Association of the Banks) reminded Monday to have included the passage February 29 in the general preparation of the banking and financial place for the passage to year 2000. Two specific tests had been devoted besides to this problem during 1999, underlines the AFB, for which the risks "much is limited" than on December 31.

Cigref, which gathers 95 of the 100 larger companies female users of data processing, recommended to its members a particular vigilance by mentioning "a real risk of abnormal operation".

"This risk is less low than that of the bug of year 2000", explained Cigref in an official statement, by stressing that "the tests relating to February 29 were generally included in the tests of passage to year 2000" and that "the companies which had correctly prepared in the passing to year 2000 should not thus encounter problems".

A spokesman of Cigref pointed out that the passage to year 2000 had proceeded particularly well: "on average, we recorded 10 anomalies per company member", it concluded.

The bug of February 29 however threatened a moment many the Parisian parking meters, which had to be reprogrammed one by one.

Source: L' actu 24h/24 Nomade, France

http://actu.nomade.fr/feed/fra/breve.asp?id=000228152016.rorakrbf

Original in French:

Vigilance avant un iventuel bogue du 29 fivrier [ 28/02/2000 - 16:20 ]

PARIS (AFP) - L'Etat, les grandes entreprises et le systhme bancaire frangais se priparaient lundi avec vigilance, mais sans inquiitude, ` un possible "bogue du 29 fivrier", qui pourrait dirigler les ordinateurs ayant oublii que l'annie 2000 est bissextile.

Les sihcles ne sont pas bissextiles, sauf s'ils sont divisibles par 400: aussi 2000 est bien une annie bissextile. Si cette rhgle n'a pas iti privue au dipart dans les horloges informatiques, les ordinateurs mal programmis passeront mardi directement au 1er mars.

D'oy, selon le Cigref (Club informatique des grandes entreprises frangaises), de possibles erreurs de calculs d'intirjts, de comptabiliti, ou encore le diclenchement de traitements avant la date privue.

Mais compte tenu de la victorieuse mobilisation contre le bogue de l'an 2000, qui a inclus en giniral les tests nicessaires pour corriger celui du 29 fivrier, la confiance privalait lundi chez les principaux responsables frangais.

"Surveillance oui, mobilisation non", a diclari ` l'AFP Jean Michon, l'un des responsables de la Mission interministirielle pour le passage ` l'an 2000, chargie de contrtler le fonctionnement des ordinateurs de l'Etat.

"Il ne devrait rien se passer, ou pas grand-chose, car les corrections effectuies pour le passage ` l'an 2000 ont igalement pris en compte le bogue du 29 fivrier", a-t-il souligni. Les responsables de la Mission ne comptent donc pas veiller toute la nuit : "Nous verrons mardi matin", a commenti M. Michon.

Le systhme bancaire, pour qui la moindre erreur peut entranner des consiquences en cascade, a joui la prudence en riactivant la cellule de veille du 31 dicembre. Elle sera installie ` la Banque de France: comme lors du passage ` l'an 2000, les banques devront lui signaler par fax les incidents significatifs.

L'AFB (Association frangaise des banques) a rappeli lundi avoir inclus le passage au 29 fivrier dans la priparation ginirale de la place bancaire et financihre pour le passage ` l'an 2000. Deux tests spicifiques avaient d'ailleurs iti consacris ` ce problhme courant 1999, souligne l'AFB, pour qui les risques sont "beaucoup plus limitis" que le 31 dicembre.

Le Cigref, qui regroupe 95 des 100 plus grandes entreprises utilisatrices d'informatique, a recommandi ` ses membres une vigilance particulihre" en ivoquant "un riel risque de dysfonctionnement".

"Ce risque est moins ilevi que celui du bogue de l'an 2000", a expliqui le Cigref dans un communiqui, en soulignant que "les tests relatifs au 29 fivrier ont iti le plus souvent inclus dans les tests de passage ` l'an 2000" et que "les entreprises qui s'itaient correctement priparies au passage ` l'an 2000 ne devraient donc pas rencontrer de problhmes".

Un porte-parole du Cigref a rappeli que le passage ` l'an 2000 s'itait particulihrement bien dirouli: "en moyenne, nous avons enregistri 10 anomalies par entreprise membre", a-t-il conclu.

Le bogue du 29 fivrier a cependant menaci un moment une bonne partie des parcmhtres parisiens, qui ont d{ jtre reprogrammis un par un.

-- Lee Maloney (leemaloney@hotmail.com), March 04, 2000