The Technology Newsletter for the University of Hawaii Community

In This Issue:

Is the problem real? Absolutely. Industry pundits have estimated the global cost to fix Year 2000 problems at between $300 billion and $600 billion by the end of the decade. Not surprisingly, nearly every major con-sulting firm has established a Year 2000 practice or division. In brief, the problem is that many systems were developed using only two digits to encode the year. In such systems 1995 is encoded as "95" and 1976 is stored as just "76." In this scenario 2001 would be stored as "01," but might then be incorrectly interpreted as 1901.

The Year 2000 problem is particularly insidious because there may be no bells and whistles to warn that an error has occurred. The system might appear to be functioning and just provide incorrect information. And we don't necessarily have two more years to fix this as problems can occur long before the calendar turns over from 1999 to 2000. One example involved a firm which had problems with its 7-year depreciation schedule when it turned out 2000 was interpreted as depreciation since 1900. (In this case a programmer modified the business rules in 1993 to depreciate over 6 years, then over 5 years in 1994, and so forth until management discovered the tactic.) A more human example is the case of an elderly woman who received prescription medication with an expiration date of "00." She interpreted this as invalid and decided not to take the drug.

The Year 2000 at UH

It would be a huge mistake to believe that the Year 2000 is just an ITS problem. Departments have full responsibility for the hardware, software and embedded systems under their management. Several articles in this Newsletter talk about the Year 2000 considerations for desktop computers, with recommended actions. Fortunately, nearly all new computers sold today are Year 2000 compliant so these measures need to be considered primarily for systems that will not be replaced within the next two years.

Many departments manage their own information systems. These departments need to check directly with their vendors or programmers to learn whether the systems are already Year 2000-compliant or determine what steps must be taken to modify or replace the system. Finally, devices with embedded computer circuitry must be considered. For example, it turns out that certain credit card verification devices cannot handle credit cards with an expiration date in the year 2000; as a result some credit card companies have stopped issuing cards with expiration dates beyond 1999. Any university departments that utilize or manage this type of equipment should check with their vendors to assess their Year 2000 status.

While not necessarily catastrophic for everyone, the Year 2000 poses a challenge that must be taken seriously by anyone who manages any information technology. In hindsight, it's easy to wonder why so many programmers decided to "save" resources by using only two digits to store the year. Few people expected many of the older systems to still be in use in the next millennium.

Internet Connectivity, Next Generation Internet, Internet 2 and UH

Late last year, we increased the speed of our thoroughly congested institutional Internet connection from a single T1 connection of 1.5 million bits per second (Mbps) to 6 Mbps. By most reasonable measures this link is not yet saturated but we would like to keep ahead of the growth curve if at all possible. Unfortunately, very high speed links are extraordinarily expensive for us relative to most Mainland locations. For example, quoted prices for a 45Mbps link comparable to what many major research universities use are well over $2 million per year for University of Hawai`i (UH). Higher speed links to the Mainland are not even commercially available at present. Two major national initiatives have recently been announced which may impact our capabilities.

There are ways to remedy the problem of changing the date from 1999 to 2000.

This assurance is only for Macintosh computers and the Macintosh operating system that is provided by Apple Computer. If you have written Macintosh applications that do not use Apple's date and time programming cells, you should check your application carefully to make sure it will work with the year 2000.

Please note that the current Date & Time control panel constrains the year to the range 1920 to 2019. This is because the original Macintosh System 6 General control panel only displayed a two-digit year. Apple is expected to release a revised Date & Time control panel as part of MacOS 8.

The new modem pool has several advantages over the older modem pool known as Pearl. One of the advantages is that the modems operate at 28,800 bps (bits per second), versus 14,400 bps on the older lines. This means that you can achieve up to twice the performance of the older lines if you have a 28,800 bps or faster modem. Depending on the quality of the phone connection from your home to the University of Hawai`i, your connection speed will vary. Most people will find that their performance increases to between 24,000 bps and 26,400 bps.

