Deploying Siebel CRM with Global Time Zone

This chapter discusses how to deploy your Siebel CRM applications using the global time zone feature, for both new deployments and upgrades. It includes the following topics:

About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)

Global deployments typically span multiple countries and have users working in several different time zones. The global time zone feature allows you to track dates and times consistently across time zones by using Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). Using UTC is strongly recommended. UTC is enabled by default for Siebel applications.

Caution: Oracle does not support new Siebel CRM deployments that do not use UTC. For existing deployments, if you do not want to deploy with UTC or are not ready to do so, then you must review Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments and related topics. Also review this topic for relevant information.

For information about UTC in upgrade scenarios, see Siebel Database Upgrade Guide.

Note: UTC is essentially the equivalent of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, certain localities using GMT or British Standard Time (BST) as a time zone observe daylight savings time (DST). DST does not apply for UTC itself, because it serves as a baseline against which all of the other time zone and DST offset adjustments apply.

The global time zone feature allows you to store date-time data in a common format and provides the following key benefits:

Users can view dates and times in their local time zone, regardless of where work items were created.
Users in different time zones can jointly handle team-based activities, such as managing service requests.

Note: Windows regional settings on client computers do not affect UTC. Optionally, you can set the database server to UTC, although you can deploy your Siebel applications to use UTC without doing so. For more information, see Setting the Database Server to UTC.

This topic contains the following information:

About UTC System Preferences

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

The global time zone feature makes use of two UTC-related system preferences:

Universal Time Coordinated. Set to True for UTC deployments (and set to True by default). As described in Converting Historical Data to UTC, the UTC conversion utility sets this system preference to True as its last step after completing the UTC conversion process. You do not need to set this system preference directly.
Default Time Zone. Specifies a time zone that is to be used when the Time Zone field in the current user’s profile is NULL, as described in About UTC Data Conversion. Where a user has specified a default time zone, this time zone overrides the setting of the Default Time Zone system preference.
For example, for a company with the majority of employees in California, you might set this system preference to (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada); Tijuana, signifying GMT minus 8 hours. The value you enter must correspond to the name of the time zone as represented in the Time Zone Administration view. See also Administering Time Zones.
Note: The Default Time Zone system preference has no default value. If you deploy with UTC, then you must specify a value for this system preference. Otherwise, incorrect time stamp values will be created and displayed where no time zone preference is specified for the current user.
For information about setting the Universal Time Coordinated and Default Time Zone system preferences, see Setting UTC System Preferences.

Note: The Default Time Zone system preference is never used if Universal Time Coordinated is False (that is, if you are not using UTC). In this case, time stamps for records use the local time set for the operating system clock of the computer or operating system instance where you installed Siebel Server (which can use any time zone), except for time stamp values that are set explicitly such as appointment start or end times.

About UTC Data Conversion

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

The global time zone feature converts date-time data to and from UTC. When Siebel applications are deployed using UTC, some date-time fields store data as UTC data.

To support UTC conversion, applicable date-time field object definitions use the data type DTYPE_UTCDATETIME (instead of DTYPE_DATETIME), and applicable column object definitions use the physical type UTC Date Time (instead of Date Time). UTC conversion code is invoked by the Application Object Manager in user sessions where applicable, as described in this topic.

Note: To be subject to UTC conversion, custom date-time fields that you create must be date-time fields only, not date-only or time-only fields, and must use the previously noted data types. See also Enabling Custom Date-time Fields and Columns for UTC.

There are some exceptions where date-time fields are not enabled for UTC. For more information or for help with configuring UTC, create a service request (SR) on My Oracle Support. Alternatively, you can phone Global Customer Support directly to create a service request or get a status update on your current SR. Support phone numbers are listed on My Oracle Support.

Where the Universal Time Coordinated system preference is True, UTC conversion in runtime operations occurs as described in the following paragraphs:

During runtime operation, date-time data that is entered by users (for example, appointment start or end times) is converted to UTC based on the time zone that is stored in the user’s profile. If the Time Zone field in the user’s profile is NULL, then the time zone defined by the Default Time Zone system preference is used for this purpose instead. Daylight savings time adjustments take effect according to the calendar date for the entered data.
Date-time data that is displayed to users is converted from UTC based on the time zone that is stored in the user profile, including any daylight savings time adjustments. If the Time Zone field in the user’s profile is NULL, then the time zone defined by the Default Time Zone system preference (with daylight savings time adjustments) is used for this purpose instead.
Date-time data that is entered into the database by the system (date-time stamp) is converted to UTC by the Application Object Manager before it is stored, based on the time zone of the computer or operating system instance where you installed Siebel Server.
Siebel components that are not Object Manager-based (for example, Workflow Policies or Siebel EIM components on the Siebel Server) invoke UTC-specific database functions in order to handle date-time data consistently for UTC deployments.

