Time Zones

A time zone is a geographic region that uses the same standard time. The system uses the current time on the database server machine to choose an appropriate time zone for each time stamp that is saved. If your system and the database server are in different time zones, the system converts the database server time to your local time zone when it appears on your browser. You cannot change a time stamp time by adjusting the time on the PC.

The Time Zones page ( Administration > Application Setup > System Configuration > Time Zones) displays the time zones currently available to the system. You can add a time zone or modify existing time zone information. You can also modify time zone information with XML import programs.

The time zones are effective-dated and are sorted by their Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) offset. A time zone GMT offset is the difference (in hours) between a particular geographic region and GMT. For example, 6:00 AM in the Eastern time zone is 11:00 AM GMT.

If more than one time zone has the same GMT offset, the time zones are sorted by their display name, in ascending order. If there are multiple versions of a time zone definition, the versions are sorted in descending order by effective date (future to past).

The Refresh button enables you to update the page from the database.

The Filter drop-down list enables you to display:

  • All— All time zones
  • Active— Time zones that are active, based on the setting (false) of the “Is Inactive” switch in the database
  • Inactive— Time zones that are inactive, based on the setting (true) of the “Is Inactive” switch in the database

Time zone information

The following table describes the information that appears on the Time Zones page.

Column

Description

Display Name

The name of the time zone as it appears in the system and on reports. It can include the GMT offset and a country name.

Time zones that are not in effect or are inactive are grayed out.

Time zones that are not in effect do not show their display name. unless there is only one version of the time zone or unless it is a future time zone.

Time zones that are not in effect are indented.

Database Name

The name of the time zone as it is stored in the database. Use the database name when importing time zone information.

Although time zones are sorted by GMT offset, if the GMT offsets are equal, the time zones are sorted by display name. The sort order is ascending.

GMT Offset

GMT, or Greenwich Mean Time (offset zero), is the time at prime meridian. All of the other time zones are offsets from GMT, typically in 1-hour increments.

For example, Eastern time is an offset of -5 hours, or 5 hours earlier than the current time at Greenwich. Amsterdam is an offset of +1 hours, or one hour later than Greenwich time.

Time zones are sorted by GMT offset. If the GMT offsets are equal, the time zones are sorted by display name, in ascending order.

Daylight Saving Starts

The day and time on which daylight saving starts in the time zone.

Daylight Saving Ends

The day and time on which daylight saving ends in the time zone.

Effective Date

The time zone version that is in effect on the current date.

If a time zone is inactive, the check mark does not appear, even if the time zone is in effect on the current date.

Active

Indicates (with a check mark) whether the time zone is currently active, A check mark indicates active.

Use the Filter drop-down list to view All, Active, or Inactive time zones.

Daylight saving time

For scheduled events, the scheduled time is adjusted for daylight savings time while the clock time remains as scheduled.

Example: An integration that is scheduled to run at 4 am standard time, runs at 4 am daylight time, which is 60 minutes earlier than before the spring time change. For the autumn time change, this integration again runs at 4 am standard time.

  • Skipped hours: Daily, weekly, and monthly events that are scheduled to run during an hour that the time change removes do not run.

    Example: If the spring time change skips the hour from 2:00 to 2:59 am, events that are scheduled to run from 2:00 to 2:59 am do not run.

  • Hours before skipped hours: Daily and weekly events that are scheduled to run before an hour that the time change removes also do not run.

    Example: If the spring time change skips the hour from 2:00 to 2:59 am, daily and weekly events that are scheduled to run from 1:00 to 1:59 am do not run.

  • First-time runs: If an event is scheduled to run for the first time during the hours after the hour that is skipped by the time change, that event does not run on that day, and runs one hour before the scheduled time on every other day that it is scheduled.

    Example: If the spring time change skips the hour from 2:00-2:59 am, the first run of an integration that is scheduled to run at 3:00 am does not run. However, the next runs occur at the scheduled 2:00 am.

Add or modify time zone information

You can add a time zone or modify existing time zone information. You can also modify time zone information with XML import programs.

  • After you add a time zone, you cannot modify the time zone name, which is displayed in the Database Name column. The name becomes a key for system processes accessing the TIMEZONE table in the database.
  • When you add a time zone, the system populates the Display Name column and field with the time zone name. You cannot modify the display name on the Edit Time Zone page. To modify the display name, edit the wpk_strings.properties file.

