SOP Daylight Savings Time Adjustments

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Standard Operating Procedure
Subject:
SOP Daylight Savings Time Adjustments
Author:
Scott Livingston
Approved by:
Don Warf

Contents

Objective

This document describes the action required at interrogation sites to correct the data file creation and submission intervals subsequent to the change from Pacific Standard Time (PST) to Daylight Saving Time (DST), and visa versa.

Background

Both MiniMon and MultiMon use timers linked to the PC's Real Time Clock (RTC) to schedule the creation of data files. Additionally, MiniMon uses a timer to schedule the submission of data files to PTAGIS with the built-in PTTP Uploader service. A stand-alone PTTP Uploader application is used to submit data files on PC platforms running MultiMon, and uses a timer linked to the PC's RTC just as the PTTP Uploader service embedded in MiniMon does. All three of these applications (MiniMon, MultiMon, and the stand-alone PTTP Uploader application) are impacted when the PC's RTC senses a shift at the semi-annual PST/DST boundary. The PC clocks are NOT affected, but the scheduled file creation/submission events are shifted one hour earlier during at PST-to-PDT boundary, and shifted one hour later at the PDT-to-PST boundary. While MiniMon and the stand-alone PTTP Uploader resynchronize with the PC's RTC at midnight following the shift into or out of PST, the MultiMon timer does not automatically resynch with the RTC until the application is restarted. However, the MultiMon timer is reset when a new data file is manually created.

Scope

This procedure is to be used to reset the data file creation and submission schedules on production PTAGIS data collection platforms. It applies to PCs using the Windows 98SE, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 OS, running either MiniMon or MultiMon to collect data. Since the MiniMon and stand-alone PTTP Uploader application timers automatically re-sync with the PC RTC at midnight following the PST/DST boundary on Sunday, and since those corrections will be in place by the start of the normal business week on Monday, this procedural documentation is specific to the steps necessary to correct the file generation schedule for MultiMon installations.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the PTAGIS operations group to apply these procedures as required during the PST/DST boundary periods.

Procedure

Re syncing MultiMon

Note: By stopping and then immediately re-starting data collection, the internal system timers will be reset. It is not necessary to completely shut down the application.

  1. Using the PcAnywhere remote access tool, login to the primary MultiMon interrogation computer PC1.
  2. Once logged in, verify that MultiMon is running in full-screen DOS mode on the remote computer.
  3. Press <F10> to stop data collection; press "Y" to confirm your action to "terminate the RUN mode".
  4. At this point, you will be at the Multimon main menu. Immediately restart Multimon data collection by pressing "S" and then <Enter> twice.
  5. Verify that MultiMon is in the data collection mode by pressing the <F4> key to insert a time stamp. Verify the time is reported as PST.
  6. Manually submit all outstanding data files on PC1 to PTAGIS, using the stand-alone PTTP Uploader application. Minimize PTTP-Uploader and return MultiMon to its full-screen DOS mode. Close the pcAnywhere session.
  7. Repeat steps 1-5 on the backup computer PC2. Manually archive all outstanding data files on PC2. Close PTTP Uploader and return MultiMon to its full-screen DOS mode. Close the pcAnywhere session.

Documentation and Notification

  1. Document this activity to the appropriate site's event log in PTAGIS. This documentation will include:
    • The Time and Date that the process was completed.
    • The name of the last file created on the "bad" schedule.
  2. Send PTAGIS staff a confirmation e-mail, either as a CC: in the event log entry or as a separate message.


References and Notes

Windows 98 is set to switch into DST the first Sunday in April, and back out of DST the last Sunday in October.

Because of the federal Energy Policy Act, daylight saving time is extended by four weeks, beginning in 2007. This change starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. In 2007, DST begins at 2AM on Sunday, March 11, and ends at 2AM on Sunday, November 4.

An update was released for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows Vista in November, 2006.

2007 time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928388/en-us

How to configure daylight saving time for the United States in 2007:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914387/en-us

Why the PC Real Time Clock should run in UT:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/mswish/ut-rtc.html

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