DST in Domino

This document provides links to product areas or features for Lotus Notes® and
Domino® that may be affected by the changes in the US and Canada Daylight Saving
Time (DST) rules introduced in 2007, as well as details on the steps necessary to
prepare a Notes client or Domino server for the changed DST rules.

Note: The instructions for preparing a Domino server for the changed DST rules are
also necessary to follow for Lotus software products that are reliant on a Domino server
(for example, Lotus Enterprise Integrator (LEI) or Sametime).

Answer

Preparing Notes clients and Domino servers for Daylight Saving Time changes in 2007

Follow the recommendations below in order for Notes and Domino to work as expected with the new Daylight
Saving Time (DST) rules in 2007. Note: These steps are specific to preparing a Notes client and Domino server
for the changed DST rules. The steps should be applied only to systems which have their host operating system's
time zone set to an affected North American time zone.

Note: In Notes/Domino 6.0 and later, the notes.ini parameter DSTLaw cannot be used to control the DST rules
Notes/Domino obeys. In these releases the DST rule functionality works in conjunction with the operating system
DST rule settings, and the DSTLaw parameter is reset to the current operating system rules. The following
operating system must additionally use DSTLaw in order to properly control the DST rules: IBM i5/OS. This
requirement may change in later Notes/Domino releases. It is still suggested that any available IBM i5/OS
operating system updates for DST 2007 be installed to ensure that the operating systems and other applications
function as expected.

Regarding non-North American Notes/Domino environments

The host Notes client's operating system should be updated to reflect the new North American DST rules for 2007
if either of the following are true:

• A user schedules Calendaring and Scheduling entries, Resource Reservation entries, or Notes Date/Time
entries using an affected time zone.
• A user has set their User Preferences to display a secondary time zone in the Calendaring views, where
the time zone specified is an affected time zone.

In the above scenario, it is also advisable to additionally update the Domino server operating system to reflect
the new North American DST rules for 2007.

Refer to the following document for additional information related to the above scenarios: Effects of 2007
Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes on Lotus Notes Calendaring and Scheduling functionality and Resource
Reservation functionality (#1232652)

Update the operating system

If one is available, apply an operating system patch to modify the system's DST rules. A number of
manufacturers already have updates available. It is recommended that you follow the installation guidelines
provided with the patch.

Some operating systems may allow you to directly modify system settings to affect changes in the DST rules. For
Windows, this can be done through the Registry. For flavors of Unix, it is done through an environment variable
(usually called TZ). The following document also contains helpful information on available operating system
patches/updates and links: "Lotus software: United States and parts of Canada extend Daylight Saving Time
(DST) in 2007" (#1245334).

Important Note: The Notes client or Domino server should be shut down while the operating system patch or
update is being applied. Before restarting the Notes client or Domino server, it is important to follow the
instructions below in order for Notes and Domino to work as expected. It is suggested that in cases where a
patch is being installed via an automatic distribution procedure, the procedure should be designed to instruct
users to exit Notes/Domino before the patch is installed, the system should be rebooted after the patch is
installed, and then Notes/Domino can be restarted. The following undesired behaviors can occur if the above are
not followed:

• If the Windows operating system is not restarted after the patch is installed, Notes/Domino will return
the old time zone information for time zones other than the current time zone.
• There have been reported cases where the Notes time zone setting gets set to an unexpected value
when the patch has been installed via an automatic distribution rollout while the Notes client is running.
Refer to the following document for additional details: "Notes and operating system time zone are
suddenly set to an unexpected time zone - typically 'Brisbane" (#1254026).

Update the Notes client

Once the operating system has been updated to the new DST rules:

• Be sure that the parameter "UseNotesTimeZone=1" (which was undocumented and optional in releases
prior to 6.0) is either removed from the client notes.ini files or modified so that the parameter is set to
0 (zero). Failure to remove this parameter can result in undesired behavior independent of the DST
2007 changes.
• In most cases, the user's Location document setting "Use operating system's time zone settings" will
work as expected whether set to "Yes" or "No". If the value is set to "No" and you experience behavior
where the time zone setting reverts to an unexpected value, then check the time zone setting in all of
your Location documents to ensure the expected value is populated for all of them.

Note: A few customers have reported issues where the time zone for Notes and the Windows operating
system are reset to an unexpected value when the setting is "No". This has been observed in cases
where the Windows update was distributed in an automated rollout while Notes is running. For
additional details on this issue, refer to "Notes and operating system time zone are suddenly set to an
unexpected time zone - typically 'Brisbane'" (#1254026).

• After adjusting your operating system and configuring Notes, it will be necessary to reset the time zone
setting within your Calendar Preferences. The setting is accessed through the action button Tools ->
Preferences -> Calendar & To Do (tab) -> Scheduling (tab) -> Time Zone (keyword). Note: If the entry
reflects "Local Time" it does not need to be reset. You may notice that the keyword field defaults to a
different time zone. This caveat occurs because the operating system's new time zone definitions no
longer match the original/old definitions found in the entry. For example, if you are in Central time, after
upgrading the operating system the keyword field will display "GMT-06:00," which coincides with
Mexico. This is working as designed given that keyword fields are designed to match the original data
(in this case based on the GMT offset and DST rules data).
• If you have set an optional secondary time zone display for your Calendar views, then this must be re-
selected once the operating system and Notes have been updated as instructed. The menu selection is:
File -> Preferences -> User Preferences -> International -> Calendar -> Time Zone.