Example of UTC Data Conversion

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

To illustrate how UTC data conversion works, suppose a scenario where User 1 is in New York, User 2 is in San Francisco, and the database server and the Siebel Server are in Utah. Today’s date is November 20th. The time zone for User 1 is equivalent to UTC minus 5 (Eastern Standard Time), and the time zone for User 2 is equivalent to UTC minus 8 (Pacific Standard Time).

User 1 logs in and books a meeting with User 2. User 1 sets the meeting for December 15, 1 pm New York time, which is UTC minus 5. The time stored in the database is changed by the Application Object Manager component on the Siebel Server before storage by applying this user’s time zone offset, UTC minus 5, to the local time value. So the meeting time stored is 1 pm (EST) plus 5 hours, which is 6 pm UTC (1800 in 24-hour clock time, which is what is actually stored).

Note that because the meeting date is in December, and because the date when the users are viewing the meeting is in November, standard time applies and no adjustments for daylight savings time (DST) are necessary.

User 2 (in San Francisco) now looks at her calendar. She sees the time for the meeting as 10 am. The Application Object Manager has read the value of 1800 from the database and applied her time zone offset, UTC minus 8, to this value. 1800 minus 8 hours is 10 am (PST).

The described time-zone handling behavior can be generalized as follows:

For a time zone offset like UTC minus x, the value x is added to a local time value to get the UTC time value for storage, or is subtracted from a UTC value to get the local time for display to a user.
For a time zone offset like UTC plus x, the value x is subtracted from a local time value to get the UTC time value for storage, or is added to a UTC value to get the local time for display to a user.

Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

This topic describes some guidelines that apply for deploying with UTC, or for deploying without UTC. Additional requirements are noted in other topics to which they apply.

Caution: Once you have already deployed your Siebel applications using UTC and created user date-time data in UTC format, it is not supported to stop using UTC by setting the Universal Time Coordinated system preference to False. Otherwise, incorrect time stamp values might be created and displayed.

If you do not want to deploy with UTC or are not ready to do so, then it is possible to set the Universal Time Coordinated system preference to False in limited circumstances:

For a new installation, you can set Universal Time Coordinated to False after completing installation steps, as long as you have not created any user date-time data in UTC format.
For an upgrade to the current version from a prior Siebel version deployed without UTC, Universal Time Coordinated might be either False or True, depending on the version you upgrade from. You can set this system preference to False, as long as you have not created any user date-time data in UTC format, and have not converted historical date-time data to UTC format.

For more information, see About UTC System Preferences and Setting UTC System Preferences.

Caution: For an upgrade to the current version, if Universal Time Coordinated is True following the upgrade and you do intend to deploy with UTC, then you must run the UTC conversion utility before any new date-time data is created in UTC format. For details, see Converting Historical Data to UTC.

You perform all of the UTC conversion steps within the overall context of upgrade and other roll-out processes described in Siebel Bookshelf documentation.

For deployments using Siebel Replication Manager, first synchronize all of the regional nodes, then re-extract the regional nodes after you upgrade and convert to UTC.

For deployments using Siebel Remote and Siebel Mobile Web Clients, first synchronize all of the local databases, then reinitialize and re-extract the local databases after you upgrade and convert to UTC. Synchronize all of the local databases before upgrading.

If you deploy with UTC for new or upgrade deployments, then you must set the Default Time Zone system preference. See About UTC System Preferences and Setting UTC System Preferences.

When deploying with UTC for new or upgrade deployments that contain custom date-time fields, you must perform the tasks in Enabling Custom Date-time Fields and Columns for UTC.

Deploying Siebel applications using UTC does not require you to set the operating system clock for the database server computer or operating system instance to UTC (a GMT time zone without DST). This optional task is described in Setting the Database Server to UTC.

Siebel eScript provides a set of methods for working with UTC data, along with methods for non-UTC date-time data. Use the appropriate methods for your deployment. All processing of UTC data performed by eScripts is completely independent of the UTC conversion capabilities of the Application Object Manager.

Caution: If you import appointment or activity data into the Siebel application (with UTC enabled) from another system that does not use UTC, then additional requirements apply. For more information, see Converting Historical Data to UTC.

