The PlayStation Network is scheduled to undergo routine maintenance this evening, starting at 12:00am PDT  (1:00am MDT / 2:00am CDT /3:00 am EDT), Sony has announced on the US PS Blog.

The maintenance will last for only two hours, and is intended “to ensure that we can keep offering you the best online games experience,” explains Sony’s  Matthew Harper.

Please note that “during this maintenance period you WILL be able to sign in to the Network if you have signed in at some point over the past few days. So please be sure to sign in now if you wish to access PSN during this maintenance window.”

Application, such as Netflix and Hulu, and online play will not be affected during the  two hour down, given you followed the aforementioned instructions. Only the PSN store and account management functionality will not be accessible during the maintenance.