By default, Content Server stores date values as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) time in new repositories (Documentum 6 and later), and as the local time in repositories that are upgraded from before version 6.

The r_normal_tz property in the docbase config object controls how Content Server stores dates in the repository. If the property value is 0, all dates are stored in UTC time. If the property contains an offset value, dates are normalized using the offset value before being stored in the repository. Offset values must use a time zone offset from UTC time, expressed as seconds. For example, if the offset represents the Pacific Standard Time zone, the offset value is -8*60*60, or -28800 seconds. When the property is set to an offset value, Content Server stores all date values based on the time identified by the time zone offset.

In a Documentum 6 or later repository, r_normal_tz value is set to 0. In a repository upgraded from a release earlier than version 6, the r_normal_tz value is set to the offset that represents Content Server local time and cannot be changed.