I have a possibly stupid question. Wouldn't using UTC for the = OS/Hardware clock eliminate the head-ache? I always choose UTC when = installing Linux on machines, but I don't have much experience with = Unix, so this may not even be possible. I also don't know if Oracle = converts UTC to local time zone before handling the values returned from = the system call. So my question may be completely misguided. But I would = appreciate receiving any and all enlightenment on the issue. Thanks. Max -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Mladen Gogala Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 11:02 AM To: DGoulet@xxxxxxxx; 'Oracle-L (E-mail)' Subject: Re: ** impact of time clock changes on Running Oracle DB Goulet, Dick wrote: >Joshi, > > I'm going to make the assumption that your running Oracle 9i or >10g. Maybe that's a bad assumption, but you can correct me if I'm >wrong. Reason that I mention this is that if your using "timestamp = with >local timezone" as your date data type then there is no time change as >far as the database is concerned. This is because Oracle converts the >local date/time to GMT, or Greenwich Mean Time or ZULU, before storing >it and GMT does not change at all. Otherwise you should see absolutely >no problems. Been happening to my servers twice a year for 13 years >now. > =20 > Dick, everything is correct, except the interpretation of the=20 abbreviation GMT. Below is the full text of the announcment published in London Financial Times on=20 3/31/1998. The announcement was actually meant to be published the very next day, bu FT = couldn't wait The New Millennium Is Guinness Time In anticipation of the new millennium, beer-maker Guinness has struck a=20 deal with the Old Royal Observatory in England to sponsor its year 2000=20 celebration. According to this agreement, Greenwich Mean Time would be=20 renamed Guinness Mean Time. In addition, seconds, which were=20 traditionally counted in "pips" would now be counted in "pint drips."=20 Finally, because of the official sponsorship, a Guinness tavern would=20 open inside the Observatory and the countdown would feature a Guinness=20 clock counting "pint settling time." --=20 Mladen Gogala Oracle DBA Ext. 121 -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l