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2007 Daylight Saving Time Changes Update 2007 Daylight Saving Time Changes Update

A quick follow up on the 2007 Daylight Saving Time changes. Since my last blog, I have found some important new information. I’ll also challenge you in this blog with one question – “Are you ready for DST?”.
The Problem
Before we begin, we need to understand exactly what the problem is. If you haven't read my last blog on this topic, I highly suggest you do so before continuing.

Important New Information
In that last blog, I provided you with numerous links to Metalink Notes that focused on Daylight Saving Time. Since then, super-DBA Mark Shore informed me that Oracle has created a new DST support category in Metalink's Knowledge Base.

It's pretty easy to find the new DST support area. After you log on to Metalink, you'll notice that Oracle provides a list of navigation tabs at the top of each page.

Click on the second navigation tab from the left titled "Knowledge". Metalink will respond by displaying the Knowledge Browser home page. Scroll half-way down the page until you find the section titled "New in the Knowledge Base."

At the end of that paragraph, there will be a link titled "USA DST 2007 Category". If you click on that link, Metalink will respond by displaying the Daylight Savings Time (DST) USA 2007 Support Category home page.

Daylight Savings Time (DST) USA 2007 Support Category
The new support category in Metalink's Knowledge Base contains links to ALL of the notes on Daylight Saving Time. It is your one stop shop for DST information. If you scroll down to the Topic Listing Table, you'll see that the first note (Note:412789.1) provides information on Oracle DST Webcasts.

Oracle DST Webcasts
We have already attended the DST Webcasts and have found them to be very informative. Oracle provides DST Webcasts for all of their products that are affected by the 2007 DST changes:

  • Webcast 1 - Oracle Database and Client. Provides information on the Oracle database, Oracle client software, Oracle Enterprise Manager and the Oracle JVM.

  • Webcast 2 - Oracle E-Business Suite Applications. Provides information on all of the components affected by DST including the data server and the middle-tier services, such as Forms, Concurrent Manager, Apache, JServ and the JVM. The presenter will tell you which components are affected, which aren't, and what to do to prevent the 2007 DST changes from becoming a problem.

  • Webcast 3 - Peoplesoft Application. Describes the changes to Peoplesoft that will be required to support the 2007 DST changes.

The remaining DST Webcasts combine the Application and Database DST Webcasts into a single presentation. All of the Webcasts begin with a presentation on DST and finish with a Q&A session. We found the Q&A sessions to be just as helpful as the presentations.

If you haven't attended one of the DST Webcasts, all is not lost. There are a few dates and times still available. In addition, Note:412789.1 contains information on how to replay prior DST Webcasts. Oracle also provides you with a couple of different options to choose from. You can replay a prior DST Webcast by accessing it straight from your browser or you can download it to your PC and replay it at your leisure. I highly suggest that you replay the DST Webcasts or attend one of the future sessions.

Our Status
I thought it may be beneficial to provide you with a status on our own internal 2007 DST project:

  • Since we support both the database and E-Business Suite applications, we have created two teams that focus on 2007 DST changes. Each team member is required to become an expert on the impact that the changes will have on the components they are responsible for. This includes identifying what needs to be patched, learning the patching process and coordinating patching efforts with their fellow technicians and our customers.

  • All of our technicians have read the Metalink Notes pertaining to DST and have attended one, or more, of the DST Webcasts.

  • We executed the scripts provided in Metalink Note:412971.1 and have determined that none of the databases we are responsible for supporting use the TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE datatypes.

  • We executed the scripts provided in Metalink Note: 397770.1 to identify all of the databases that have the Oracle JVM installed. We will be applying the JVM patch to all Oracle 8.1.7, 9x and 10x databases that support applications using Java programs.

  • We will be applying both the timezone and JVM patch to all 10G databases.

  • We are patching all Oracle E-Business Suite applications.

  • All Grid Control databases will have both the JVM and timezone patch applied.

  • We have sent notifications to all customers to review all third-party applications, middle-tier products, operating system and external Java engines to ensure that they are 2007 DST compliant.

Your Status?
Twenty some years ago, Craig Mullins and I had the good fortune of being trained and mentored by someone who I would describe as being one of the top managers in the database profession.

We once had to revert to a previous backup in DB2 because an operator had allowed one of the current backup tapes to be overwritten. Since DB2 is intelligent enough to go back to a prior version without problem, the impact on the recovery was minimal. He called me to his office and asked "Who is ultimately responsible for the availability, reliability and recoverability of the databases here?". I stated that I was. He then calmly declared "Then you should understand that since you are ultimately responsible, you are also responsible for ensuring that there are no weak links in the chain."

I continue to live by that rule. Its blatantly obvious that we need to ensure that our databases, administration toolsets and applications are 2007 DST compliant. But we also need to play a dominant role in our organizations to ensure that all of the components (operating systems, third-party applications, middle-tier products, external Java engines, etc.) that interact with our databases are also 2007 DST ready. I am confident that my organization has done everything we can to ensure the transition is smooth.

My challenge to you is "Is your shop ready for 2007 DST?.

Thanks for Reading,

Chris Foot
Oracle Ace


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