Web Agent Guides › Web Agent Configuration Guide › Web Agents › How Web Agents Secure Resources › How Web Agents and the Policy Server Work Together › Considerations for Web Agents and Policy Servers in Different Time Zones

Considerations for Web Agents and Policy Servers in Different Time Zones

By default, the Policy Server and Web Agent calculate time relative to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Therefore, for each system that has a Policy Server or Web Agent installed, the system clock must be set for the time zone appropriate to that system's geographical location.

The following illustration shows how the Policy Server executes a policy relative to time. A resource is stored on a web server in Massachusetts and is protected by a Policy Server in California. The policy allows access to the resource between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. However, the user in Massachusetts can still access the resource at 6:00 PM because the policy is based on the Policy Server's time zone, Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is three hours behind the Web Agent's time zone, Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Note: For Windows systems, both the time zone setting and the time of day (set in the Date/Time control panel) must agree. For example, to reset a system in the U.S. from Eastern time to Pacific time, perform the following tasks in the order shown:

1. Set the time zone to Pacific time.
2. Verify that the system clock displays the correct time (three hours earlier than Eastern time).

If these settings differ, single sign-on across multiple domains and agent key management will not work properly.