Due to the increased modem speed, if you previously had your software set to use the modem at 19,200 bps, you may now increase the setting to 38,400 bps or higher. Although your modem will communicate with the modem pool at speeds up to 28,800 bps, modems perform data compression which packs more data into fewer bits so that you may achieve higher speeds. Transferring data to your modem at higher speeds may mean better performance, however note that doing so will require a faster computer. If your CPU can not keep up with the speed of data being sent to it, characters will be lost.

Another feature of the new modem pool is that it supports PAP (Password Authentication Protocol). With this feature, login scripts and manual connections are no longer necessary, except for those using Trumpet Winsock. With PAP, you can specify your username and password within the dialing software, then establish your PPP connection immediately after you connect. PAP will take care of entering and authenticating your userid and password.

Connectivity software for PPP may be obtained at the ITS Help Desk through a disk exchange program. Those with Macintosh systems use MacPPP or FreePPP. Trumpet Winsock is used with Windows 3.1. Bring one 3.5" HD disk to the Help Desk in Keller 105 to obtain MacPPP, FreePPP, or Trumpet Winsock.

The operating system for Windows 95 comes with Dial-Up Networking. A document on how to configure Windows 95 Dial-Up Networking is available at the ITS Help Desk.

There are currently twenty schools and ten teams in Hawai`i. Most teams are in the beginning stages of technology and need mentors who can help on-line or in person with HTML, email, telneting or Internet searching. Members of the University of Hawai`i community who would like to volunteer can contact Marsha Mooradian at (808)625-5262 or at marsham@mhpcc.edu

Hawai`i Supercomputer Challenge is sponsored by a partnership between Maui High Performance Computing Center, Hawai`i State Dept. of Education, University of New Mexico, Phillips Laboratory, SETS Technology and Tech Corps Hawai`i.

To allow for some leeway, there is a 1 MB buffer that will last for 24 hours. That is, an ID can exceed 20 MB (up to 21 MB) for 24 hours. Once the 24 hour grace period has expired, warning messages will be displayed every time an attempt is made to write to the disk. For example, you may receive a warning message when you try to create a new file using a text editor or compose a message in Pine. Disk writes will be disabled until the disk usage has been brought down below the 20 MB mark.

To display the amount of disk space you are using and your disk quota, at the UNIX prompt type: quota -v (see below)

---

% quota -v Disk quotas for noeh (uid 56004):

Filesystem	usage	quota	limit	timeleft	files	quota	limit	timeleft
/home/33	20995	20000	21000	19.3 hours	0	0	0

---

In this example noeh is using approximately 21 MB of disk space, her quota is 20 MB, her hard quota is 21 MB, after 19.3 hours if she doesn't reduce her usage below 20 MB she will begin to receive warning messages.

Since email gets delivered to a person's home directory, it will get held up for a limited time on the mail server while waiting for space to be freed up. If no space becomes available, the message will be bounced back to the sender.

Mailing lists are a very popular means of communications with a group. They are often used for making announcements or discussing specific topics and normally address a specific audience such as a campus organization, a research group, a department or students from a particular course. Our busiest Listproc list is currently HI-NEWS-L with approximately 1400 subscribers from all over the world "interested in the events and state of affairs in the islands."

There are basically three types of mailing lists: personal, aliases, and listproc lists. If you and only you will be sending to a mailing list, you should use whatever personal mailing list feature is available in your email software (e.g. addressbook in Pine, nicknames in Eudora). Otherwise, you can request a system-wide mailing list by typing this command on any of our uhunix systems:

uhlistreq

ListProc Software Upgraded

Lack of documentation was the biggest problem when the University of Hawai`i first installed ListProc Software. List owners now can learn to manage and change their list settings from this web document at:

We are now also allowing interactive connections to the list server from any of our uhunix systems. This means that list owners and subscribers can send their results with a command-line interface instead of the traditional email exchange.

The Host Explorer program, formerly known as McGill TCP3270, allows your PC to emulate an IBM 3270 type terminal and is used to log into administrative systems on the IBM mainframe such as the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS), and the Human Resources Information System (HRIS).

Basically, the look and feel of this product is the same as the previous McGill TCP3270, and users who have the McGill product should have no problem using Host Explorer.

UHPT: New Print Screen for HRIS

For users already running McGill TCP3270, it's not necessary to change to the Host Explorer program, unless you prefer to do so. McGill TCP3270 will still function and has the functionality to print the PNF for the HRIS system by using the new UHPT screen.