Related Books

Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using

Siebel Database Upgrade Guide

Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide

Using Siebel Tools

Siebel Developer's Reference

Siebel eScript Language Reference

About Enabling UTC for Existing Deployments

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

If you are upgrading a non-UTC deployment of a prior version and are now deploying with UTC, or if you have decided to convert an existing non-UTC implementation to UTC, then you must perform applicable tasks described in the following topics:

Setting UTC System Preferences
Setting the Database Server to UTC (this task is optional)
Enabling Custom Date-time Fields and Columns for UTC (this task also applies whenever you create custom date-time fields)
Converting Historical Data to UTC

About Time-Related Functions and UTC

This topic is part of About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

Users often need to know the current date or time when entering complex queries or building PDQs. The functions Timestamp() and Today() return different results where time zones are concerned. Regardless of whether UTC is enabled, it is possible for the date returned by these functions to be different, depending on where the servers are located and on the user’s local time zone offset.

Timestamp() returns the current date and time value adjusted for the time zone of the user.
Today() returns only the current date, and this is relative to the time zone of the database server.

For more information about these and other functions, see Siebel Developer's Reference.

Setting UTC System Preferences

UTC deployments use two system preferences, as described in About UTC System Preferences.

Generally, you do not need to set the Universal Time Coordinated system preference, because it is set to True by default for new deployments, and the UTC conversion utility also sets it to True when it completes the conversion process.

However, for a UTC deployment, you must set the Default Time Zone system preference to the time zone that is to be used when the Time Zone field in the current user’s profile is NULL. Complete the procedure in this topic to set this system preference.

For more information about upgrading historical data to UTC (in an upgrade or non-upgrade environment), see Converting Historical Data to UTC.

If you do not want to deploy with UTC or are not ready to do so, then you must review Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments and related topics.

To set the UTC system preferences

Navigate to the Administration - Application screen, then the System Preferences view.
Locate the Universal Time Coordinated system preference and review the value in the System Preference Value field. The default value is True.
- If you are deploying with UTC, then do not change the value. (Even if the value is False, as for an existing non-UTC deployment, you do not need to change it, because the UTC conversion utility sets it to True automatically.)
- If you are deploying without UTC, then you can change the value to False under limited circumstances, as outlined in Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments.
Locate the Default Time Zone system preference. In the System Preference Value field, enter your preferred default time zone.
For example, for a company with the majority of employees in California, you might set this system preference to (GMT-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada); Tijuana, signifying GMT minus 8 hours. The value you enter must correspond to the name of the time zone as represented in the Time Zone Administration view. See also Administering Time Zones.

Setting the Database Server to UTC

As part of enabling UTC for a new or upgrade deployment, you can optionally set the operating system time of the database server for the Siebel database to a time zone based on GMT.

Note: Deploying Siebel applications using UTC does not require you to set the operating system clock for the database server computer or operating system instance to UTC (a GMT time zone without DST), as described here. This task is optional. See also Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments.

The specific method of setting the system time to UTC on the database server depends on the operating system you are using. Many operating systems have a time zone setting called UTC or something similar. Other systems have time zone options described as Greenwich Mean Time without daylight savings time (the equivalent of UTC).

Note: Some databases, such as Oracle Database, provide listener programs which can be run on other computers or operating system instances than where the database is installed. If you set the system clock on the database server computer or operating system instance to UTC, then it is recommended to also set the time to UTC where the listener programs are installed.

To set the database server computer or operating system instance to use UTC in Windows

In the Windows task bar, double-click the time indicator to display the Date and Time Properties dialog box.
Click the Time Zone tab.
Specify (GMT) Casablanca, Monrovia.
Select this GMT time zone for UTC because daylight savings time (DST) is not observed. For more information, see About Global Time Zone and Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).
Turn off the option Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving changes.

Note: This step is not strictly required if you chose (GMT) Casablanca, Monrovia instead of a different GMT time zone, but can be considered precautionary.
Click OK.

To set the database server computer or operating system instance to use UTC in UNIX

Set TZ=UTC0 in the /etc/config file.

Use the system-level time zone unless you need to have a different time zone for a particular purpose. In this case, set the time zone at the shell level by following the vendor documentation for your operating system.

Enabling Custom Date-time Fields and Columns for UTC

Some date-time fields (and their underlying columns) in Siebel CRM applications are enabled for UTC. Applicable fields include fields that are manually populated through entering date-time data and fields that the system populates by generating a date-time stamp. If you create custom date-time fields and columns that will store UTC data, then you must enable them for UTC, so that data entered in these fields is consistent with data entered in other UTC-enabled date-time fields.

