Exchange 5.5 and Daylight Savings Time 2007 3

[ITfromZX81]

Hi all,

Is there any kind of workaround for Exchange 5.5 and Daylight Savings Time 2007 that is going to come along in the near future?

I know there is a hotfix available for people with extended support, but what if you don't have this? Can you pay a one time fee to Microsoft for the hotfix or will they not do this? Is there any way around this issue(other than upgrading to Exchange 2003)? What are the ramifications of not fixing this issue?

Thanks,

 

[aluke000]

Has anyone tried the GMT approach?

Is there a timezone setting within Exch 5.5?
Or is it simply based on the OS timezone setting?

Has anyone used the Exchange Tool on 5.5? (even though MS is has removed all mention of it on the KB article)

Has anyone tried using the VPC image to do the updating of data on an Exch 5.5 box?

 

[zbnet]

I've set Exchange 5.5 servers to GMT in a 5.5 test lab (no OWA involved), and it doesn't have any apparent detrimental effects on the performance of the calendars. Whether it is necessary in the absence of OWA is questionable, especially if you update the timezone on the server (NT4 or Win2000) to be DST-aware either with TZedit or with one of the 3rd-party utilities available.

Exchange 5.5 doesn't have an internal timezone. Exchange itself uses UTC (which is the same as GMT) internally, so setting the timezone of the server that is running Exchange 5.5 to GMT (with no daylight saving auto-adjustment) should be totally safe (you might need to review the time of any scheduled backups, especially if the server is US-based).

All Outlook client-based times are calculated on the timezone of the client and how much this offsets from UTC, so if you patch all your workstations (XP presumably) so that they are DST-aware, then (excluding OWA) you shouldn't have any problems other than what the MS tech said - that appointments in the extended DST periods (don't forget the 1 week at the end in the autumn/fall, which might get some long-reaching recurring appointments) will be off for 1 hour. Because there is uncertainty as to whether the client tool can patch 5.5, you can either test this to find out for yourself (you'll be the one who has to support the users if it breaks their calendars!) or tell the users to manually adjust the calendar items for the extended DST periods.

 

[iamwiz82]

I have been playing with TZMove.exe and I am having some issues. It's running on a patched workstation and says that there are no appointments to move for any mailbox I try.

 

[rfish93705]

Hello all, I'm running Exchange Server 5.5 on Windows 2000 Server SP4. MS Outlook clients 2000 & 2002. A mix of @000 & 2003 Servers and Workstations.

From what I've read in this thread and MS KB articles this is what I've concluded. Please feel free to correct any ill logic or just plain mistakes.

Option one,
download and run all of the Microsoft patches for operating systems and outlook versions they supply.

Operating systems;

1)use Microsoft's time zone edit executable tool. This tool is effectively the same as the patches.

This tool will add the time zone change to the registry the same as the patches.

This Microsoft time Zone edit tool runs on all Windows Operating systems.

a) use the patches provided by Microsoft to update the operating systems.

Option 2,

purchase Network Administrator from Intelliadmin.

Network Administrator software will allow for the installation of Intelliadmin's own patch for all versions of Windows Operating systems. NT4, '98, ME, 2000, 2003.

I have downloaded the trial version of Network Administrator and used it to install & verify the installation of Intelliadmins DST patch.

I have tested this by setting the date and time on my system to 1:59.59 ad watched the time update to 3:00 AM.

The use of network administrator would reduce the amount of time necessary to update the Operating systems.


Microsoft Outlook,

1)use Microsoft's TZMove.exe. This tool will update an individuals existing calendar events by one hour during the New Daylight savings time period, March 11 to April 8

The Time Zone Data Update Tool will enable users to update their calendars to accommodate the change in DST rules.

When you run the Time Zone Data Update Tool, the following Outlook items that occur during the extended DST period are updated:

Meetings for which the user is the organizer and which reside in the user’s default calendar

The tool then automatically sends updates for those meetings to all other attendees.

Single-instance and recurring appointments created in his or her default calendar

Reminders on mail and task items.

