Change to time format returned in API responses

Initial announcement date October 20, 2021

Overview

On October 20, 2021, Code42 changed times returned in API responses to always be in UTC format. Prior to this change, timestamps could be in UTC time or local time. This change was part of our ongoing work to improve data consistency. 

If you use the Code42 API to obtain time data, and you utilize the entire ISO 8601 date and time format (including the time offset), this change does not affect you. However, if you use the time obtained from the Code42 API as a string value that ignores the ISO 8601 time zone, you may need to make adjustments to your API scripts.

To ensure accuracy of the time output from the Code42 API, check that your API scripting does not ignore the time zone. 

Affects

This change only adversely affects Code42 customers who use the Code42 API to obtain dates and times, and whose scripting ignores the time zone. 

This change does not affect customers who do not use Code42 API scripting.

What should I do?

Code42 administrators

Examine the time output from your Code42 API scripting and change any instances that ignore time zone to instead include the time zone information.

Users of the Code42 console

Users of the Code42 console do not need to take any action. All dates and times displayed in the Code42 console correctly show UTC time.

Users of the Code42 app

End users of the Code42 app on endpoint devices do not need to take any action.

Frequently asked questions

Why are we making this change?

We want to ensure that whenever you see a timestamp on an event that it is always shown in UTC time. Prior to this change, the time could be shown either in UTC time or local time.

How can I be sure that the date and time are correct?

For APIs, the time is returned in ISO 8601 format. In ISO 8601 format, the time in UTC ends with one of the following: "Z" (indicating it is Zulu time), or "+00:00", indicating that the offset from UTC is zero. If you see either of these in the API output, then the time information is correct. If you do not see them, then you are likely consuming the time output as a string value that ignores the ISO 8601 time zone information.

What happens if I don't change my API scripting?

If you allow consumption of time output from the Code42 API as a string value that ignores the time zone, people viewing the time will likely interpret it as local time, which is not correct. In addition, if your scripting compares output values by their text representations, it could fail when comparing dates returned before and after the date change.

How can I get help?

If you need help, please contact our Technical Support Engineers.

We recommend that you subscribe to our announcements page in the Code42 Community to keep informed about any upcoming changes to Code42 functionality that may require you to take action.

Updates to this document

This document should not be interpreted as a legally binding commitment, but rather as an informational document that may change occasionally as we respond to changing market conditions and to our customers' needs.

This document represents the current view of Code42 as of the date it was posted. Code42 may change or update this policy at any time, without notice. Code42 cannot guarantee that this document will be kept up to date, nor that any typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions will be corrected. Please check this document periodically to keep informed of any changes.

All online policies and similar documents are for informational purposes only. Code42 makes no warranties, express, implied or statutory, by posting such documents or about the information in such documents. 

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