Time Zone

By default, SMART folders, sub-folders, and jobs run in the time zone where the Control-M/Server is located. You can change the time zone where your jobs run in the scheduling definitions, as described in Scheduling.

Jobs that are scheduled to run in a user-defined time zone must be saved at least 48 hours before their intended execution dates. This ensures that they are ordered automatically by the appropriate New Day procedure or User Daily method. If they must run today, then you must run them manually.

The ODATEThe date that a job joins the Run Queues that are defined in the scheduling definitions are calculated according to the New Day time—not the actual date.

You can also order a job to run in specific time zone on a future date. For more information, see -odate and -odate_option in any of the following Monitoring utility parameters:

• ctmcreate Parameters

• ctmorder Parameters

• ctmudchk Parameters

• ctmudly Parameters

BMC Software recommends that you not combine jobs with default and user-specified time zones in the same folder.

Defining Daylight Savings Time Support

This procedure describes how to define Daylight Savings Time (DST) support from the TimeZone.dat file. You only need to do this procedure if the Control-M/Server resides in a location where DST is used.

Begin

1. Navigate to the following directories, and complete this procedure for each TimeZone.dat file:

   • <ctm_server_home>/data

   • *<*em_home>/ctm_em/data/

     The standard format for the definition is timeZone (GMT±hh:mm), where timeZone represents the time zone label.

   The label EST represents the Eastern Standard Time zone, and the regularly formatted entry for Eastern Standard Time is EST GMT -05:00.

2. Change the relevant time zone definition so that it includes DST adjustments, as follows:

   timeZone (GMT±hh:mm) FROM dd.mm hh:mm TO dd.mm hh:mm (GMT±hh:mm)

   Where:

   • timeZone (GMT±hh:mm) indicates the regular time zone value (for example, CET (GMT+02:00)).

   • FROM and TO values indicate the time frame during which DST is in effect. (For example, FROM 01.03 01:59 TO 24.10 02:00)

   • The second GMT value indicates the DST time-offset relative to GMT (For example, (GMT+03:00))

   If a relevant time zone contains several countries, some observe DST and some do not (or if they change the clock on different days) add additional time zone definitions to cover the variations.

   • Bill needs to create a new time zone label for Japan, where the time is nine hours later than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). DST begins 1 March at 01:59 and ends 24 October at 02:00. Bill uses the following entry to create the new label (JST):

     JST (GMT+09:00) FROM 01.03 01:59 TO 24.10 02:00 (GMT+10:00)

   • Although time zone definitions in the Northern Hemisphere are set to summer Daylight Savings Time, definitions in the Southern Hemisphere are set to winter. In Sydney, Australia, winter time (GMT+09:00) is from March 25 at 03:00 until October 1 at 02:00. All other dates are GMT+10:00 (summer time). The time label for Sydney is defined as follows:

     SYD (GMT+11:00) FROM 25.03 03:00 TO 01.10. 02:00 (GMT+10:00)

   • This syntax is reversed for the southern hemisphere. The FROM and TO keywords specify the start and end settings for Daylight Savings Time to take effect.

   • There must be an empty line at the end of the file.

3. Recycle Control-M/Server.

4. Update the relevant job processing definitions, using the appropriate variations.

   If you delete a time zone from TimeZone.dat or modify a three-character name in that file, change any job processing definitions that specify that time zone. Otherwise, those job processing definitions are invalid.

Daylight Savings Time Considerations (Spring)

The following examples assume that the clock is moved ahead at 02:00 A.M. (02:00 A.M. becomes 03:00 A.M.). If the computer is capable of changing the clock without restarting the system, do not bring down Control-M when the clock is being advanced.

New Day Procedure

• If the New Day procedure starts before you reset the clock, the New Day procedure will start working before the clock is advanced, and will continue normally (even if the clock is advanced while the New Day procedure is in process).

• If the New Day procedure is scheduled to begin at exactly 02:00 A.M., the same considerations apply. It is possible that the New Day procedure will start execution before the clock is manually changed. Otherwise, changing the clock will initiate New Day processing.

• If the New Day procedure is scheduled to begin between 02:00 A.M. and 03:00 A.M., after the computer clock is advanced, Control-M will start the normal New Day processing.

• If the New Day procedure is scheduled to begin after 03:00 A.M., no action is required. Control-M will start the standard New Day procedure.

Time-dependent shout messages

• Shout messages that are scheduled before 02:00 A.M. do not require any action.

• Shout messages that are scheduled between 02:00 A.M. and 03:00 A.M. will be issued, even though there may not be a delay in production because the time frame for production is smaller.

• The above information also applies to jobs that have Shout messages scheduled at a later time (for example, 06:00 A.M.). These jobs might be considered late because of the tighter production time frame.

Time-dependent Schedules

• FROM UNTIL: Jobs whose scheduled time overlaps the time gap created by the clock shift may need manual intervention. For example, it is possible that a job with a FROM value of 02:15 A.M. and an UNTIL value of 02:45 A.M. might not be submitted at all. These jobs should be manually adjusted.

• Cyclic Jobs or Cyclic SMART folder: The next run of cyclic jobs with an interval of more than one hour runs one hour sooner than it was scheduled. Cyclic jobs with an interval of less than one hour run immediately. A cyclic job may have to be deleted and then resubmitted to continue the processing cycle during the current day.

Daylight Savings Time Considerations (Winter)

The following examples assume that the clock is moved back at 02:00 A.M. (02:00 A.M. becomes 01:00 A.M.):

New Day procedure

• If the New Day procedure starts before 01:00 A.M., no special action should be taken. The New Day procedure will run only once (between 00:00 and 00:59).

• If the New Day procedure starts exactly at 01:00 A.M., computer time should not be turned back to 01:00 A.M. to avoid another New Day process. A second New Day procedure requires manual intervention. It is advisable to wait until 02:01 A.M., for example, and turn the clock back to 01:01 A.M.

• If the New Day procedure is scheduled to begin between 01:00 A.M. and 02:00 A.M., do one of the following actions:

  • Wait at least a full hour after the daily run, and then turn the clock back as needed; the New Day procedure will have ended.

  • Update the clock before New Day processing begins.

    If the New Day time is 01:45 A.M., the clock should be moved back one hour at no later than 01:44 A.M. If the shift was not done by 01:44 A.M., the user should wait until 02:46 A.M. and then shift the time back.

• If the New Day procedure is scheduled to begin after 02:00 A.M., no special action should be taken.

Time-dependent shout messages: Shout messages scheduled between 01:00 A.M. and 02:00 A.M. might be issued twice.

Time-dependent schedules

• FROM UNTIL: No special action should be taken for jobs with FROM-UNTIL or cyclic schedules. Jobs scheduled to start between 01:00 A.M. and 02:00 A.M. will start at the first occurrence of the hour (provided that other conditions, such as input conditions and resources are met). However, they can be restarted after the clock is moved back.

• Cyclic Jobs or Cyclic SMART folder: The next run of cyclic jobs run one hour later than it was scheduled.

Control-M/Server log file: The Control-M/Server log file might contain entries with times earlier than previous entries, due to the time shift. The same considerations that apply to advancing the clock forward, should be applied to moving the clock backwards.