March 2, 2007 - When Ben Franklin first came up with the idea of saving daylight back in 1784, he probably wasn't thinking about the impact on information technology. But starting on March 11, 2007, changes to Daylight Saving Time (DST) will affect datacenters everywhere.

Daylight Saving Time Extended in 2007

The changes, which are mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, extend DST by four weeks and are designed to save energy by making longer use of daylight.

Changes to DST Schedule

Currently, DST begins at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in April, and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday in October. Starting March 11, 2007, DST will spring forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and fall back one hour on the first Sunday in November.

All IT Systems Are Affected

All IT systems in the U.S., Canada, and Western Australia that automatically adjust DST, support operating systems, and rely on a local time zone that observes DST will be affected by the change. What's more, the change may also affect customers who interact or integrate with systems and applications from other countries that implement the change to align with the U.S., Canada, or Western Australia.

How Can I Protect My Systems and Applications?

Sun is now offering patches and information about affected products on the BigAdmin portal. Follow the links below to determine what you need to do to protect your Sun systems, software, and storage products.

• Systems


• Software


• Storage

In addition, get answers to Frequently Asked Questions on DST-related issues and learn more about how saving daylight also saves energy.

For more information, contact your Sun sales representative.