If you configure additional date-time columns for UTC, then you need to add these columns to the file utc_columns.inp. This input file tells the UTC conversion utility which columns need to be converted to UTC. Do this before you run the UTC conversion utility, which is described in Converting Historical Data to UTC.

For more information about configuring column and field object definitions, see Using Siebel Tools.

To enable custom date-time fields for UTC

In Siebel Tools or Siebel Web Tools, set properties for each applicable column object definition and its associated field object definition:
- For the column, set the Physical Type property to UTC Date Time.
- For the field, set the Type property to DTYPE_UTCDATETIME.

If the Universal Time Coordinated system preference is set to True, then after you compile your changes these custom date-time fields will be enabled for UTC.

Converting Historical Data to UTC

When you enable the global time zone feature, you need to convert any historical (non-UTC) time data to UTC. Perform applicable tasks in this topic if you are upgrading from a Siebel deployment of a prior version that did not use UTC, or if you have decided to convert an existing non-UTC implementation to UTC.

Converting historical data helps ensure that existing date-time values are consistent with the global time zone logic. The global time zone feature stores date-time values in the database adjusted to UTC time. If you do not convert it, then your historical data will be incorrect for a UTC deployment.

For more information about how the global time zone feature processes date-time data in UTC, see About UTC Data Conversion.

Although enabling UTC is optional, it is recommended that you perform the following procedures immediately after upgrading to the current Siebel release. If you have upgraded a non-UTC deployment, then you must perform the conversion steps described here before creating any new UTC date-time data, unless you have set the Universal Time Coordinated system preference to False. For more information, see Guidelines for Both UTC and Non-UTC Deployments.

The tasks in this topic run the UTC conversion utility from the Database Configuration Wizard. For more information about running the Database Configuration Wizard, see the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using and Siebel Database Upgrade Guide.

Before beginning to convert historical data to UTC, you must upgrade your development and production environments to the current Siebel release. For more information, see Siebel Database Upgrade Guide.

Before you run the UTC conversion utility, drop all of the database triggers. You can re-create or re-enable the triggers after the UTC conversion is complete.

Caution: If you are preparing external data such as activities or appointments to be brought into a Siebel database using Siebel EIM or Siebel EAI, then you must modify the time stamp for each individual record to be consistent with UTC. This task is the customer’s responsibility, and must be performed before the data is imported into the Siebel database. For each record, the updated time stamp must be based on the applicable UTC offset. The offset must take into account both the time zone offset from UTC (for the appointment’s location) and any applicable daylight savings time (DST) offset from the standard time zone that will be in effect (for the appointment’s calendar date).

Process of Converting Historical Data to UTC

To convert historical data for use in an environment using UTC, perform the following tasks:

You might also need to do the following:

Manually Starting the UTC Conversion Utility

About the UTC Conversion Utility

This topic is part of Converting Historical Data to UTC.

To update existing date and time data in your data tables to UTC, you need to run the UTC conversion utility from the Database Configuration Wizard, as described in Running the UTC Conversion Utility. This utility helps you define the required parameters for UTC conversion.

After conversion is complete, the UTC conversion utility sets the Universal Time Coordinated system preference to True. (When you start the utility, the setting can be either True or False.)

Running the UTC conversion utility reads a series of input files that control the conversion of your date-time data to UTC. Several input files are provided by default. On the Siebel Server computer or operating system instance where you installed the Database Configuration Utilities, these input files are located in the directory SIEBEL_ROOT\DBSRVR\DB_PLATFORM, where DB_PLATFORM is ORACLE, MSSQL, DB2UDB, or DB2390. The input file names start with utc and have the extension .inp.

The file driver_utc.ucf identifies the UTC conversion input files, which contain parameters specifying the columns that you are converting to UTC. Each of these input files updates the appropriate database columns to the UTC format in a single database transaction.

Each input file entry contains the table name, a WHERE clause, and a list of columns with their conversion methods. The conversion method defines how to link each record to the user record from which the default time zone is derived. The value specified as the conversion method corresponds to a column whose value identifies a unique user record.

Note: It is recommended to modify the default input files, or to create additional input files, to specify all of the applicable date-time columns to be converted, and to specify the most suitable conversion method for each column. The conversion methods are explained later in this topic.