    For example, you create a time zone called MyNewTimeZone. MyNewTimeZone appears in the Database Name column and the system-generated name, MYNEWTIMEZONE, appears in the Display Name column. To modify the display name, add the property com.kronos.wfc.business.datetime.TimeZone.Config.<time zone name> to the wpk_strings.properties file. In this example, you could add:

    com.kronos.wfc.business.datetime.TimeZone.Config.MYNEWTIMEZONE=(GMT -07:00) Another New Time Zone

    When the modified properties are refreshed (or loaded), the Display Name column lists the time zone as (GMT -07:00) Another New Time Zone. The Database Name remains MyNewTimeZone.

  • You cannot delete a time zone, but you can clear the Active check box so that it is not used by the system.

To add or edit a time zone:

  1. On the Time Zones page, click Configure to create a new time zone or select a time zone and click Edit to change a time zone.
  2. On the New Time Zone or Edit Time Zone page, complete the following fields:
    • Display Name— Enter the time zone name for the Display Name column. After it is created, you cannot change this.
    • Time Zone— Enter the time zone name for the Database Name column. After it is created, you cannot change this.
    • GMT Offsest— Enter or edit the GMT offset in HH:mm or HH.hh format.
    • Active— Select this check box to make the time zone active.
    • Tenant Default— Select this check box to make the time zone the tenant default.
    • Version Effective Dates— For a new time zone, the effective date is always Beginning of Time - Forever. The Create New Version option is unavailable.

      When editing a time zone, you can change the effective date and then click Update This Version.

    • Daylight Savings Starts and Daylight Savings Ends— Enter or edit the daylight saving start and end times or click None.
  3. When you finish, click:
    • Save to save the time zone and remain on the current page.
    • Save & Return to save the time zone and return to the Time Zones page.
    • Save & New to save the time zone and clear the page so that you can create another time zone.
    • Return to return to the Time Zones page without saving the changes.
    • Refresh to update the page from the database.

Sample XML programs

The following XML examples illustrate how to retrieve and update time zone information.

Retrieve complete information about time zones

To retrieve complete information about all of the time zones in the system:

<Request Action="RetrieveAllForUpdate">

<KTimeZone/>

</Request>

Retrieve the database names of time zones

To retrieve the database names of all the time zones in the system:

<Request Action="RetrieveAllNames">

<KTimeZone/>

</Request>

Retrieve information about a time zone by using the database name

To retrieve information about the time zone that has the database name Samoa:

<Request Action="RetrieveForUpdate">

<KTimeZone Name="Samoa"/>

</Request>

Retrieve information about a time zone by using its ID number

To retrieve information about a time zone with an ID number of 13000:

<Request Action="RetrieveForUpdate">

<KTimeZone ID="13000"/>

</Request>

Update or insert a time zone with the database name SomeTimeZone

To update or insert the time zone SomeTImeZone with the following data:

  • Its GMT-offset is -12:00 hours (-43200 seconds) and it is an active time zone.
  • It has two versions:

    The first version is in effect as of 1/1/2001. DST starts on the first Monday of March at 2 AM, and ends the second Thursday of October at 3 AM.

    The second version is in effect as of 1/1/2004. DST starts on the second Sunday of March at 3AM, and ends on the last Monday of October at 3AM.

<Request Action="Update">

<KTimeZone Name="SomeTimeZone" GMTOffset="-43200" IsInactive="false">

<KTimeZoneRules>

<KTimeZoneRule StartDate="1/1/2001" DSTDayNumber="1" DSTDayOfWeek="2" DSTMonth="3" DSTTimeOfDay="2:00AM" StandardDayNumber="2" StandardDayOfWeek="5" StandardMonth="10" StandardTimeOfDay="2300AM"/>

<KTimeZoneRule StartDate="1/1/2004" DSTDayNumber="2" DSTDayOfWeek="1" DSTMonth="3" DSTTimeOfDay="3:00AM" StandardDayNumber="5" StandardDayOfWeek="1" StandardMonth="10" StandardTimeOfDay="3:00AM"/>

</KTimeZoneRules>

</KTimeZone>

</Request>