Converting time zone of dateTime field and saving it in another field within a workflow

[marcinkacz]

Hi,

I built custom data schema in order to collect and export selected records from nms:trackingLogRcp and nms:broadLogRcp. One of the column is DateAndTime. It contains eventDate (if record comes from broadLogRcp) or logDate (if record comes from trackingLogRcp). Before export this data I would like to change time zone of DateAndTime field and save it in DateAndTime2. I can do it by using loop in JavaScript activity and formatDate method and xtk.session.Write(). Unfortunately this solution is very time consuming. Processing of 1000 records takes around 5 minutes.

Do you know more efficient approach? Maybe some SQL script will help or some batch process?

Thank you,

Marcin

[Jonathon_wodnicki · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Use xtk function AddHours() within an update activity.

Thanks,

-Jon

[Venu_Reddy]

Hi Marcin,

Actually, the daylight time saving is correctly managed by both servers (applicative and MTA) and database layer and its own server, and so by Adobe Campaign software, if the data type for datetime elements have been set to multi-zone.

Hence, please check that carefully in the Adobe Campaigns options.

But sometimes it can happen that the problem arises if there are not synchronised time to worldwide clock (NTP protocol) or bad time settings).

If the Adobe Campaign options have not been set to multi-zone, please ask for technical operation to update/migrate your DB, it would far more convenient for you. But in the meanwhile, I don't see other solutions than manual and local calculations

Note: Use expression (List of functions) like date +/- the time zone which you are expecting (Use 'Taken into account if' for better results).

Regards,

Venu

[marcinkacz]

Thank you All for your tips. FYI I decided to use simple approach: choose proper time zone in workflow's properties. With this settings time is converted into desired time zone directly in Data extraction (file) activity without any additional code (so I'm not saving it in temp table).

Venu, I have additional questions to your post:

- What is this option name?

- How properly use  'Taken into account if' ?

Thank you,

Marcin

[Venu_Reddy]

Hi Marcin,

Suppose we can assume that your current timezone is 'A' and planning to convert to 'B',

Make changes in update activity like:

1.) If A is more time compare to B then

SubHours($datetime(vars/XYZ) , C)

1.) If B is more time compare to A then

AddHours($datetime(vars/XYZ) , C)

Here XYZ is the variable name you are using in the workflow and 'C' is the difference between the two time zones.

Hope you are clear with the above scenario.

Regards,

Venu