You must set the correct date/time in all computers comprising a JP1/Software Distribution system so that, for example, they will all execute a date/time-specified job simultaneously. If the date/time settings are ahead of or behind the actual date/time, the execution results of Get system configuration information jobs, Hold report jobs, and Hold-report release jobs, or automatic registration of the system configuration information, might not be committed to the managing server.

If necessary, change the system time only during system startup or shutdown. If a job is being processed, change the system time after the job finishes. If you change the system time while a job is being processed, the following problems might occur:

• A job specified to be executed at a certain date/time might be executed at a different time.
• If you set the system time back, a job specified to be executed at a certain date/time might be executed twice.
  If you set the system time forward, a job specified to be executed at a certain date/time might not be executed until that time is reached the next day.
  
• The log output time will shift, making it difficult to analyze the cause of errors.

In the case of JP1/Software Distribution Manager and JP1/Software Distribution Client (relay system), if you set the system time back and then create a job, an existing job might be overwritten. Therefore, wait until the set back period elapses before creating a job. If a previously-executed job has been overwritten, re-execute it.

The same time zone as is set in Date/Time on the Control Panel must be set for the TZ system environment variable. The following are the procedures for setting the time zone to <GMT-05:00> Eastern Time (in the eastern U.S. and Canada).

For Windows NT:

From Control Panel, choose System, set TZ=EST+5 for the System Environment variable, and then restart the system.

For Windows Me or Windows 98:

To AUTOEXEC.BAT, add SET TZ=EST+5 and then restart the system.

In JP1/Software Distribution, the date and time in the time zone set on a client are used as the date and time displayed for information collected from the client. This means that, if the time zone of a client is changed, the information collected after the change is recognized as being different.

The date and time of jobs run on a client also rely on the client's time zone. If a job is specified to execute at 10:00, it executes at 10:00 in the client's time zone. If you want to collect all information at 10:00 according to the managing server's time zone, you must determine the differences in dates and times compared to the time zones of the clients, and execute the jobs that are scheduled for the appropriate dates and times.