Each input file entry is structured as follows:

[TABLE_NAME]
Clause = WHERE_CLAUSE 
Column = COLUMN_NAME, CONVERSION_METHOD 
...

where:

TABLE_NAME is the database table containing the date-time columns that you will be converting.
WHERE_CLAUSE, an optional value for Clause, can be used to specify a subset of columns to be converted. For an example, see Preparing Your Data for Conversion to UTC.
COLUMN_NAME, the first value for Column, indicates a column to be converted (for example, CREATED).
CONVERSION_METHOD, the second value for Column, indicates the conversion method to be used for this column. Possible values are SERVER_TIME and CREATED_BY.

Conversion Methods Used by the UTC Conversion Utility

The UTC conversion utility uses the following conversion methods:

SERVER_TIME. Conversion will be done according to the time zone of the server, as specified in the file server_time.inp. This method is used for date and time values that are not associated with a user.
You must use the correct syntax in the server_time.inp file. If the exact values are not specified, then the UTC conversion utility will not work. Use the time zone setting for your operating system to determine the correct values for this syntax. Enter the value and region (in quotation marks), on the second line of the server_time.inp file.
Here is an example for U.S. Central Standard Time (CST):
```
[GLOBAL] SERVER_TIME: "(GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)";
```
CREATED_BY. Conversion will be done according to the time zone of the user who created the record. The UTC conversion utility will look up the profile of the user who created the record being converted, and derive the corresponding time zone. In general, this conversion method is appropriate for converting data created by individual users, where creation time is relevant.
An example of this type of data would be service requests originally created by users in multiple time zones, where for each record the time stamp before conversion is in the user’s local time. In this case, you might choose to modify the input file s_srv_req.inp to use CREATED_BY instead of SERVER_TIME. Each record’s time stamp will be converted to UTC based on the user’s time zone.

Preparing Your Data for Conversion to UTC

This topic is part of Converting Historical Data to UTC.

Before you convert your data to UTC, you need to prepare it.

Configure custom fields and columns (if necessary) for UTC. For more information, see Enabling Custom Date-time Fields and Columns for UTC.
Set time zones for each of your users.
Save a report of your user time zones.
Edit the driver_utc.ucf file to specify more input files.
Modify the default input files as needed for your UTC deployment.
Modify input files for partitioned tables, to assure sufficient log space.
Allocate maximum database transaction log space.

Note: Log space is controlled through transaction logs or database log files.

Set Time Zones for Users

For each of your users, specify the time zone in the Contacts screen. This data is stored in the S_CONTACT table. You must also specify a value for the Default Time Zone system preference. For more information, see Setting UTC System Preferences.

Save a Report of User Time Zones

Prior to running the UTC conversion utility, save a report of your user time zones as a record of the input data used during the conversion.

Edit the driver_utc.ucf File to Specify More Input Files

The file driver_utc.ucf identifies the input files for UTC conversion. If you create additional input files, then you need to add them to driver_utc.ucf. A default set of input files is provided. You might need to create additional files to specify more columns to convert.

An example from the driver_utc.ucf file appears as follows:

[File Execute Entry 7]
Type = FileExecute
File Name = $SiebelRoot\bin\utcupgd
Check Return Code = 1
Return Code Compliance = 0
16 Bit App = 0
Command Line = /u $UserName /p $Password /c "$ODBCDataSource" /d $DatabaseOwner /n 
"$RepositoryName" /g $Language /x $DatabasePlatform /j $SiebelRoot/bin/
s_camp_con_01.inp /l $SiebelRoot/log/s_camp_con_01.log /s $SiebelRoot/bin/
server_time.inp
Number of 10 Second Wait Loops = 2000
Prompt User For Status = 0
Parallelizable Item = 0
Title Message Num = 0
Estimated Disk Space = 0
Backup Db = 0

To edit driver_utc.ucf file parameters to accommodate additional input files

Specify a new input file in the driver_utc.ucf file by copying a complete step from the driver_utc.ucf file and pasting the copied step immediately after the step that you copied.
In the new step, change the input file parameter (which follows /j in the command line) to the name of your new input file.
Using the preceding example in the driver_utc.ucf file, change the name of the input file in the new step from this:
```
/j $SiebelRoot/bin/s_camp_con_01.inp
```
to reflect the new input file name:
```
/j $SiebelRoot/bin/new_file_name.inp
```
In the new step, change the log file parameter (which follows /l in the command line) to the name of the log file that corresponds to your new input file.
Using the preceding example in the driver_utc.ucf file, change the log file name from this:
```
/l $SiebelRoot/log/s_camp_con_01.log
```
to reflect the new log file name:
```
/l $SiebelRoot/log/new_file_name.log
```
Repeat all of the preceding steps for each new input file.
Renumber the file execute entry numbers for your new step and for each subsequent step, in order.
Using the preceding example in the driver_utc.ucf file (and assuming no preceding steps have changed), you would change the execute entry number in the new step from this:
```
[File Execute Entry 7]
```
to reflect the next step in the sequence:
```
[File Execute Entry 8]
```
and so on, for each subsequent step.