Taken from Microsoft web site.....
In existing recurring appointments, Outlook has encoded the current DST rules: Instances of recurring appointments that occur during the delta period will appear one hour earlier than they should.
For existing single-instance appointments and reminders, Outlook already calculated the universal time coordinate (UTC) value upon appointment creation: If a user creates an appointment while Windows is configured for the old DST rules and the appointment itself occurs during the "new" DST weeks, the appointment will appear one hour earlier than it should.
Existing all-day events are associated with 24 specific hours instead of a given date: For the reasons described above, all-day events will appear to shift and thus span two days during the "new" DST weeks

MS Exchange,

Another version of the Time Zone Data Update Tool has been released for servers that are running Exchange Server.
Administrators can run the server-side tool to automatically update client mailboxes. Individual user interaction will not be required.


1)as stated above there are Exchange Server Calendar update tools, that will update MS Exchange Server Calendars Globally by one hour. There is an update for Exchange server 5.5 but the cost is $4000.00.

As far as I can determine there is NO NEED TO RUN THE EXCHANGE SERVER CALENDAR UPDATE TOOL TOOL IF EACH INDIVIDUAL OUTLOOK CLIENT USES TZMove.exe

The only caveat is OWA and CDO. I do not have to deal with that in my environment.

I will be using Tzedit or Intelliadmin to update all of my Operating systems and TZMove to update all of my Outlook clients. I do not plan on attempting to run any Exchange Server updates.

I have setup two virtual servers & workstations in VMWARE for testing all the different combinations of dst updates..
One Exchange Server 2003 & Exchange Server 5.5 and two workstations. Windows 2K Pro & Outlook 2000 and Windows XP & Outlook 2002.

Any suggestions, support, Ideas or comments are welcome.

Thanks....

 

[airpatel]

rfish93705: My environment is similar. I am running the IntelliAdmin as well. So did you find out if you had to run the Exchange server patch? Was the server patch to basically move all the appointments 1 hr for all users?
I was under the impression it does more than just that. Also how is the time stamp on each new email going to be affected if you do not run the exchange server patch?

 

[rfish93705]

Airpatel:
I'm still researching if I need to run the Exchange Server DST Update. I need to find out what it does.

Regarding Outlook. I based part of my previous post from what I am pasting in below directly from KB 931667.

It is a bit lengthy, but I quoted " " the important stuff.
The statements are all in their original context from the KB article.

I will post more about the Exchange Server update tool needs ASA I figue it out.

See below

Outlook 2007 Outlook 2003, Outlook 2002, Outlook 2000
You do not have to use the Time Zone Data Update Tool. However, we recommend that you run the tool because it includes many improvements over the tool that is included in Outlook 2007. Run the Time Zone Data Update Tool.
In environments in which Microsoft Exchange Server is run, a special version of the

"Time Zone Data Update Tool may be used to update multiple Exchange mailboxes on the server."

"In environments in which Microsoft Exchange Server is run, a special version of the Time Zone Data Update Tool may be used to update multiple Exchange mailboxes on the server."

"Note You do not have to run both the Outlook and Exchange Server versions of the Time Zone Data Update Tool. We encourage you to read all the documentation about each tool and then determine which tool will best suit your specific environment and needs.
Back to the top

Tools that you can use to update DST in calendaring applications
The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download the TZMove.exe package now. (

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...9DD8-AE0F1AF62568&displaylang=en)

Release Date: January 30, 2007

The Time Zone Data Update Tool will not be distributed through Microsoft Update or through Windows Update.

The Time Zone Data Update Tool must be downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center and then run by the user. The Time Zone Data Update Tool will enable users to update their calendars to accommodate the change in DST rules.

When you run the Time Zone Data Update Tool without using any command-line switches, the following Outlook items that occur during the extended DST period are updated:• Meetings for which the user is the organizer and which reside in the user’s default calendar

Note The tool then automatically sends updates for those meetings to all other attendees.
• Single-instance and recurring appointments created in his or her default calendar
• Reminders on mail and task items
Another version of the Time Zone Data Update Tool will be released for servers that are running Exchange Server. Administrators can run the server-side tool to automatically update specific client mailboxes. Individual user interaction will not be required.

