Re: Will this be true tomorrow?

hoesel@chem.rug.nl (frans van hoesel)
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Date: Tue, 8 Feb 1994 21:35:18 --100
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From: hoesel@chem.rug.nl (frans van hoesel)
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Subject: Re: Will this be true tomorrow?
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[...] 

> Server stats are and will remain a local issue no matter how fast the
> Internet grows.  There are several reasons for this:
> 
> 1. The log file is not directly accessible to the web -- some local processing
>    must be performed before it is made available.
> 
> 2. Machine usage is generally dependent on local users (and their work hours)
>    and its generally considered "nicer" to perform large remote accesses
>    during that site's off-peak hours.  Thus, as a webmaster, I need to
>    evaluate usage at my site in terms of how it effects local usage during
>    local peak hours.
> 
> 3. The log file is intended to assist humans trying to maintain their
>    own server, and (except in the UK), all humans think in local time.
>    This is particularly notable at the begin/end of each month when the
>    log file is truncated by date.
> 
> 4. Local events (such as power failures, lightning storms, earthquakes,
>    due dates for final projects, etc.) occur in local time and, if they
>    have some effect on the server, it's easier to match the effect with
>    the event if the log reflects local time.
> 
> Having said that, it's certainly possible that some people will want to
> publish their log in GMT.  However, since I anticipate that to be an
> extremely small percentage of web sites, it makes more sense to have
> those sites convert their log to GMT (using any number of analyzers)
> rather than to require all other sites to convert from GMT to local time.
> 
> 
> ...Roy Fielding   ICS Grad Student, University of California, Irvine  USA
>                    (fielding@ics.uci.edu)
> 

well, I short time ago there was some discussion about what the logfile
was good for. I myself modified the deamon so it writes only as little
info as possible, and exclude even the logs from my local host.
Others claimed that the log file should contain as much information
as possible, so one could always decide afterwards what do save or
examine from the log. In order to do that you should not store the
local time in your log file. Use GMT. most computer brands now
have some kind of internationalization subroutines. one of the standard
routines is presumably the routine that converts from GMT to local time!
you analyzer program needs only to use such a routine and you are
ready. besides you probably now how far away GMT is from your local time

I admit that all humans think in local time (including those in the
Uk btw) but thinking in GMT is not too difficult eighter. besides
that were you have your analyzer for. the cpu times spend are itrrelevant
because if your analyzer doesn't do the conversion, then the logger has to!

I don't see why 1) must be done in local time
2) your analysis would be done by using an analyzer (at least if your
  interest in the log is that big, and the log is large too
3) your analyzer would report times in local time (or in gmt at
   your choise)
your point 4) could be of interest to site outside yours (when you
publice your logs, and therefore should be in GMT)

I cannot easely know what eastern standard time is, or arizona summer
time or whatever local time you have. I do know what GMT -9.00 is!

- frans