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(a)jazzie.com +1 206 443 2028
Gerald A. Winters (gerald(a)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(a)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(a)jazzie.com +1 206 443 2028
> > Serving the Net since 1990.
>
> --
> Gerald A. Winters gerald(a)merit.edu
> Merit Network, Inc. (313) 747-3522 (office)
> 4251 Plymouth Road, Suite C. (313) 747-3745 (fax)
> Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2785
