Changing System Time on SQL Server Hardware

I'm trying to test a web-based, time and attendance
application. In order o compress the testing window, I'd
like to adjust the system time. The application pulls all
time stamps from the database server so when I need to
adjust the system time, I will be adjusting the database
server (SQL Server) time forward and backward.
I'm being told that if I adjust the system time on the
database tier (SQL Server) that I will destabilize the
database (specifically causing trouble with log files) and
my results will not be reliable. In the past while
testing a time sensitive, client/server application, I
adjusted the system time forwards and backwards without
any negative repercussions.
I'd like to know what would cause this instability, if the
information that I'm receiving is accurate and if there
are any suggested workarounds.Changing the time should not cause any instability issues that I am aware
of. Log records are identified by their LSN (Log Sequence Number) and are
written serially. A lot of servers for example automatically change the time
for Daylight savings etc with no ill effects
HTH
Jasper Smith (SQL Server MVP)
I support PASS - the definitive, global
community for SQL Server professionals -
http://www.sqlpass.org
"Caleb" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1c71c01c42238$78611dc0$a501280a@.phx
.gbl...
> I'm trying to test a web-based, time and attendance
> application. In order o compress the testing window, I'd
> like to adjust the system time. The application pulls all
> time stamps from the database server so when I need to
> adjust the system time, I will be adjusting the database
> server (SQL Server) time forward and backward.
> I'm being told that if I adjust the system time on the
> database tier (SQL Server) that I will destabilize the
> database (specifically causing trouble with log files) and
> my results will not be reliable. In the past while
> testing a time sensitive, client/server application, I
> adjusted the system time forwards and backwards without
> any negative repercussions.
> I'd like to know what would cause this instability, if the
> information that I'm receiving is accurate and if there
> are any suggested workarounds.