How to prepare the BES for Microsoft Exchange to support DST changes in 2008

[BESadmin]

How to prepare the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange to support DST changes in 2008


Doc ID : KB15058
Last Modified : 2008-10-01
Document Type : How To

Environment

• BlackBerry® Enterprise Server software version 4.0 Service Pack 7 (4.0.7) for Microsoft® Exchange
• BlackBerry Enterprise Server software version 4.1 (4.1.x) for Microsoft Exchange
• BlackBerry smartphones
• SDR159527
• SDR138787

Procedure

The Daylight Saving Time (DST) will change for the following time zones.



Note: Guyana's time zone of Buenos_Aires has been renamed Georgetown.

*Note: To monitor future updates on the Microsoft CDO patch updates, search for article 933360 at the Microsoft Support web site.

Complete the following to support the DST 2008 changes to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange


To support the DST 2008 changes to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange, complete the following:

1. To support the time zone changes, the Windows® operating system must have a time zone update applied. If the Windows time zone update is not applied, the TimeZoneUpdate20080207.zip script will not function as intended. For more information, search for article 942763 on the Microsoft Support web site.
2. The new time zone information provided by CDO.dll must be applied to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. This information can be found by searching for article 943068 on the Microsoft Support web site.
3. Download and run the attached script, TimeZoneUpdate20080207.zip, on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. For instructions, see the Additional Info section in this article. Note: A known issue exists (SDR138787) as a result of applying the CDO.dll change. A duplicate appointment may occur if meetings are updated after they have been accepted.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Registry modifications to add time zone information


Warning: The following procedure involves modifying the computer registry. This can cause substantial damage to the Windows operating system. Document and back up the registry entries prior to implementing any changes.

1. Download the file Update_for_CDO_6.5.7653.21-6.5.7974.0.reg to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
2. Double-click the file to apply the changes.
3. Restart the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Important: Restarting the BlackBerry Enterprise Server will delay email message delivery to BlackBerry smartphones. For more information, see KB04789.

BlackBerry smartphones

Warning: If you apply the following DST 2008 time zone change to a BlackBerry smartphone that is already patched, or activate a new BlackBerry smartphone with the correct DST values against a BlackBerry Enterprise Server that does not have the newest time zone table, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server will override the values on the BlackBerry smartphone.


The 4.1MR4+_Patch.zip and 4.2+_Patch.zip patches resolve the DST 2008 issue if you are running one of the following BlackBerry® Device Software versions:

• BlackBerry Device Software 4.1.0.344 through 4.1.0.365
• BlackBerry Device Software 4.1.0.373
• BlackBerry Device Software 4.1.0.375 through 4.1.0.385

For BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry Device Software 4.1.0, download the 4.1MR4+_Patch.zip. There are two ways to download the patch:

• For administrators, or for installing the patch using the Application Loader in BlackBerry® Desktop Manager, to download the 4.1MR4+_Patch.zip, click here. For instructions on installing the patch using the Application Loader, see KB15172.
• To download the patch wirelessly from a BlackBerry smartphone, click here.

For BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry Device Software 4.2 or later, download the 4.2+_Patch.zip. There are two ways to download the patch:

• For administrators or for installing the patch using the Application Loader in BlackBerry Desktop Manager, to download the 4.2+_Patch.zip, click here. For instructions on installing the patch using the Application Loader, see KB15172.
• To download the patch wirelessly from a BlackBerry smartphone, click here.

The patch can also be deployed to BlackBerry smartphones from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. See KB03748 for detailed instructions on preparing a software configuration for wireless deployment.


Attachments

• Refer to file Attached

Keywords: Australian DST 2008 BlackBerry

[GaryCutri]

Before applying the Blackberry DST update MUST ensure you are running the correct service packs as listed above. Once you have confirmed that your environment is ready for the DST Database update you need to do the following:

1. Download the file attached to the post above (KB15058_fTimeZoneUpdate20080207.zip)

2. Extract the files onto a folder on the BlackBerry server

3. Copy BBDBUpdate.exe and the LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql (Located in the extracted files under the SQLServer folder) to a single folder e.g. c:\DST

4. From the BlackBerry Server open the command prompt and navigate to the folder to which you have placed the two files e.g. c:\DST

5. Run the following command:

BBDBUpdate -n <database server name> -db <Database name> -input LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql

e.g. C:\DST\BBDBUpdate -n MOBNETDB01 -db BESmgmt -input LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql

Once you run the command the following should appear:

input LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql
BlackBerry Configuration Database Update tool Version 4.1.4.8
Copyright (c) Research In Motion, Ltd. 2000-2007. All rights reserved.
Modification date: Aug 8 2007

[20000] (13:15:10.125):{0x1AF4} Connect to database server: MOBNETDB01
[20000] (13:15:10.125):{0x1AF4} Database name: BESmgmt
[20000] (13:15:10.140):{0x1AF4} Database connection opened!
[20000] (13:15:10.140):{0x1AF4} Reading input file: LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql
[20000] (13:15:10.621):{0x1AF4} The SQL commands completed successfully.

6. Your Blackberry Database should now be updated

[Shuzzi]

Thank you gary.

