On November 4, 2007, Daylight Saving Time (DST) in most of the United States and Canada will end one week later than last year. Install updates if local DST rules have changed since March. Review checklists of upgraded systems. Watch for calendar oddities between the last Sunday in October and first Sunday in November.

Are We Ready?

Info-Tech Research Group does not anticipate serious problems around the “fall back” portion of DST 2007. Follow this simple decision tree to ensure preparedness for DST “fall back” 2007:

1. Were DST patches applied to OSes and applications earlier this year or were manual adjustments made?

• If software was patched, move to question 2.
• If manual adjustments were made, either update systems now with patches, or at 2am on November 4, manually reverse the spring adjustments.

2. Have local DST laws changed in the interim (e.g. New Zealand)?

• If no, sit tight, everything should work fine.
• If yes, download and install current DST patches that account for local changes.

Recommendations

1. Review DST software patch checklists. In March, IT compiled an inventory of all client PCs, notebook PCs, servers, handheld devices, embedded systems, and automated systems that needed software patches. Review these lists to heighten IT sensitivity to these systems between October 28 and November 4. If systems were not updated, follow the steps outlined in Recommendation #2.
2. If local DST rules have changed since March, download and install current patches or implement a manual work-around. See Microsoft’s comprehensive DST Web site, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, Red Hat, Research in Motion, and Sun Microsystems (including Java). Otherwise, North American administrators can override obsolete DST settings with this process:

• October 28 at 12:00 AM, adjust time ahead on these systems by one hour.
• October 28 at 2:00 AM, time will adjust back automatically by one hour due to original DST settings.
• November 4 at 2:00 AM, roll time back on all systems by one hour.

3. Build a test server and test. Confirm any proposed system changes before widespread implementation. Build a test server and install the software to the state in which it will reside on October 28. Adjust the server’s clock past the previous DST end-date (2am on October 28). Assess the results and adjust DST 2007 strategy accordingly. Perform a similar test for November 4, as well.

Bottom Line

On November 4, 2007, DST in most of the United States and Canada will end one week later than last year. Info-Tech Research Group does not anticipate serious problems around the “fall back” portion of DST 2007. Use this note to determine if any changes need to be made.