Re: When DST occurs

Doug McNaught <doug@wireboard.com>

From: Doug McNaught <doug@wireboard.com>
To: Justin Clift <aa2@bigpond.net.au>
Cc: pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Date: 2001-05-04T21:47:39Z
Lists: pgsql-general
Justin Clift <aa2@bigpond.net.au> writes:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'm trying to figure out how DST change times will affect a running database?
> 
> For example, if I'm running a PostgreSQL 7.1 server through a DST changeover 
> period, how does the database handle this?
> 
> Apparently linux automatically does some kind of update during the changeover 
> period, but does that transfer through to PostgreSQL?

Linux (and Unix in general) and PostgreSQL both store times in UTC,
which is independent of timezones and DST.  The C library translates
UTC into a local printable time, taking timezone and DST into account
as needed.  So things "just work" and you don't usually have to do
anything special for the DST changeover. 

-Doug
-- 
The rain man gave me two cures; he said jump right in,
The first was Texas medicine--the second was just railroad gin,
And like a fool I mixed them, and it strangled up my mind,
Now people just get uglier, and I got no sense of time...          --Dylan