If it wasn't for your post, I and possibly many others would have simply installed the Windows 2003 DST hotfix (KB 942063) and the Exchange cdo.dll upgrade (KB 943068). We would then have sent out the file "net_rim_bb_timezoneupdater.jad" to the handhelds.

I am not sure why the instructions you have written in relation to BBDBUpdate are not on the BlackBerry website. Having said that, I am not sure what this update does as I did testing before and after the BBDBUpdate was run and I found that the .jar fixed the timezone difference before the BBDBUpdate.

Simply looking for comments if anyone has any.

Regards

Michael

[GaryCutri]

As a "basic" overview:

The BBDBUpdate updates the Blackberry database so it is aware of the new DST start and end dates of affected time zones. Also by running this update it will automatically correct existing calendar entries (on the device) and ensure new entries are set to the correct time (technically the correct GMT offset amount). The reason why you need the handheld patch is to ensure that the Blackberry device is also aware or able to accept these time zone changes.

Here is a sample line from LoadSyncDeviceConfig.sql

UPDATE SyncDeviceConfig SET Data = '<R15403><TZID>255</TZID><ZoneStringID>Australia/Sydney</ZoneStringID><GMTOffset>600</GMTOffset><DSTAmount>60</DSTAmount><DSTStartMode>1</DSTStartMode><DSTStartMonth>9</DSTStartMonth><DSTStartDOW>1</DSTStartDOW><DSTStartDay>1</DSTStartDay><DSTStartTime>120</DSTStartTime><DSTEndMode>1</DSTEndMode><DSTEndMonth>3</DSTEndMonth><DSTEndDOW>1</DSTEndDOW><DSTEndDay>1</DSTEndDay><DSTEndTime>180</DSTEndTime></R15403>'
    WHERE SyncDbTypeId = 15403 AND TableId = 1 AND Guid = 40

[Shuzzi]

Gary,

You have been extremely helpful and I hope this is my last query (which is actually 2 situations).

We tested applying the handheld patch by sending an email to a few users with the URL and once selected, they were prompted to update and it installed within 5 minutes for each user. We then tried an alternate method following the instructions in KB12016 (How administrators can assign DST upgrades wirelessly to BlackBerry devices). This method took ages (we think over 8 hours) and this was on our test BES with 2 users on it.
We think there is a method to up the priority on the second method as it would then allow us to identify who has the patch installed and who does not. Any help on this would be appreciated.

The second scenario is that we have approx. 800 BB users on our production server - some have handheld version 4.1.x and some 4.2.x
We can't have 2 policies on the bes at the same time as RIM have named their .cod and .alx the same names and the config wizard does not like that (we tried renaming one pair but the config wizard then did not pick up the patch). Again, any help would be good.

Thanks

Michael

[GaryCutri]

What is the exact version of BES that you are running? e.g. 4.1.4.15

[Shuzzi]

Originally Posted by GaryCutri

What is the exact version of BES that you are running? e.g. 4.1.4.15

BES for Exchange 4.1.4.26
It is the same for our production box.
We thought there was a registry key/s to up the priority so policies are actioned immediately.

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by Shuzzi

BES for Exchange 4.1.4.26
It is the same for our production box.
We thought there was a registry key/s to up the priority so policies are actioned immediately.

Just right mouse click on a user and select "Deploy Applications" and it will send the software to the device immediately (i.e. this bypasses the normal 4 hour wait time).

[elwynw]

Gary - thankyou for breaking that down into how it works for us. RIM haven't been that great in providing information, so that's tops.

We have some questions regarding this - and hope you or someone else may have an answer. much appreciated if you do.

1. We have two device models, so we need to deploy the 4.1 and 4.2 patch. Is it ok to push wireless to one model, then remove the device patch off the BES and put the other patch under a different config name, perform loader /reindex, and push to the other device users.
We tried to push this out to our 8700 model users, on 4.1.x, but the installed patch is showing 4.2.0.96 instead of 4.1.0.389/

2. is there a problem to installing the device patch before the server update? We had to delay our server update, but had already sent the patch to devices.

3. has anyone thought about a testing plan with users in the US or other timezone?

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by elwynw

Gary - thankyou for breaking that down into how it works for us. RIM haven't been that great in providing information, so that's tops.

We have some questions regarding this - and hope you or someone else may have an answer. much appreciated if you do.

1. We have two device models, so we need to deploy the 4.1 and 4.2 patch. Is it ok to push wireless to one model, then remove the device patch off the BES and put the other patch under a different config name, perform loader /reindex, and push to the other device users.
We tried to push this out to our 8700 model users, on 4.1.x, but the installed patch is showing 4.2.0.96 instead of 4.1.0.389/

2. is there a problem to installing the device patch before the server update? We had to delay our server update, but had already sent the patch to devices.

3. has anyone thought about a testing plan with users in the US or other timezone?

1. In relation to the patch I just use the Patch Manager v2.5 which is suitable for all your devices.

2. I always deploy the handheld updates and then do the database update.

3. On a few global BES sites that I maintain I have just applied all the appropriate DST handheld\Server updates and then had users in each country perform testing for me.