For more information about the Exchange updates and the Exchange Calendar Update Tool, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
930879 (

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930879/)

How to address daylight saving time by using the Exchange Calendar Update Tool

 

[legend3897]

Dear All,

If we take a more fundamental look at things can't we simply not PATCH any workstaions and servers then just simply change the time on all machines

1. Add one Hour of the 11th or March

2. Minus one Hour on first sunday in april (becuase your computer will automatically adjust your time because it thinks Daylight Sacing Tims is just starting - so your clock would be off 2 hours)

And by the time we need to change again in Fall, Hopefully we have ALL UPGRADED TO EXCHANGE 2003/2007.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[rfish93705]

Airpatel; Regarding Exchange server DST update.

I am quoting MS from KB articles 92666 & 931978
Both are identical in their reasoning.
Both refer to Outlook depending on the OS Time Zone and the needs of CDO's like OWA.
I have seen nothing else mentioned on these changes affecting anything else in Exchange.


Why is the update required for Exchange?
Microsoft calendar software such as Outlook depends on the operating system time zone information to display time information. However, Collaboration Data Objects (CDO)-based programs such as Outlook Web Access depend on separate internal time zone tables. This update modifies these internal time zone tables to match the changes in time zone settings.

Without this update, calendar items in CDO-based programs and in Outlook Web Access will operate as if standard time is in effect during the extra weeks of daylight saving time. For example, without this update CDO-based programs will operate in standard time during the following periods in 2007: • March 11, 2007 through April 1, 2007
• October 28, 2007 through November 4, 2007

Why is the update required for Exchange?
Microsoft calendar software such as Outlook depends on the operating system time zone information to display time information. However, Collaboration Data Objects (CDO)-based programs such as Outlook Web Access depend on separate internal time zone tables. This update modifies these internal time zone tables to match the changes in time zone settings.

Without this update, calendar items in CDO-based programs and in Outlook Web Access will operate as if standard time is in effect during the extra weeks of daylight saving time. For example, without this update CDO-based programs will operate in standard time during the following periods in 2007: • March 11, 2007 through April 1, 2007
• October 28, 2007 through November 4, 2007

 

[rfish93705]

I have my new Exchange server already built and a trust established between Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange server 5.5.
They seem to like one another and play well together.
The movement of mailboxes is easy using Exchange server 2003 migration tool.

 

[rfish93705]

My Plan is to Purchase Intelliadmin Network Administrator tool. I will use it to distribute their patch to all of my Servers and Workstations. As a result I will have all of the time zones changed to comply to the new standard od March & November.
Next I will run TZmove.exe on all of my Outlook clients.
This will update all of the calendars on the Exchange server.

This will eliminate the need of a Exchange 5.5 Calendar update tool.

I am not using OWA, so the need for a CDO update or the Exchange 5.5 patch for Exchange Server DST Update will not be necessary.

Check out this link I found at the MS Office site,

What happens if you do not update Windows or Outlook
If you choose not to install the Windows updates and run the Time Zone Data Update Tool, then during the extended DST period, the impact on your Outlook calendar will be that appointments and reminders will appear one hour off. All-day events will shift and span two days because these events are associated with 24 specific hours rather than an individual date.

Impact between March 11, 2007, and April 1, 2007 Impact between October 28, 2007, and November 4, 2007
Calendar items display one hour later than originally scheduled Calendar items display one hour earlier than originally scheduled

http://office.microsoft.com/en-/outlook/HA102086071033.aspx

Regards, fish

 

[legend3897]

Dear All,

Does anyone know if Blackberry Enterprise Server and Goodlink Server are CDO based?

Regards,
3897

 

[iamwiz82]

legend3897,

BES requires the CDO.dll from your Exchange Server to be copied over, so yes, it is.

 

[vtmishka]

rfish93705:

Seems like we're on the same page and at a similar place in our respective migrations (see my earlier post).

I think that you're plan sounds good - it's essentially the same plan as I'm following.

Keep one thing in mind though - you may want to be sure and hold off on your Exchange sever migration until after 4/2/2007 as was suggested to me by the MS tech with whom I spoke.

Reason being, now, I have a fully built Exchange 2003 server with basically no data in the information store. Once I do the upgrade, then I have calendar items in the IS that will fall within the Delta Period and I have to go through the whole Exchange TZ Tool procedure as well.

