Many IT companies are dreading over the
leap second 2015. Most of these companies are considering the leap second as another Y2K-like bug. However, a recent blog on MSDN clears the air saying that leap second 2015 that is coming on
June 30th is not a severe problem like Y2K and it will be taken care by most of the IT companies like Microsoft and Google.
What is Leap Second 2015The concept behind a leap second and a leap year is same. It is basically a one-second adjustment done to the UTC or the Universal Time to match the days’ time adjacent to the mean solar time. Sometimes, due to climatic changes or natural events like earthquake, earth’s rotation varies. This directly affects the mean solar time. In order to match this irregular time, the leap seconds of UTC are made irregular and hence they become, slightly unpredictable. In simple words, when the event like leap second occurs, the UTC system’s clock can tick a second at any time, to adjust that extra second.
The event of leap second hasn’t appeared for the first time. The last time it appeared was the year 2012. And this year it is going to occur on June 30th. The extra second will be inserted in the UTC at 23:59:60. IERS or the International Earth Rotation Service measures the earth’s rotation and makes sure if it is in sync with UTC. If it is delayed than UTC, then IERS decides when to insert a leap second to UTC. Generally, the leap second is inserted at the end of June or December and at UTC midnight. This time also, it is going to take place at the end of June.
Why everyone is worried about the Leap Second 2015Basically, it is not the Leap second 2015; but it is the effect that this leap second might have on the computers and software that people are worried about. IT companies are even calling this extra second as the leap second bug. As per their prediction, the software cycle will go haywire due to this extra second and the program may respond in an unpredictable way; as it might misinterpret the leap second.
The leap second will appear as follows:
1. 2015-06-30 23.59.57
2. 2015-06-30 23.59.58
3. 2015-06-30 23.59.59
4. 2015-06-30 23.59.60 <– leap second
5. 2015-07-01 00.00.00
So basically, when the clock completes the 3rd step, it should go to 5th step mentioned in above list. However, an extra second is inserted and that makes as 1 extra leap second. And people are worried that the software programs, internet and computer’s system clock will the 4th and 5th step as same and will overlap the procedures.
Find out how your Windows Computer reacts to the extra Leap Second
here.
Synchronize the computer clock with the internet time server
You can synchronize the computer clock with the internet time server, as follows:
• Open Date and Time by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock, Language, and Region, and then clicking Date and Time.
• Click the Internet Time tab, and then click Change settings. Administrator permission required If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
• Select the check box next to Synchronize with an Internet time server, select a time server, and then click OK.
Microsoft has assured its users that Leap Second 2015 is certainly not like the Y2K bug which had the potential to create a havoc in the computer’s system.
twc
