Automation account PowerShell runbook taking wrong time

Question

Automation account PowerShell runbook taking wrong time

Apurva Pathak 845

Hi folks,

I am stuck with an issue with Azure Automation account wherein I am using a PowerShell runbook to automate reboot for some servers. I've scheduled the runbooks to run at 12:05 AM UK Time but scripts are running ~1 hour behind schedule.

I've set some variables in script to call out the time when script is being run, and I am retrieving the output in the runbooks result, there I got to know that script is running on some different time and not on the scheduled timings.

Runbook schedule: User's image

Runbook Log and script runtime output: User's image

Piece of code to retrieve the time during runtime: User's image

Any help to this would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-22T19:17:03.1333333+00:00

Did a bit of digging around and found that even though the schedule is in UK Time Zone, the system time for PowerShell runtime is UTC which could be one of possible reasons (though the difference should be at least 1 hour but here runtime difference in around 50 mins).

Now, I tried to set the time zone of the system while script is running to GMT, I tested that in a test run book and that works as expected. However, when I introduced same block code in my main runbook it is failing to even set the time zone.

Pasting below some snips of test runbook as well as the runbook which is having this problem. Any help/ suggestions would be appreciated.

Piece of code to override system default time:

Result of this code in a different test runbook:

Result of same code in the main runbook (which is having this problem):
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-23T07:43:23.1233333+00:00

A new twist, this morning it worked as expected and the system time zone was overridden successfully.

Not sure what's going on, any suggestions would be appreciated.

PFB snip from latest run log:
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-23T13:10:51.8366667+00:00

This worked in one of the run books but failed again in other three. Could any one please suggest of any possible reasons for this.
AnuragSingh-MSFT 21,566 Reputation points Moderator

2023-11-01T10:51:14.8133333+00:00
Apurva Pathak, thank you for posting this question on Microsoft Q&A. I will try to schedule a similar runbook in my lab to see if I also see the behavior and get some details around it.

However, I would like to understand the following from your tests:

Have you noticed that the job history of this runbook showing the runbook job ran and completed around the schedule specified (12:05 UK time)? (to review the job history, in Automation Account --> Runbooks --> select the runbook and click on jobs

The answer to point 1 above will add some more clarity. Runbook executes in sandbox, and it is possible that the sandbox where it is being allotted to run does not have its local date/time in sync with the current date/time.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-11-02T07:18:22.43+00:00
HI @AnuragSingh-MSFT Thank you so much for looking into this. PFB my response:

Yes, job are running as per their specified schedule.

Yes, I did think that but if you see my above comments, I even tried to override the time in the sandbox with Set-TimeZone commands. This worked in one of my test runbooks, but it behaves weirdly in the others. I would request you to please go through all of comments above, this will give you clarity on what the issue is, what all I tried and where do I stand as of now.

Thanks again for looking into this!

Cheers!
AnuragSingh-MSFT 21,566 Reputation points Moderator

2023-11-07T07:42:48.0966667+00:00

Apurva Pathak, thank you for the reply.

I created 2 scheduled runbooks (1 to trigger at 12:05 AM UK and the other at 12:05 PM UK). In both the scenarios, the runbooks run as expected and I can see the result from system datetime also as 12:05 *M. Are you running the main runbook (facing this issue) over a hybrid worker?

If you are consistently facing this issue with some specific runbooks and Automation accounts, I would suggest opening a support ticket with Azure to take a deeper look from the backend, if required with review of the runbooks too.

Your answer

Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-22T19:17:03.1333333+00:00

Did a bit of digging around and found that even though the schedule is in UK Time Zone, the system time for PowerShell runtime is UTC which could be one of possible reasons (though the difference should be at least 1 hour but here runtime difference in around 50 mins).

Now, I tried to set the time zone of the system while script is running to GMT, I tested that in a test run book and that works as expected. However, when I introduced same block code in my main runbook it is failing to even set the time zone.

Pasting below some snips of test runbook as well as the runbook which is having this problem. Any help/ suggestions would be appreciated.

Piece of code to override system default time:

Result of this code in a different test runbook:

Result of same code in the main runbook (which is having this problem):
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-23T07:43:23.1233333+00:00

A new twist, this morning it worked as expected and the system time zone was overridden successfully.

Not sure what's going on, any suggestions would be appreciated.

PFB snip from latest run log:
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-10-23T13:10:51.8366667+00:00

This worked in one of the run books but failed again in other three. Could any one please suggest of any possible reasons for this.
AnuragSingh-MSFT 21,566 Reputation points Moderator

2023-11-01T10:51:14.8133333+00:00

Apurva Pathak, thank you for posting this question on Microsoft Q&A. I will try to schedule a similar runbook in my lab to see if I also see the behavior and get some details around it.

However, I would like to understand the following from your tests:

Have you noticed that the job history of this runbook showing the runbook job ran and completed around the schedule specified (12:05 UK time)? (to review the job history, in Automation Account --> Runbooks --> select the runbook and click on jobs

The answer to point 1 above will add some more clarity. Runbook executes in sandbox, and it is possible that the sandbox where it is being allotted to run does not have its local date/time in sync with the current date/time.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Apurva Pathak 845 Reputation points

2023-11-02T07:18:22.43+00:00

HI @AnuragSingh-MSFT Thank you so much for looking into this. PFB my response:

Yes, job are running as per their specified schedule.

Yes, I did think that but if you see my above comments, I even tried to override the time in the sandbox with Set-TimeZone commands. This worked in one of my test runbooks, but it behaves weirdly in the others. I would request you to please go through all of comments above, this will give you clarity on what the issue is, what all I tried and where do I stand as of now.

Thanks again for looking into this!

Cheers!
AnuragSingh-MSFT 21,566 Reputation points Moderator

2023-11-07T07:42:48.0966667+00:00

Apurva Pathak, thank you for the reply.

I created 2 scheduled runbooks (1 to trigger at 12:05 AM UK and the other at 12:05 PM UK). In both the scenarios, the runbooks run as expected and I can see the result from system datetime also as 12:05 *M. Are you running the main runbook (facing this issue) over a hybrid worker?

If you are consistently facing this issue with some specific runbooks and Automation accounts, I would suggest opening a support ticket with Azure to take a deeper look from the backend, if required with review of the runbooks too.

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Automation account PowerShell runbook taking wrong time

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