Preparing Windows Sharepoint Services for Daylight Saving Changes
Created by Hugh Jones on 21st December 2007
This article provides guidance on preparing Windows Sharepoint Services (WSS) for changes in daylight saving time (DST) start and end dates. The upcoming daylight saving extension and harmonisation for Australian Eastern and Central time zones is used in examples, but the overall approach applies to changes to any time zone.
This article applies to the following version of WSS:
- WSS v2.0, including Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server (SPS) 2003.
- WSS v3.0, including Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server (MOSS) 2007.
WSS maintains time zone information independently of the host operating system in the text file TIMEZONE.XML. Traditionally, hotfixes were used to update TIMEZONE.XML, but in November 2007 it was decided that this was not the most efficient way to make these changes, and development of an alternative mechanism was started. Until this work is completed (the estimate is early in 2008), TIMEZONE.XML will need to be updated manually.
To prepare WSS for a daylight saving change, the following steps need to be performed:
- Apply the latest cumulative time zone updates to the host Windows Server operating system.
- Apply the latest hotfix or service pack to WSS to rectify known daylight saving issues and obtain the most recent version of TIMEZONE.XML.
- Update TIMEZONE.XML to reflect the changes in daylight saving time.
- Use the SharePoint TZMOVE function to adjust any time-dependent data items that fall between the old and new daylight saving times.
Each step is described in detail in the following sections.
Apply Cumulative Time Zone Update
Microsoft publishes cumulative time zone updates once or twice a year. The updates include all previous and known changes to daylight saving times.
The most recent update can be located by searching for the text ‘cumulative time zone update’ at the Microsoft Help and Support Center. For example, the December 2007 cumulative time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems will update the Windows operating system for the 2008 Australia Eastern and Central daylight saving extension and harmonisation as well as previous changes including the 2007 changes in USA, the 2006–2009 Western Australia daylight saving trial and the September 2007 New Zealand daylight saving extension.
Apply WSS Hotfix or Service Pack
Application of the last pre-November 2007 hotfix or Service Pack is recommended in order to ensure WSS is updated to address known issues with daylight saving and also to install the most recent version of TIMEZONE.XML. The table below shows the available hotfixes and Service Packs and identifies the daylight saving updates they reflect.
| Version | Hotfix or Service Pack | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| WSS 3.0 (MOSS 2007) | Service Pack 1 | Includes TIMEZONE.XML update for WA DST trial plus KB938663 (see note below). Does not include TIMEZONE.XML update for NZ DST extension – see KB888253 which uses the NZ DST extension as an example. |
| KB941422 | Pre-SP1 hotfix package, containing KB938663 (see note below) plus TIMEZONE.XML update for WA DST trial plus NZ DST extension. Recommended if you are not planning to install SP1 but need to update WSS for these DST changes. Note that if you install Service Pack 1 after installing this update TIMEZONE.XML may be replaced by a version which does not contain the updates for the NZ extension. | |
| KB938663 | Fixes DST problem in timer service. Included in both the updates above. | |
| KB932347 | WA DST trial update only. | |
| WSS 2.0 (SPS 2003) | KB941412 | Includes TIMEZONE.XML update for WA DST trial plus NZ DST extension. |
| KB930476 | WA DST trial update only. | |
| Service Pack 3 | Includes the update for the WA DST trial but not the NZ DST extension. The existing TIMEZONE.XML is replaced when this Service Pack is installed. |
Update TIMEZONE.XML
Detailed instructions for updating TIMEZONE.XML can be found at KB888253. Note that this article uses the NZ daylight saving extension as an example. The updated file contents for the Australia Eastern and Central daylight saving extension and harmonisation appear at the end of this article.
Use TZMOVE to Adjust Time-Dependent Data Items
Changes to time zone details can cause items which use the Date and Time fields to be off by one hour. Refer to KB939770 (WSS v2) or KB939809 (WSS v3) for more information and detailed instructions on the tzmove function, which is used to correct these problems.
Appendix - TIMEZONE.XML Changes
The updated file contents for the Australia Eastern and Central daylight saving extension and harmonisation are as follows. Changes to the base (released) version of the file are coloured blue.
- <TimeZone ID="76" Name="(GMT+10:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney" Hidden="FALSE">
<Bias>-600</Bias>
- <StandardTime>
<Bias>0</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>4</Month>
<Day>1</Day>
<Hour>3</Hour>
</Date>
</StandardTime>
- <DaylightTime>
<Bias>-60</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>10</Month>
<Day>1</Day>
<Hour>2</Hour>
</Date>
</DaylightTime>
** <History Year=”2007” Name=”AUS2008”>**
** <Bias>-600</Bias>**
- <StandardTime>
** <Bias>0</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>3</Month>**
** <Day>5</Day>**
** <Hour>3</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </StandardTime>**
- <DaylightTime>
** <Bias>-60</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>10</Month>**
** <Day>5</Day>**
** <Hour>2</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </DaylightTime>**
** </History>**
</TimeZone>
- <TimeZone ID="42" Name="(GMT+10:00) Hobart" Hidden="FALSE">
<Bias>-600</Bias>
- <StandardTime>
<Bias>0</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>4</Month>
<Day> 1</Day>
<Hour>3</Hour>
</Date>
</StandardTime>
- <DaylightTime>
<Bias>-60</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>10</Month>
<Day>1</Day>
<Hour>2</Hour>
</Date>
</DaylightTime>
** <History Year=”2007” Name=”AUS2008”>**
** <Bias>-600</Bias>**
- <StandardTime>
** <Bias>0</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>3</Month>**
** <Day>5</Day>**
** <Hour>3</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </StandardTime>**
- <DaylightTime>
** <Bias>-60</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>10</Month>**
** <Day>1</Day>**
** <Hour>2</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </DaylightTime>**
** </History>**
</TimeZone>
- <TimeZone ID="19" Name="(GMT+09:30) Adelaide" Hidden="FALSE">
<Bias>-570</Bias>
- <StandardTime>
<Bias>0</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>4</Month>
<Day> 1</Day>
<Hour>3</Hour>
</Date>
</StandardTime>
- <DaylightTime>
<Bias>-60</Bias>
- <Date>
<Month>10</Month>
<Day> 1</Day>
<Hour>2</Hour>
</Date>
</DaylightTime>
** <History Year=”2007” Name=”AUS2008”>**
** <Bias>-570</Bias>**
- <StandardTime>
** <Bias>0</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>3</Month>**
** <Day>5</Day>**
** <Hour>3</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </StandardTime>**
- <DaylightTime>
** <Bias>-60</Bias>**
- <Date>
** <Month>10</Month>**
** <Day>5</Day>**
** <Hour>2</Hour>**
** </Date>**
** </DaylightTime>**
** </History>**
</TimeZone>