Buzz
The Y2K mishap originated from 20th-century computer programs designed to recognize only the last two digits of the year. Hence, the confusion between 2000 and 1900. Predicted for 2038, Y2K38 poses questions. Does it share similarities with Y2K in 2000? Explore Y2K38 in the article below.
What's the apprehension surrounding Y2K38? Does it mirror the Y2K scenario in 2000?
The Y2K Quandary
In 2000, the world seemed 'paralyzed' as computers misread time, reverting to dates from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Y2K was a computer glitch causing issues for software and computer programs post the 20th-century's final day - 31/12/1999. Also known as the 'millennium bug,' 'K' represents kilo (used to signify 1000), hence '2K' stands for the year 2000.
The Y2K issue revolves around dates. Computer programs developed in the 20th century were programmed to recognize only the last two digits of the year, making it challenging to distinguish between 2000 and 1900. For instance, in 1978, programs would identify '78' as the year.
The date system, however, ceased to function from 1/1/2000. Engineers observed that programs and software couldn't recognize '00' as the year 2000 but identified it as 1900. Consequently, computer programs recognized 1/1/2000 as 1/1/1900. It was speculated that systems relying on accurate date calculations would surely fail due to the incorrect identification.
Fortunately, experts worldwide promptly repaired computer systems, changing the year field to four digits instead of two. As a result, there was no significant disaster as the world entered the year 2000.
What is the Y2K38 Issue?
Termed Y2K38, this issue is simply about an event that will occur on 19/3/2038. It is believed that the 2038 issue will arise due to the limitations of 32-bit processors and systems running on these processors.
What makes the Y2K38 issue alarming? Does it resemble Y2K in 2000?
Researchers say that at 03:14:07 UTC on 19/3/2038, systems running on 32-bit processors will struggle with the date and time change issue. Computers began counting time from 1/1/1970. However, 32-bit systems can only count up to 2,147,483,647. So, at 03:14:07 UTC on 19/3/2038, 2,147,483,647 seconds will have passed since 1/1/1970, causing all 32-bit computer systems to reset to the year 1970.
The question arises: what will happen when the clock of the 32-bit systems surpasses the threshold of 2,147,483,647 seconds? Some speculate that all these computers will completely cease functioning.
Certainly, from now until 2038, the computer and software industry will witness significant changes. Experts predict that data security professionals will have to alter their approaches in areas such as national security, SSL certificates, Internet of Things devices, and Cryptocurrency.
The simplest solution proposed by data scientists to tackle the Y2K28 issue is upgrading systems to a 64-bit processor. By upgrading to a 64-bit system, the computing power increases significantly, capable of counting up to 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 seconds.
In reality, many computer models already run on a 64-bit system. Microsoft's Windows computers have been running the 64-bit version since the release of Windows XP Professional 64-bit in 2005.
Even Apple's OS X computer software runs exclusively on a 64-bit system after Apple released Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011. While Unix systems supporting web servers and other hardware may still be using 32-bit systems, many are likely to upgrade to 64-bit systems.
Record-breaking Gangnam Style Video
Real-world evidence has proven that upgrading to a 64-bit system is a necessity, a similar technique was employed by YouTube in December 2014. On 12/3/2014, Psy's Gangnam Style video on YouTube surpassed the view limit of 2,147,483,647. However, YouTube was running on a 32-bit system, unable to exceed this number, and the site crashed. Engineers at YouTube swiftly resolved the issue by upgrading the system to 64-bit.
The technique used by YouTube can be applied to other systems before entering 2038. From now until 2038, there is ample time to upgrade systems and implement necessary changes to mitigate the Y2K38 issue, avoiding any potential harm to software and programs.