Additional Notes:

• The notes.ini should be edited only when the Notes client is shut down. It is possible for administrators
to set notes.ini parameters and Location document parameters using a Desktop Policy. For details on
setting up custom fields in a Desktop Policy, refer to "Using a Desktop Policy to set notes.ini and
Location parameters" (#1196837).
• There is no means to control DST rules for Notes 6.0 through 6.5.5 running on the Macintosh operating
system. This issue has been reported to Quality Engineering as SPR# MCMA6JNVG6 and resolved in
Notes 6.5.6. Hotfixes are available for download via the document, DST 2007 hotfixes for Lotus Notes
client on Macintosh" #4014840. The fix updates the internal table which contains the DST rules for the
affected time zones, it does not make use of the operating system DST rule information.
• Notes 7.0.2 has an internal table which contains the updated DST rules for the affected time zones. It is
currently planned that future Notes 7.x releases for the Macintosh operating system will be coded to
rely on the operating system for DST rule information.
Update the Domino server
Once the operating system has been updated to the new DST rules:

• Be sure that the parameter "UseNotesTimeZone=1" (which was undocumented and optional in releases
prior to 6.0) is either removed from the server's notes.ini or modified so that the parameter is set to 0
(zero). Failure to either set the parameter to 0 or to remove it can result in undesired behavior
independent of the DST 2007 changes as well as cause the Domino server to delay in revising the
DSTLaw parameter.
• If Domino is running on a IBM Series i operating system, one must use the DSTLaw parameter to
control the Domino DST rules. The parameter should be set as follows: DSTLaw=3, 2, 1, 11, 1, 1

Additional Notes:

• It is recommended that the Domino server is shut down while the notes.ini is being edited to remove or
modify the parameters.
• The server should be shut down while the operating system patch is being applied. This is also an
opportune time to edit the notes.ini with the necessary updates.
• There are issues on non-Windows operating systems which result in Notes/Domino referencing the old
DST rules. These issues are described in the following document: "Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007:
Details on issues where Notes/Domino references old DST information if the operating system is not
Windows" (#1256819).
Notes/Domino releases 6.5.5 Fix Pack 3 (FP3), 6.5.6 and 7.0.2 Fix Pack 2 (FP2) contain fixes which
address the majority of the issues, but these versions do not include a fix for the issue involving the
HTTP $Preferences Web page (described as issue #2 in document #1256819). Notes/Domino releases
7.0.3 and 8.0 contain fixes which address all of the issues.

Additional information on the DSTLaw parameter

When a Notes client or Domino server starts, the DSTLaw parameter is typically updated to the operating
system's DST rules within minutes. If the UseNotesTimeZone=1 parameter is left enabled on a Domino server,
this can cause an undetermined delay in the updating of the DSTLaw parameter. This is undesirable as it will
cause Notes/Domino to use what may be outdated DST rules contained within the DSTLaw parameter, which will
cause the software to follow incorrect DST rules for any Date/Time fields created.

Back to top

Additional information relative to Notes/Domino 5.x releases only

Notes/Domino 5.x releases can make use of the notes.ini parameters DSTLaw and UseNotesTimeZone to assist in
resetting the DST rules.

WARNING: As noted above, these parameters are not suitable to resolve the DST rule settings in Notes/Domino
6.0 or later, as the later releases work in conjunction with the operating system DST rules regardless of the
presence or setting of the notes.ini parameters noted. Use of these parameters in Notes/Domino 6.0 or later will
cause unpredictable results and, thus, they should not be used in a workaround attempt, except as noted for the
IBM Series i operating system.

Notes client:
If the operating system has been updated to the new DST rule:

• Be sure that the "Use the Operating System's Time Zone settings" option is set to "Yes" in the user's
Location document (Advanced tab).
• Additionally, be sure that the parameter "UseNotesTimeZone=1" (which was undocumented and
optional in releases prior to 6.0) is either removed from the client's notes.ini or modified so that the
parameter is set to 0 (zero). Failure to remove this parameter can result in undesired behavior
independent of the DST 2007 changes.

If the operating system has not been updated to the new DST rule, the Notes client can control the DST rule by
making use of the notes.ini setting DSTLaw.
To do this:

1. Set the "Use the Operating System's Time Zone settings" option to "No" in the user's Location
document, specify the relative time zone, and indicate that Daylight Saving Time is observed. (These
settings are found on the Advanced tab.)
2. Edit the client's notes.ini and add the following two lines:

DSTLAW=3, 2, 1, 11, 1, 1
UseNotesTimeZone=1

The syntax for DSTLaw is:

DSTLaw = StartMonth StartWeek StartDay EndMonth EndWeek EndDay
If the user's Location document is not set as described above, the DSTLaw parameter will be ignored.

