Requirements for advanced Year 2000 maintenance tools

Y2K tools for many of the languages used to build mission-critical systems are in short supply. Without sufficient support, Y2K conversion will be an unmanageable task. Advanced tools can help reduce the manual effort involved in addressing the Y2K problem. The article describes the general requirements for advanced Y2K maintenance tool support. The article reports what the authors have learned and are learning about the architecture, tools, and process requirements that will enable their tools to be rapidly adapted for Y2K maintenance across multiple languages. While they do not mean to suggest that automated support is a panacea, they do believe that the use of proper tools will save sophisticated organizations significant testing and verification effort. They hope to raise expectations for maintenance tools and thereby alleviate some of the pessimism currently surrounding the subject of Y2K maintenance.