If I wait until after the Delta Period then my newly created and patched Exchange 2003 server will properly handle all items going forward.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[rws70]

I am basically done with a 70 person Exch 5.5 / OWA / Blackberry environment. This is what I did:

1. I patched the operating systems of servers and desktops. (Most of the XPsp2 desktops were already patched in late Feb, because we have the control panel Auto Updates turned on. You can verify easily with IntelliAdmin or go to Add/Remove programs (put a check in the box thats says "Show Updates") and see if KB931836 was installed.)

2. I did nothing else to my Exch 5.5 servers.

3. I installed TZMOVE.exe (KB931667) and the Hotfix for it (KB933146) on a laptop with XPsp2 and .Net 2.0 (get it from Microsoft Update - non critical items) and Outlook 2003. I logged onto an XPsp2 laptop with one of my exchange server "Service Admin Accounts" which can get into any mailbox. I made an Outlook profile for each Executive, VP, and Director. Checked their machines to see the date when their operating systems were patched. Then I would open a mailbox and keep it open, then open a command prompt window and run tzmove.exe with a comman line option based on the date of their OS update like this:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Calendar Update Tool Folder\tzmove.exe /ONLYCREATEDPREPATCH:2007-02-20T12:00:00Z
(note the above path to tzmove is from memory because I am at home writing this so get your path right ... but this part "/ONLYCREATEDPREPATCH:2007-02-20T12:00:00Z" is exactly what I used for users who OS was patched on 2/20/07)

I used the command line option so tzmove would not change appointments created after the OS was patched since they should be showing up properly in Outlook.

TZMOVE.exe comes up and identifies the mailbox you have open, then you click OK, and it lists all the calendar appointments it found to correct. You then have the option to uncheck some of the appointments, compare the list to the actual calendar in the open Outlook profile you have running, click Cancel to abort, or OK to update the list of appointments and meetings. You can wait a minute and watch the appointments in the calendar as Exchange changes them to the correct time.

Running tzmove on Outlook had no bad effects at all on my Exchange 5.5 system.

For the other 50 non-vip users, I sent out an email telling them they had to check their appointments and make manual corrections as needed. You can find a doc version of the email here:

http://download.yousendit.com/E29149C131A34092

(I had screen shots but had to remove due to privacy concerns)

This link could be helpful for people who need to patch Win 2000 OS

http://download.yousendit.com/4A05697028251200

(links expire in 7 days)

Finally I sent out another email explaining that Blackberry and OWA may show incorrect times between 3/11 and 4/1 due to software incompatibility and that we have a plan to fix it soon.

Cheers
RWS

 

[vtmishka]

RWS:

Good work. That's almost the exact approach that I took. I, too, am pretty much finished with my users.

Users
=====
Step 1.
I used IntelliAdmin (the free version) to update all of my users. I only have about 60 users so doing them 3 at a time with the free version of IntelliAdmin was no problem.

As a side note: great tool - kudos to the IntelliAdmin folks for providing it! I'm certainly favorably disposed toward buying from them in the future. Says a lot for the company and the power of free software.

Step 2.
I created a web page on our intranet site with a link to download the TZMove tool and instructions on how to use it.

I then sent an email to all of my users (Executives included ) instructing them to go to the intranet page and follow the instructions.

I also noted that if they have no meetings scheduled during the Delta Period and don't plan to schedule any then they do not need to run the tool - they're finished.

I'll send an email to users telling them that OWA will be off during the Delta Period.

Exchange 5.5 Server
===================
I did nothing to Exchange Server 5.5

I will (later today) run the TZEdit tool on the NT server. IntelliAdmin is supposed to work on NT also (I think) but I have not been able to get it to do so. Not a big deal since I only have about 6 NT servers.

Exchange Server 2003
====================
As I've mentioned before, I have a new Windows Server 2003 machine waiting in the wings. I'll be doing an inter-org migration shortly after 4/2/2007. There's no Exchange data on it yet so I just patched it using:

KB931836
KB911829
KB924334
KB926666

in that order.

Now on to my applications and PBX/VM system! Yippee!!

