Time plays an essential role throughout BEACON, particularly in reporting and importing reads.
Timestamps convey vital information such as:
- When meters and endpoints were installed.
- When endpoints were activated.
- When reads were collected.
- When notes were added to meter cards.
- When Data Exchange files were imported.
- When exceptions start and stop.
- When leaks start and stop.
Timezones determine the actual dates and times displayed by timestamps. BEACON displays a variety of timezones, for example:
- Utility timezone.
- Local time, e.g. the time set by your internet browser.
- UTC.
- Meter timezone.
In most cases, BEACON reports and displays time in the timezone of each meter’s service point. For example:
- Exports from the Monitor page Actions drop-down menu produce reads with times given in the timezone of the service point where the meter is physically located. If a service point timezone has not been specified, the system defaults to the utility’s timezone.
- Exporting read and flow data using the BEACON Export Data Service API produces reads with times given in the timezone of the service point where the meter is physically located. If a service point timezone has not been specified, the system defaults to the utility’s timezone.
- Data exported from the Assets page>Endpoints tab are in local (browser) time.
- Interval Meter Read imports use date/timestamps based on where the reads are taken, e.g. in utility local time. Timestamps are given in ISO-8601 format (YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss).
- The Monitor page Consumption Graph displays time based on the computer’s local timezone.
But in other cases, two different timezones are visible within a single portion of the interface. For example,
- Last Message Date and Activation Date displayed on the Assets page>Pre-provisioned and Provisioned Endpoints sections are in “local time,” e.g. the time as set by your Internet browser, whereas the Last Read Date is in UTC.
In the screenshot above, the Last Message Date is in local (browser) time, which is Pacific Standard Time (UTC -8), whereas the Last Read Date is in UTC.
Daylight Savings Time
BEACON automatically adjusts to Daylight Savings Time. For more details, see the FAQ entry on Daylight Savings Time.
