Date and time verification

[kitsura]

Currently one of my database system requires the capture of the current date and time. The main problem is that I need accurate dates and time. But the filemaker function to get the current date and time can only get it from the current host PC.

There is already an issue where the host PC's date is wrong which results in all the data captured to be inaccurate.

I've already installed a software to the PC to sync the date and time from an NTP server. However for some reason the software didn't sync the time.

I was wondering if there is any way to implement a data/time verification in filemaker? Or maybe is it possible to get filemaker to query the server for the date and time since I have total control over the server and what runs on it.

[bcooney]

Why can't you use Get(CurrentHostTimestamp), and make sure that your FMS time/date is correct?

[kitsura]

Because there is no way of ensuring that the client PC time and date is set correctly. And since it's at a remote location which I don't really have access too it's much more difficult to check on it.

[comment]

Couldn't you use Applescript and curl to get the current time from the Internet, and calculate the offset?

[Vaughan]

" The main problem is that I need accurate dates and time."

Most systems that I've seen don't need accurate time, they need *consistent* time. That is, each user needs to be looking at the same clock. Whether that clock is accurate is less important; it is easy to correct inaccuracies because all time values will be out by the same amount.

As Barbara suggested, use the Get ( CurrentHostTimeStamp ) function.

[kitsura]

Couldn't you use Applescript and curl to get the current time from the Internet, and calculate the offset?

The clients are using various flavours of Windows OS like 98 and 2000. I'm using a software to sync the time to an NTP server but still some of them fail and I get dates 2 months in advance.

[comment]

Well, your original post is tagged as:

This Post:

Client: 8 OS: Mac OS X Leopard Host: Server 8 Advanced OS: Mac OS X Leopard

Furthermore, the entire situation is not clear. First, you talked about the host PC's date being wrong - now it's suddenly about the clients. Please explain the entire setup.