Modify Default Input Files as Needed

Modify the default input files for the UTC conversion utility as appropriate for your deployment, or create additional input files. An example of customizing input files to partition data into separate input files is provided later in this topic. See also About the UTC Conversion Utility.

Partitioning Prerequisite for Oracle Database

If you are using Oracle Database, some tables are partitioned by default, by using month (in the CREATED column). Make sure that the user running the UTC conversion utility has execute privilege on month. The following task describes how to give the execute permission to users who do not have it.

To grant execute permission

Connect to the database server as the tableowner.
Execute the following command:
```
grant execute on month to SSE_ROLE
```

Modify Input Files for Partitioned Tables

As the UTC conversion utility processes input files, it typically processes each table as a whole. However, tables with very large record counts might encounter errors due to constraints on log space at the database level.

The UTC conversion utility prevents errors that could occur due to insufficient log space at the database level, by using multiple input files to partition large tables into subsets of records for processing. The utility updates each record set individually to convert all of the rows in a partitioned table.

The UTC conversion utility uses partition keys to control how a table is divided into record sets. For example, large tables might be divided based on the calendar month in which each record was created, resulting in twelve approximately equal-sized partitions.

Partition keys are supplied for tables that are typically very large and that generally use a lot of log space if updated as a single input file. The following tables are delivered with partition keys:

S_CAMP_CON
S_COMMUNICATION
S_EVT_ACT
S_SRV_REQ
S_ORG_EXT
S_CONTACT

The default value for each key is customizable. You determine the way that your tables are partitioned, and you can partition your own tables that you know to have large record counts by adding or modifying the input files.

Note: If you create additional partitioned files, then you might decrease performance. If you require a different partitioning method, or if you want reduced partitioning in order to optimize performance, then create a service request (SR) on My Oracle Support. Alternatively, contact your Oracle sales representative for Oracle Advanced Customer Services to request assistance from Oracle’s Application Expert Services.

The input file includes a WHERE clause, which defines the parameters that will be used as partition keys to divide large tables into appropriately sized sections. This WHERE clause represents standard SQL that will be used to filter which records are to be updated by each input file. Verify that you are using the correct SQL syntax.

The following example is from the file s_evt_act_00.inp. This particular file is used to define one partition of the activities table that includes all of the records created in the month of January (the month indicated by 1) or February (the month indicated by 2).

[S_EVT_ACT]
Clause = where month(CREATED) = 1 or month(CREATED) = 2
Column = APPT_START_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_ACTL_END_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_ACTL_START_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_AFTER_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_DUE_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_PLAN_END_DT, CREATED_BY
Column = TODO_PLAN_START_DT, CREATED_BY

Note: If the WHERE clause is blank, then the table will not be partitioned, and will be processed as a whole.

Allocate Maximum Log Space

Prior to running the UTC conversion utility, set the log space parameters on the database server to the maximum. The utility requires a large amount of log space in order to run properly.

Running the UTC Conversion Utility

This topic is part of Converting Historical Data to UTC.

Complete the following task to run the UTC conversion utility and convert your date-time data to UTC.

Note: Running the UTC conversion utility might take a long time, depending on how many records and how many columns are being converted.

For detailed information about starting the Database Configuration Wizard, see the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.

Note: The values that you enter into the Database Configuration Wizard are case-sensitive. You cannot type spaces in parameter values; use underscores (_) instead. Click Next to go to the next screen.

To run the UTC conversion utility from the Database Configuration Wizard

Start the Database Configuration Wizard, as described in the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.
The Database Configuration Wizard appears.
Enter required parameters that apply for every Database Configuration Wizard task.
Choose the option Run Database Utilities.
Choose the option Universal Time Code Conversion.
See the table that follows for a list of dialog boxes, options, and required values.
The UTC conversion utility updates your existing data. For columns configured for UTC, the UTC conversion utility adjusts the historical date and time values to their UTC equivalent.
After successfully converting the UTC-enabled date-time fields, the UTC conversion utility sets the value for the Universal Time Coordinated system preference to True.
The utility checks for errors, and writes any errors to a log file.
Review the log file generated by the UTC conversion process, and resolve errors as necessary. See Reviewing the UTC Conversion Log Files.