Domino server:
If the operating system has been updated to the new DST rule:

• On Windows operating systems, be sure that the parameter "UseNotesTimeZone=1" is either removed
from the server's notes.ini or modified so that the parameter is set to "0" (zero).

• On non-Windows operating systems, update the DSTLaw parameter in the notes.ini on the Domino
server to the following:

DSTLAW=3, 2, 1, 11, 1, 1

If the operating system has not been updated to the new DST rule:

You can use the following server notes.ini parameters to control the DST rule: UseNotesTimeZone, DSTLaw,
TimeZone, DST. Note: Once the operating system update or patch has been installed, remove the parameter
UseNotesTimeZone.

Details on the parameters:

Set UseNotesTimeZone=1 to give Domino control of the time zone and DST settings.

The TimeZone and DST parameters will depend on your location. If the parameters are already present, do not
modify them unless they are incorrect.

The DST parameter is set to '1' if you obey DST and '0' if you do not.

The TimeZone parameter represents the number of hours from GMT your location is. For example, for a location
in Eastern Time, which is -5 hours from GMT, the TimeZone parameter is '5'. For a location which is +5 hours
from GMT, the parameter would be '-5'.

Add the DSTLaw parameter as follows:

DSTLAW=3, 2, 1, 11, 1, 1

Note: The UseNotesTimeZone parameter does not work as expected on systems running the Windows NT 4
operating system with Service Pack 4. Later Service Packs do not reproduce this issue.
Back to top

Issue to be aware of

There are a small number of cases where Notes/Domino will reference outdated Daylight Saving Time rules when
the operating system is not Microsoft Windows. For more information, refer to the following document "Daylight
Saving Time (DST) 2007: Details on issues where Notes/Domino references old DST information if the operating
system is not Windows" (1256819).

Back to top

Additional resources for Notes/Domino administrators and end users

Executive Summary and End User Guide: Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 (#1254625)
 • Overview of the issue, risk and necessary actions related to the new DST rules.
• Contains information to help IT System Administrators and Help Desk personnel communicate the
changes for DST within you organization.

Deployment Guide: Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 (#1254624)

• Step-by-step instructions to prepare Notes/Domino for the DST 2007 changes.

• Provides frequently asked questions and answers.

Agents for updating Calendaring and Scheduling entries and Resource Reservation entries for Daylight Saving
Time (DST) 2007 (#1254639)

• Set of IBM Lotus-prepared agents to update calendar entries to conform to the new DST rules.
• Instructions for applying the agents and a detailed description of how they work.

Back to top

Links to information on product areas that can be affected by Daylight Saving Time changes in 2007

Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 changes for Notes/Domino involving Java (#1250136)

• List of Java classes affected by the DST changes.

• How to determine if a JVM version contains the updates and how to update the JVM.

Effects of 2007 Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes on Lotus Notes Calendaring and Scheduling functionality and
Resource Reservation functionality (#1232652)

• Provides a detailed description of how calendar entries are affected.

• List of additional actions to take once the operating system patch is applied.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 effects on Date/Time fields in Lotus Notes and Domino (#1249177)

• Describes the conditions in which date/time fields will be an hour later.

• Describes a programmatic approach which can be taken to update the values.

Troubleshooting tips for Notes and DWA regarding Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 (#1254813)

• How to tell if the updates have been applied to the operating system or Notes.
• Description of behavior to be aware of and actions to take.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 information for Domino Web Access (#1241063)

• Information on updated Domino Web Access Forms files that correct DST issues.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) 2007 information for Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook (#1249899)

• Actions required to prepare Domino Access for Microsoft Outlook for the DST changes.
 Back to top

Change History
23 October 2007 Added detail of fixes for non-Windows issues.
Information was (still is) originally only available in #
1256819.
26 March 2007 Reset Hot Issue expire date. No changes to content.
15 March 2007 Added section "Issues to be aware of". Added text "US
and Canada" in problem to detail that the DST
changes in 2007 discussed are limited to time zones in
those areas.
12 March 2007 Additional detail on 'Use OS time zone settings" in
Location documents.
01 March 2007 Added a link to document #4014840 on DST fixes for
Mac. Re-added detail on R5 Domino scenario where
OS has not been updated yet. Information was
removed in error when the formatting was revised.
26 February 2007 Fixed broken link.
16 February 2007 Revised format.
14 February 2007 Added two new links. Removed outdated install
advice. Added step to update Calendar time zone
setting.
13 February 2007 Added fix info for Notes 6.5.4 on Mac. Added
reference to new Troubleshooting tips technote.
09 February 2007 Added fix info for Notes 6.5.5 on Mac
02 February 2007 Corrected (added) details on Mac fix/hotfixes. For
Notes 6.x. Corrected IBM i5/OS syntax.
30 January 2007 Added link to DST document on Java and
Notes/Domino .
26 January 2007 Added additional text relative to how/when the patch
is installed. Reformatted existing text on Macintosh
information.
11 January 2007 Updated content relative to Macintosh. Changed
references of "iSeries" to "Series i".
15 November 2006 Added links to additional DST documentation. Added
reference to using a Desktop Policy document.
29 October 2006 First published.