Thanks to everyone on this forum - it's been great bouncing ideas around and coming to a working solution. Good luck to everyone this weekend...

 

[rws70]

More on Exch 5.5 DST and Outlook Web Access (OWA) and Blackberry

---------------
---------------

OWA

I edited the OWA calendar page title bar so instead of just saying "Calendar", it says "Calendar - Some items may be one hour off in this web view 3/11 to 3/31/07" ... in blue. VERY easy to do once you find the source ... you don't have to stop OWA, you can do it while it's running, and refresh the page in your browser for immediate viewing)

1. Go to C:\exchsrvr\webdata\usa\calendar on your OWA box.
2. Make a copy of title.asp and put it some where else safe
3. Open the original title.asp with notepad
4. The 18th line looks like this : L_Calendar_Text = "Calendar"
5. You can change it to
L_Calendar_Text = "Calendar ~ Note: Items may be one hour off in the web version 3/11 to 3/31/07" (or what ever you want ... make sure Word Wrap in notepad in turned off when editing and saving).

If you want to make the text blue scroll down or search for this line:
<font size=5 <%=bstrFace%> color="<%=bcTitleFnt%>"><b><%=L_Calendar_Text%></b></font>
and change it to this line:
<font size=5 <%=bstrFace%> color=blue><b><%=L_Calendar_Text%></b></font>

After 4/1 replace title.asp with the original copy you stored in a safe place.

---------------
---------------

BLACKBERRY - Still doing research ... had an idea ... if the users turn off wireless calendar sync and use the desktop manager and outlook to sync their calendars, maybe the calendar entries will show up correctly. Will do some testing today and also call blackberry.

Some of you are planning Exch 03 upgrades, please send me your email so we can compare notes on that project after 4/1.
rws70ATyahoo.com

cheers
RWS

 

[dan]

An option for PDAs. If items are correct on the PDA, set the computer to new DST settings (TZEdit or KB or 3rd party). Then force Handheld to overwrite Outlook. All will be correct.
Dan

 

[rws70]

Exch 5.5 - Blackberry Final Update

I updated all of the blackberry USB handheld devices at this interactive web page:

http://www.blackberry.com/DST2007/patch/desktop/dst_update_loader.shtml

After the handheld was updated, the calendar entries showed the correct time on the blackberry. As long as appointments were made on the user's computer in Outlook, they show up fine. (this is after the user's windows OS was patched and tzmove.exe was run against calendar entries in Outlook, or entries were updated manually ... see earlier post)

Appointments made on the blackberry still show up wrong. But since most people make their calendar entries in Outlook and just use the blackberry for viewing them, this is a minor problem.

========

Conclusion to cdo.dll issue and Exch 5.5

1. OWA shows calendar entries off by an hour 3/11 to 3/31.

2. Blackberry calendar shows entries correctly, unless the entries were created using the blackberry. (blackberry device must be patched (see above).

3. Only ran OS patch on 5.5 server and BES server, nothing else.

Good luck to all ...

I'll have my company make a $25 donation to this forum. And I'll look at purchasing IntelliAdmin.

vtmishka, let's start an Exch 5.5 to 03 migration forum ... I am interested in your inter-org method ... I need some help. I've got my new hardware, software, so I am ready to start after 4/1.

Best, RWS
rws70ATyahoo.com

 

[vtmishka]

rws70:

Thanks for your insights on this issue.

An Exchange 5.5 to 2003 Migration forum sounds good to me.

Let me know the details and I'll meet you there whenever you'd like.

I'll be glad to share what I'm doing and why.

Good luck to you and to everyone here with the DST switchover.

You can contact me at:
wgordonATpfclaw.com

 

[kooma]

Has anyone heard of a 5.5 hotfix KB928214? I got a file that's supposed to be a CDO.dll hotfix update for Exchange 5.5.

I ran it on a test 5.5 box and it updates. I can see the log file and it hits cdo.dll. Although, it references this KB number I cannot find it ANYWHERE! Not even on the MS knowledge base.

So I am very wary of applying it at this point in time and don't think I will be as MS still claims this file doesn't exist.

I will be following rws70's plan.