KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q163906: XADM: Year 2000 Support for DateTime Properties

Article: Q163906
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): 5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbYear2000
Last Modified: 02-MAY-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, version 5.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

The RAW display of the last updated field in the properties of a mailbox is
displayed in the format YYMMDD. Although there are only 2 digits for the year,
the actual data is valid up to the year 2079. The date and time of this field is
year 2000 friendly and satisfies the X500 ITU standards. The X.500 ITU standards
recommend that vendors use this format until the year 2010, and then begin
transitioning to a longer date format. The transition should be completed no
later than the year 2025, a 15-year grace period.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The Microsoft Exchange Directory stores datetime Raw properties, such as
When-Changed and When-Created, in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) string
format, as specified by the X.500 standards. UTC is the same as Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT).

The UTC format has only two digits representing the year but they are valid for
the years 1980 to 2079. Therefore, this will not be a problem for dates that
rollover to the year 2000 or beyond.

The UTC String format uses the following syntax:

  YYMMDDhhmmssZ

where

  YY = Year
  MM = Month
  DD = Day
  hh = Hour
  mm = Minutes
  ss = Seconds
  Z = Zulu (same as GMT)

For example, a datetime value of 06/03/2000 10:58.20 PM would be represented as
follows:

  000603225820Z

Please note that this value is base on GMT and the hour (hh) may vary according
to location and other factors.

Additional query words: year 2000
======================================================================
Keywords          : kbYear2000 
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : 5.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.