Timedate

Timedate is the collection and management of time and date information within computing and information systems. It encompasses the representation of a moment as a timestamp, formatting for display, and handling of time zones and daylight saving time. Timedate is central to logging, event sequencing, scheduling, and data integrity across software and hardware components.

Representations of timedate use epoch-based timestamps and human-readable forms produced according to standards such as ISO 8601 and RFC 3339. Common display formats include 2024-06-12T15:30:00Z or 2024-06-12T15:30:00+02:00. Systems typically distinguish between a hardware clock (RTC) and a software or system clock, preserving time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and applying time zone information to present local time.

Timekeeping often requires synchronization with external references. Protocols like Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) help keep clocks aligned with reference time sources, while Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is used in environments requiring higher accuracy. Operating systems expose timedate settings and status through utilities that control time, date, time zone, and network time synchronization. Software libraries provide time zone conversions, formatting, and arithmetic that respect daylight saving changes and, where appropriate, leap seconds.

Challenges in timedate management include keeping time zone data current, handling daylight saving transitions, addressing clock drift, and maintaining consistency across distributed systems. Robust timedate handling supports reliable logging, accurate scheduling, and coordinated operations across services and devices.