Administrative mainframe users with the QWS3270 program should get a copy of the Host Explorer program and upgrade. Support for QWS3270 will be discontinued at a later date.

DOS users running CUTCP to access administrative systems, there is no change at this time.

Distribution of Host Explorer via a secure server is being planned. However, for now, the ITS Help Desk at Keller 105 can provide a copy of the software and basic installation instructions for faculty, staff and students. Please bring 3 new high density 3.5" diskettes. If you have specific questions about the UHPT screen, please call the HRIS Hotline (956-HRIS).

We all know how frustrating it is to be put on hold when you need to know now why your computer is making strange sounds and smoking like a barbecue pit. It is even more exasperating to spend an hour answering all kinds of questions before finding out that "It's not a hardware problem, you'll have to call the software company."

However, most of these nightmarish experiences with technical support can be avoided by spending a few minutes in preparation before you call.

Here are a some tips to follow when asking (phone or email) for technical support. The more concise your request, the faster it can be answered.

1. State what computer you are using. Do not overlook this and assume the person on the other end knows what computer you are using. Be as specific as possible.

   Example:
   

   Bad: Uh... I'm using a clone... I think.
   Good: I'm using a Model ZXP2000 Pentium 166 w/ 32MB of RAM, 2.1 GB HD, SoundPounder32 sound card, and a F14 Tomcat video card.

2. List the software you are using and the version numbers, including the Operating System. Many times there are known problems and bugs for a particular version of software. A common problem can be diagnosed quickly if the technical support person knows the specific version of software you are using.

   Example:
   

   Bad: I'm running Windowpanes and the newWord Perforate
   Good: I'm running Baywindows for Teams 3.11. The problem starts when I have Amigo 5.1 and Lortis 4-5-6 running at the same time.

3. Mention all the symptoms of the problem, not just what you think is wrong. If you are asking about how to accomplish a particular task, state what you want your final outcome to be and not just what the immediate hurdle is. The correct answer to your question is not always the best solution to your problem.

   Examples:
   

   Bad: My computer is acting funny. How do I reformat my Hard Drive?
   Good: I just installed Netscoper 4.0 pre-alpha and now my computer crashes when I try to download software. What should I do?

   Bad: How do I write a script that will parse my document and return a word count?
   Good: I want to know the number of words I have in my Macrosqash Worder document. I'm using version 6.0.3a What is the best way to find that information?

4. If the problemis with software, you should try to duplicate the problem. If the same problem persists, it will be easier to pinpoint the cause of it. If it is a hardware problem, it will be difficult to duplicate the problem and in most cases it is better not to "try again".

   Example:
   

   Bad: My screen went blank yesterday. It's okay now but what's wrong?
   Good: Everytime I try to save a file in Wormhole, my screen goes blank.

5. Mention everything you may have done to remedy the situation. Additional information about what you've tried and the outcomes may help pinpoint the problem.

   Example:
   

   Bad: My computer keeps crashing. Help me now!
   Good: My computer crashes whenever I try to open more than one program at a time. I've tried using virtual memory (even though I have 64MB of RAM), I've tried opening different programs in different sequences, and I've even scanned my drive for viruses. What should I do now?

6. If you have received courteous and professional service, consider thanking your technical support person. Technical support in a heterogeneous environment is a complex and difficult job. Take the time to show your appreciation when it is warranted. While you are on hold, they were trying to help yet another frustrated customer.

First of all, why do we need attachments? Standard email between systems generally only contains simple text (upper and lower case characters but no special formatting). This is the only information that is guaranteed to be safely delivered in the body of an email message between different systems. An attachment is an external file that gets sent along with an email message. The file which is attached is not limited to text. The attachment may be a computer program, word processing document, spreadsheet, graphic image, sound file or any information that can be stored in a computer file.

The idea of a foolproof method of exchanging information by email is quite appealing. But there are several things that need to be considered when using attachments.