Note: If the UTC conversion fails for any reason, then you must review the log files and resolve any errors encountered. Then you need to manually rerun the UTC conversion utility, as described in Manually Starting the UTC Conversion Utility.

The following table shows parameters to use with the Database Configuration Wizard and the UTC conversion utility.

Table Parameters for Database Configuration Wizard and UTC Conversion Utility

At this prompt...	Enter or select the following...
Siebel Gateway Address Enterprise Server Name	Specify the following: The computer or operating system instance name where you installed Siebel Gateway. The name of the Siebel Enterprise Server.
Siebel Server Directory	Specify the Siebel Server installation location: the `SIEBSRVR_ROOT` directory. For example, for the current version, the location might be `C:\siebel\ses\siebsrvr` on Microsoft Windows or `/siebel/ses/siebsrvr` on UNIX or Linux.
Siebel Database Server Directory	Specify the Siebel Database Configuration Utilities installation location: the `DBSRVR_ROOT` directory. For example, the location might be `C:\siebel\ses\dbsrvr` on Microsoft Windows or `/siebel/ses/dbsrvr` on UNIX or Linux.
Database Platform	Specify the RDBMS platform that you are using.
Siebel Database Operation	Choose Run Database Utilities.
Database Utilities Options	Choose Universal Time Code Conversion.
Base (Primary) Language	Specify the primary language for your deployment.
ODBC Data Source Name	Specify the ODBC data source. The data source was created automatically during Siebel Enterprise configuration, using the format EnterpriseName_DSN. Note: Do not enter the value Siebel_DSN unless Siebel is the name of the Enterprise. To find the name of the ODBC data source on Microsoft Windows, go to Start, then Settings, then Control Panel, then Administrative Tools, and then Data Sources (ODBC). Click the System DSN tab to find the name of the ODBC data source.
Database User Name and Password	Enter the database user name and password. (Specify the user name of the Siebel administrator, for example, SADMIN.)
Database Table Owner and Password	Enter the database table owner name and password. Note: For Microsoft SQL Server: this is the login for the owner of the database, not necessarily the default owner of the database in DBO.
UTC Repository Name	Enter the name of the Siebel repository for which you are performing UTC conversion.
Security Group ID	Enter the name of the security group ID, such as SSE_ROLE.
Log Output Directory	Enter the name of the directory in which log output is to be generated. By default the log output is generated in the `utc` subdirectory.
Apply Configuration Changes	Specify whether to apply configuration changes when the wizard completes, or if you will apply changes later.
Configuration Parameter Review	Review the parameters that you have defined and then click Finish.

Reviewing the UTC Conversion Log Files

This topic is part of Converting Historical Data to UTC.

After the UTC conversion utility runs, if errors are encountered, then the utility records those errors to log files. The log files are located in the log subdirectory of SIEBSRVR_ROOT.

Carefully review the log files for errors. Some of the errors listed in the log file are acceptable, but others will require resolution.

An example of an acceptable error is when the utc_drop_temp_tab.log file generates the error “ORA-00942: table or view does not exist” when initially dropping the S_CONTACT_TMP and S_TIMEZONE_TMP tables.

The following are the default log files. You might have additional log files if you modified the input files.

utc_drop_temp_tab.log
null_timezone.log
utc_insert_to_tmp_tab.log
utc_create_tmp_ind.log
utc_run_stats.log
s_camp_con_00.log
s_camp_con_01.log
s_camp_con_02.log 
s_camp_con_03.log 
s_communication_00.log
s_communication_01.log
s_communication_02.log 
s_communication_03.log 
s_evt_act_00.log
s_evt_act_01.log
s_evt_act_02.log 
s_evt_act_03.log 
s_evt_act_04.log 
s_evt_act_05.log
s_contact.log 
s_org_ext.log
s_srv_req.log
utc_columns.log
denorm.log 
utc_drop_temp_tab2.log

Review the log files that were generated by the UTC conversion utility, including any custom log files that you might have created, and resolve errors as necessary. If the UTC conversion utility was interrupted after it encountered an error, then you need to manually restart the UTC conversion utility.

Manually Starting the UTC Conversion Utility

This topic is part of Converting Historical Data to UTC.

