[RADB #2390] RADB Timezone

Gerald Winters suggests (see below) that this work group 
might be a good place to discuss the timezone used when 
calculating a proper date for the changed: field of RADB 
objects.

Is there a valid rationale for the RADB's use of a local 
timezone rather than Universal Time?  If not, can this
work group make a recommendation (formally or otherwise)
to the RADB suggesting Universal Time be used to calculate
the date for this field?

The other inter-registry consistency issues Gerald mentions 
are likely important too, but this one seems ... totally 
without controversy.  Or am I missing something?

-- 
Sean Shapira         sds at jazzie.com         +1 206 443 2028

Gerald A. Winters (gerald at merit.edu)
> 
> Sean,
> 
>   Actually there are some good reasons to use universal
> time.  For example, we import the ripe registry and they
> are not using EST as we are.  So there is some conflict
> there.
>   There has been talk of enforcing consistency among the
> registries (ie, aut-num policy, maintainer registration, ...)
> and the changed date (ie, time-stamping) will undoubably play 
> an important role.
>   I think the changed data is ignored to a certain extent because
> humans supply the date and not the software.  The software only
> checks for dates in the future, I believe, but will accept dates
> in the past.  So the changed date is more like a hazy indicator 
> rather than a precise time stamp.  You know the the real/exact
> changed date is <= to the actual changed date.
>   The place to bring this point up is at the RIPE meetings
> to the data base working group.
> 
> --Gerald
> 
> Sean Shapira writes:
> >In response to a recent RADB update request I  received:
> >> WARNING:     date in "changed" (961113) is in the future - changed to 961112
> >
> >The trouble?  I'm guessing auto-dbm at ra.net was using Eastern
> >Standard Time; I was using Universal Time.  It seems a window 
> >of vulnerability exists during which auto-dbm has an incorrect
> >idea of the "one true date" ;-).
> >
> >Seriously, as the global route registration database of last 
> >resort, doesn't using Universal Time in the RADB make sense?
> >
> >-- 
> >Sean Shapira         sds at jazzie.com         +1 206 443 2028
> >               Serving the Net since 1990.                 
> 
> --
> Gerald A. Winters		         gerald at merit.edu
> Merit Network, Inc.                     (313) 747-3522 (office)
> 4251 Plymouth  Road, Suite C.           (313) 747-3745 (fax)
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