Question

DateTimeStamper on FMECloud

  • 2 September 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 1 view

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When using a Timestamper in Workbench, I get a result like:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Feature Type: `Logger_LOGGED'
Attribute(string): `dateOfSnapshot' has value `20190902163230.4600884+02:00'
Attribute(string): `fme_feature_type' has value `Creator'
Attribute(string): `fme_geometry' has value `fme_undefined'
Attribute(string): `fme_type' has value `fme_no_geom'
Coordinate System: `'
Geometry Type: IFMENull
===========================================================================

So, it says 16:32:30, with UTC +2:00

When running  on FME Cloud, the timestamps in the interface have the right values (16:31:55)

522019-9-2 16:31:55 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++532019-9-2 16:31:55 | Feature Type: `Logger_LOGGED'542019-9-2 16:31:55 | Attribute(string): `dateOfSnapshot' has value `20190902143155.516446175+00:00'552019-9-2 16:31:55 | Attribute(string): `fme_feature_type' has value `Creator'562019-9-2 16:31:55 | Attribute(string): `fme_geometry' has value `fme_undefined'572019-9-2 16:31:55 | Attribute(string): `fme_type' has value `fme_no_geom'582019-9-2 16:31:55 | Coordinate System: `'592019-9-2 16:31:55 | Geometry Type: IFMENull602019-9-2 16:31:55 | ===========================================================================

 

However, on line 54 of the log file, you can see that the time is 14:31:55 +00:00.

What is happening here? The time of the FME Server itself is right, because scheduled task start at the defined time and you can also see it in the log file. How can I get the right time from the TimeStamper on FME Cloud (build 19238)? Note that I have not tried it on FME Server.

See Workspace attached.

@redgeographics

 


3 replies

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Hi @jelle, FME Server is displaying the timezone of the location from where you access the WebUI in your browser. It's only an on-the-fly conversion. If you download the log files you will see that all timestamps are in UTC, which is the system timezone of all FME Cloud instances independent of the region. So all timestamps created in a workspace running on FME Cloud will be in UTC.

I hope this helps!

Badge +11

Hi @jelle, FME Server is displaying the timezone of the location from where you access the WebUI in your browser. It's only an on-the-fly conversion. If you download the log files you will see that all timestamps are in UTC, which is the system timezone of all FME Cloud instances independent of the region. So all timestamps created in a workspace running on FME Cloud will be in UTC.

I hope this helps!

Hi @gerhardatsafe, thank you for your answer. I think I understand by now how it works on FME Cloud. My original problem is that I want to know what happens 'yesterday' on the server. All interfaces are in the local time, but the Timestamper is not. The FME Server API returns the time of the jobs in UTC as well.

That makes it very difficult to define what is 'yesterday' on FME Cloud. I could make a Published Parameter and set the Time Zone, but then I'll run into trouble with DST. Would you have any other suggestion?

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Hi @gerhardatsafe, thank you for your answer. I think I understand by now how it works on FME Cloud. My original problem is that I want to know what happens 'yesterday' on the server. All interfaces are in the local time, but the Timestamper is not. The FME Server API returns the time of the jobs in UTC as well.

That makes it very difficult to define what is 'yesterday' on FME Cloud. I could make a Published Parameter and set the Time Zone, but then I'll run into trouble with DST. Would you have any other suggestion?

I think DST is always going to be a challenge if you use time metrics like "yesterday". That's why using UTC is actually a good idea and a lot of server applications use UTC to have a fixed reference. In UTC it is very easy to define yesterday on FME Cloud. It's more a question of how you need to represent or record it. Does it have to be in your timezone? Do you need it in multiple timezones?

 

I don't really know what information you are looking for on FME Cloud. Are trying to aggregate job logs by day?

 

If you only need to represent it in a single timezone of your choice it should only be single transformation of the timestamp. DST will always be inaccurate close to the switching hours, so would need to have some kind of tests on everything 1 hour before and after the switch to find the duplicates or missing entries.

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