If UTC conversion fails for any reason, then you need to review the log files and resolve any errors that you encountered. Then you need to manually rerun the UTC conversion utility.

To manually start the UTC conversion utility

Navigate to the bin subdirectory in SIEBSRVR_ROOT.
Enter the command to start the UTC conversion utility:
- In a Windows DOS prompt, type: siebupg.exe /m master_utc.ucf
- In a UNIX shell, type: srvrupgwiz /m master_utc.ucf
  
  Note: If you run the UTC conversion utility again to perform UTC conversion, then you must repeat all of the steps in this procedure.

Administering Time Zones

The time zone records that are shipped with Siebel CRM as seed data include the world time zones. These are the same time zones used by Microsoft in its operating systems. Time zone data includes the time zone name and standard abbreviation, its offset from UTC, daylight savings time (DST) data, and so on.

Procedures are provided later in this topic for modifying time zones and for maintaining translations of time zones.

For more information about managing time zone data, see also Siebel Applications Administration Guide.

Modifying Time Zones

You will rarely need to modify a time zone’s regional settings. However, you might want to modify other time zone settings such as the display name or daylight savings time rules, as these occasionally change.

Daylight savings time rules are defined in detail records for applicable time zone records. Multiple detail records can be defined for any time zone. Rules to accommodate changes that took effect in 2007 are defined for U.S. time zones subject to daylight savings time. (Various alerts on My Oracle Support describe DST issues and resolutions for previous Siebel CRM releases.)

Creating and using new time zone records is not supported.

To modify time zone settings

Navigate to the Administration - Data screen, then the Time Zone Administration view.
In the Time Zones list, select the time zone record that you want to modify.

Modify time zone fields as necessary. Fields are described in the following table.

Field	Description
Name	Full name of time zone. Note: For UTC deployments, you specify the full name of the applicable time zone as the value for the Default Time Zone system preference. For more information, see About UTC System Preferences.
Active	Specifies whether a time zone record is considered active (that is, when Active equals True).
Standard Abbreviation	The abbreviation for the time zone.
DST Abbreviation	The abbreviation for daylight savings time for the time zone.

In the Details list, modify daylight savings time rule settings as necessary, or create a new rule. (There is no New button, but you can create a new rule using Ctrl+N. Alternatively, you can copy an existing rule and modify the copy.) Fields are described in the following table.

Field	Description
Start Date	The date when a time zone rule is to take effect, such as 01/01/2018.
UTC Offset	The time difference in minutes between local time and UTC. For example, the (U.S.) Eastern Standard Time has a UTC offset of minus 300 minutes (GMT minus 5). Offsets are not necessarily in increments of hours (that is, divisible by 60). For example, Adelaide (Australia) has a UTC offset of 570 minutes (GMT plus 9:30), or 9.5 hours.
DST Bias	The difference in time, in minutes, DST makes (where applicable). For example, the (U.S.) Eastern Standard Time (GMT minus 5) has a DST bias of 60.
DST Start Ordinal	Part of the rule that determines when DST starts. For example, if the rule is the first Sunday in April, then First is defined in this field.
DST Start Day	Part of the rule that determines when DST starts. For example, if the rule is the first Sunday in April, then Sunday is defined in this field.
DST Start Month	Part of the rule that determines when DST starts. For example, if the rule is the first Sunday in April, then April is defined in this field.
DST Start Time	Start time for DST, measured in minutes into the day when DST starts. For example, 2 a.m., a common DST start time, is equivalent to 120 minutes.
DST End Ordinal	Part of the rule that determines when DST ends. For example, if the rule is the last Sunday in October, then Last is defined in this field.
DST End Day	Part of the rule that determines when DST ends.
DST End Month	Part of the rule that determines when DST ends.
DST End Time	End time for DST, measured in minutes into the day when DST ends.

After updating time zone settings, you must restart the Siebel Server.
For more information about restarting the Siebel Server, see Siebel System Administration Guide.

Administering Time Zone Translations

You can view and maintain translations of the text-based fields for each time zone by using the Time Zone Administration view in the Administration - Data screen.

To administer translations of time zones

Navigate to the Administration - Data screen, then the Time Zone Administration view.
In the Time Zones list, select the time zone for which you want to view or modify translations.
The Time Zone Translations list displays existing translations for the current time zone. If you require a new translation, then add a new record and enter the translated version of the current time zone.
After updating time zone settings, you must restart the Siebel Server.
For more information about restarting the Siebel Server, see Siebel System Administration Guide.