First and most obviously, both parties must be able to exchange email. The Internet standard for delivering email betweeen systems is called SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). SMTP is the most widely used method for transporting email in the world and the standard supported by the University of Hawai`i (UH). But many LAN-based or proprietary systems use other standards. For these systems to exchange email with the Internet, a "gateway" is used to make the translation. For example, UH offices which use Pegasus mail on their LAN generally have the Mercury Internet gateway installed as well.

Second, both parties must use the same standard for attaching and encoding the file which is to be carried by email as an attachment. The Internet standard for email attachment is called MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension). To exchange attachments successfully using MIME the email "client" which each person uses to compose and read email messages must be able to suport MIME. Examples of email clients supported by UH are Pine (on the uhunix hosts) and Eudora (on the PC and Macintosh). All Information Technology Services (ITS)-supported software uses MIME. LAN-based email systems and clients such as Microsoft Mail or Pegasus may use other standards for attachments, but fortunately, the Internet gateways can usually be set to use MIME for any attachments sent or received via the Internet. People who use Pine or any other host-based email client must also be prepared to upload or download in binary mode any attachment files which are to be used on their microcomputer, e.g. a word processing document.

Third, even if the email attachment is successfully encoded, transported via email, and decoded at the other end, the recipient's computer must be able to actually use the file. For example if someone who uses WordPerfect on a PC sends a word processing document to another person who uses Word on a Macintosh then the recipient must be able to translate or read the file. Or if a Macintosh user sends a folder which has been compressed with Stuffit to a PC user the PC user may not have a utility to Unstuffit. Much of this negotiation between sender and receiver usually takes place in advance, by email of course, as the people agree on what types of files will be useable by all parties. Fortunately, most applications today can read documents from competing software.

Finally, recipients should be aware of the possibility that an email attachment may contain a virus. It is not wise to run applications received over the Internet unless you know their source. With the proliferation of macro viruses even documents may be afflicted. For years there have been false alarms about destructive viruses that spread when you read your email. Unfortunately, by providing a convenient method to exchange any type of file, email attachments also make it possible to propagate viruses, just as when diskettes are exchanged.

In summary, the successful use of attachments over the Internet requires that:

1. Both the sender and recipient's mail programs are MIME-compliant. ITS-supported systems all use MIME. If in doubt about your LAN system, check with your LAN administrator to be sure it is set to use MIME.

2. Plan ahead. Both sender and recipient should agree upon the type of files and the compression type that will be used for the attached files. (The correct compression software is necessary to uncompress the compressed files before it can be used.)

3. As always, practice safe computing. Treat an attachment as you would a diskette and check for viruses regularly.

Formally opened in August, 1994, the MHPCC was established on Maui to support the United States Air Force Maui Space Surveillance Site (MSSS). As a result, a key focus of the MHPCC is the development of advanced image processing and visualization technologies. MHPCC is involved in research activities related to processing and enhancing electro-optical sensor data. In addition, the MHPCC is working with private industry to research better methods of processing 3D image data used by the entertainment, biomedical, and architectural communities.

The DoD High Performance Modernization Program sponsors the primary customer base of MHPCC-DOD researchers across the country. The MHPCC also serves other DoD and government missions, business, and academic customers and supports a wide variety of scientific, research, and commercial projects.

The MHPCC serves as a testbed for scalable parallel technologies. The MHPCC was one of the first research organizations to acquire an IBM RS/6000 Scalable POWERparallel (SP) System, and today is one of the largest SP installations in the world. The MHPCC works actively with software developers to migrate both commercial and development software to parallel environments. In addition, the MHPCC is taking on active role in implementing new high performance storage system technologies.

The MHPCC's hardware and software resources, documentation, and training materials are available through the Internet. Help desk services are provided for software and system questions. The MHPCC also offers comprehensive parallel programming/computing training and education programs on Maui, throughout Hawai`i, on the mainland, and abroad. A one-week training program is offered every year at no charge on the University of Hawai`i (UH) Manoa campus specifically for UH researchers.

MHPCC welcomes projects from government, business, and academia. Academic and educational projects are an integral part of MHPCC. A review process determines the level of MHPCC resources available for each project, and there is typically no charge for computer time for accepted academic projects from UH. UH researchers are currently the single largest group of academic MHPCC users.

To start a project please contact: