XFOR: Dirsync Does Not Correctly Convert Date to UTC Format (197291)

SYMPTOMS

The directory synchronization (dirsync) service may not convert dates to coordinated universal time (Universal Time Coordinate, or UTC) correctly. As a result, if the logging level for the dirsync service is set to Maximum, the date and time may be displayed incorrectly in one or more events that appear in the event log. When the date and time are displayed in UTC format in the event description, the year may be displayed as one digit instead of two.

Note that this problem is not likely to occur before the year 2000. When the problem does occur, the dirsync service functions normally except for the symptoms described above. Therefore, you are still able to perform directory synchronization successfully.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Exchange Server version 5.5. For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

191014 XGEN: How to Obtain the Latest Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Component: Directory Synchronization (Dirsync)

   File Name   Version
   ----------------------
   Dxa.exe     5.5.2404.0

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5. This problem was first corrected in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

The UTC format uses the following syntax:

YYMMDDhhmmssZ

where:

YY = Year
MM = Month
DD = Day
hh = Hour
mm = Minutes
ss = Seconds
Z represents "Zulu" (same as Greenwich mean time)

Each component of the date and time are normally displayed as two digits. For example, if an event is recorded in the event log at 3:11:46 A.M. on December 31, 1999, the date and time are displayed in the following format in the event description:

991231031146Z

However, if an event is recorded at 3:11:46 A.M. on December 31, 2000, the date and time may be displayed in the following format:

01231031146Z

Note that the year is displayed as one digit instead of two.