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SAP Note 101726 - Incorrect times and time zone setting

Note Language: English Version: 2 Validity: Valid Since 03.02.2000

Summary

SymptomError message ZDATE_LARGE_TIME_DIFFIncorrect timesProblems during the daylight saving time change

Additional key wordsTimezone, UTC, GMT, time, date, tz, rsdbtime

Cause and prerequisitesThis is generally caused by an incorrect time zone setting by the databaseor R/3 processes.

A correctly displayed local time, for example with 'date', does not ensurethat the setting is correct because the time basis of the operating system,the UTC timer, is set indirectly by 'date'. If the time zone setting isincorrect, then the value of the UTC timer must also be incorrect if thecorrect local time is set with 'date'.

The UTC timer counts the seconds since 01/01/1970, 00:00:00, Greenwich MeanTime. At the correct setting it contains the same value in all computers,regardless of their location.

Errors in the time zone setting inevitably cause problems in a switch todaylight saving time and in distributed systems.

Time zone and UTC timer are attributes at operating system level, not ofapplication software, for example database or R/3.

SolutionTo solve the problems proceed as follows:

1. Setting the UTC timer

- Stop database and R/3

- Log on as Superuser (root).

- Set the General Mean Time (GMT) time zone (Greenwich time) forexample in the C-shell with 'setenv TZ GMT'.

- Display the time with 'date'

The time displayed must match Greenwich time.Greenwich time is 2 hours behind compared to Central European Summer Timeand 1 hour compared to Central European Winter Time.

- If this is not the case, you must correct the UTC timer with'date'.

Caution: you must enter the correct Greenwich time here

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SAP Note 101726 - Incorrect times and time zone setting

- The UTC timer is now correctly set.

2. Setting the time zone

- Log on as the user for which you want to make or check the timezone setting, for example ora<sid> or <sid>adm

- Display the time with 'date'. The displayed time must match thelocal time, both in daylight saving time and standard time.

- If this is not the case, you must set a correct time zone, forexample with C-shell 'setenv TZ <zeitzone>'

In you have questions regarding the correct time zone, contact youroperating system manufacturer.

- Make sure that the correct time zone is set automatically inthe login script of the user in question.

- It is even better to configure the correct time zone as adefault in the operating system. You then do not need to set atime zone in the login script.

- Make sure that processes which are not started in the normallogin (for example via 'rexec', 'cron') also have a correcttime zone setting. With rexec, an R/3 instance is started if itis started from the CCMS system monitor (RZ03) or an R/3start-up profile or a computer (instead of 'local').

- The time zone is now set correctly for the databases and R/3processes.

3. Check the settings to R/3

- Start the database (DB) and R/3

- Start the R/3 report RSDBTIME, all times should now bedisplayed correctly.

- If times are displayed incorrectly, check the time zone settingin the environment variable TZ of the DB shadow processes andthe R/3 processes, for example with 'ps eww <prozessnumber' ora suitable monitor of the operating system. 'ps' shows thecontents of environment variables, however only in theBerkeley(BSD) mode that does not exist on all UNIX derivatives.If you have questions contact your operating systemmanufacturer.

Header Data

Release Status: Released for CustomerReleased on: 02.02.2000 23:00:00

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SAP Note 101726 - Incorrect times and time zone setting

Master Language: GermanPriority: Recommendations/additional infoCategory: ConsultingPrimary Component: BC-SRV-TIM-TZ Time zones

Secondary Components:BC-KRN Kernel Components

The Note is release-independent

Related Notes

Number Short Text

1375438 Globalization Collection Note

1165982 Changes to time zone settings at operating system level