RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:25:40 -0800

Title: Storing dates in AD
Joe,
 
You make a good point.  What would an LDAP >= filter look like using this data type?  I'm familiar with VB and VBScript.  So are you saying that I can simply create a date type in script and use ADSI for example and set my variable to the AD attribute and it will convert automatically?

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 2:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

I still don’t think you should use Integer8/FILETIME format to store your date unless you absolutely need to.  I think 2.5.5.11 OM 23 or 24 is the way to go.  Depending on your API I think you will likely find them to be a better impedance match.

 

The big kicker is if you ever have to use VBScript to do this.  VBScript sucks at dealing with long integers but happily marshals LDAP 2.5.5.11 to variant datetime and back.

 

Plus, you’ll get some nicer fidelity in other tools such as ldp and ADSI Edit.  Integer8 will just be an opaque number that you need code to interpret.

 

2.5.5.11 values sort and index just fine and allow >= and <= comparisons, so I can’t think of a real compelling reason to use Integer8 unless your code happens to already rely on that.  It sounds like it doesn’t.

 

Joe K.

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Isenhour, Joseph
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 3:29 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

 

Actually I just googled this and found something interesting that I didn't know:

Windows NT uses a 64-bit integer to track time. However, it uses 100 nanoseconds as its increment and the beginning of time is January 1, 1601, so NT suffers from the Year 2184 problem.

I don't think we'll be on the same system in 2,184, but I don't want to be short sighted :)  Does Microsoft still use a 64-bit integer?

That's a good point Al, the date is not going to be compared to the other date types in AD so I suppose it really doesn't matter.  I may go with the NT date just to be consistent.

 

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mulnick, Al
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 1:15 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

I think it still depends on how you intend to use the data.

 

For example, if you're going to pull other information of similar type (maybe pwdLastSet?) it would make sense to use the same format. 

 

Al

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Isenhour, Joseph
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 4:06 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

We are going to be modifying the field programmatically so from what Gil said it sounds like the large integer method is appropriate.  As a follow up question, do you think I should use nano seconds from the Jan 2, 1970 (UNIX style) or January 1, 1601 (The date used by pwdLastSet)?

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of joe
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 5:33 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

Bingo, how is the data going to be used? I definitely agree, don't come up with your own format unless you have some amazing scheme that blows all of the other formats out of the water that makes it the best thing to do. Not saying you aren't going to come up with something amazing but I would guess the odds are against you. Anything you put into the directory, keep it in UTC. Less confusion that way.

 

  joe

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gil Kirkpatrick
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 3:44 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

Depends on the domain of the date values, and how they are used. If the dates will be passed along to other X.500/LDAP type directories, you probably should use the Generalized Time syntax (2.5.5.11). If the dates are manipulated programmatically, use the long integer representation. Its pretty trivial to manipulate it as a date in your code. I'd avoid using a string representation unless your code requires a funny string format or unless it requires unusual date values like "today", "yesterday", or "when hell freezes over" (we use the latter for setting development dates for certain silly feature requests in our products :)

 

-gil

 

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Isenhour, Joseph
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 1:15 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ActiveDir] Storing dates in AD

I'm looking for some opinions on a schema extension.  I need to store a date type in AD.  I figure I have several options.

Store it as a long integer.  To determine the date the consumer will need to count the nano seconds from a certain date (the way that pwdLastSet works)

Store it as a date type (which I've never used, and looking at the current schema it appears that most people do not choose this option).

Store it as a unicode string and come up with a format like:  YYYYMMDD[ss][ss]

Does anyone have an opinion on how this should be done?

Thanks

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