Publishing error with Sitecore 8.2 Update 3 and Solr 6.1

Question

We are getting below error when publishing content for the first time to web database after Sitecore upgrade. The publishing method is publish site -> republish /smart publish.

Job started: Publish to 'web'|#Exception: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.ArgumentException: The supplied DateTime represents an invalid time. For example, when the clock is adjusted forward, any time in the period that is skipped is invalid. Parameter name: dateTime at System.TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTime(DateTime dateTime, TimeZoneInfo sourceTimeZone, TimeZoneInfo destinationTimeZone, TimeZoneInfoOptions flags, CachedData cachedData) at Sitecore.DateUtil.ToUniversalTime(DateTime serverTime) at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.GetDate(ID fieldId, DateTime defaultValue) at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.get_ValidFrom() at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.InValidRange(DateTime date) at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.IsValid(DateTime date, Boolean requireApproved, Database targetDatabase) at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.GetValidVersion(DateTime date, Boolean requireApproved, Boolean allowEmpty, Database targetDatabase) at Sitecore.Data.Items.ItemPublishing.GetValidVersion(DateTime date, Boolean requireApproved, Database targetDatabase) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.DetermineAction.Process(PublishItemContext context) at (Object , Object[] ) at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args) at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.PublishItem.PublishItemPipeline.Run(PublishItemContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context, List1& referrers, List1& children) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessPublishingCandidate(PublishingCandidate entry, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.ProcessEntries(IEnumerable1 entries, PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.ProcessQueue.Process(PublishContext context) at (Object , Object[] ) at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args) at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain) at Sitecore.Publishing.Pipelines.Publish.PublishPipeline.Run(PublishContext context) at Sitecore.Publishing.Publisher.PublishWithResult() --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor) at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments) at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture) at Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.InvokeMethod(MethodInfo method, Object[] parameters, Object obj) at Sitecore.Jobs.JobRunner.RunMethod(JobArgs args) at (Object , Object[] ) at Sitecore.Pipelines.CorePipeline.Run(PipelineArgs args) at Sitecore.Pipelines.DefaultCorePipelineManager.Run(String pipelineName, PipelineArgs args, String pipelineDomain) at Sitecore.Jobs.Job.ThreadEntry(Object state)

Has anyone come across this error? Please advice.

Answer 1

I witnessed very similar behavior, not during publishing, but when setting item restrictions. Upon item save, the same exception was witnessed.

The issue in our case was that a content author attempted to stage an item within the timespan of daylight savings time. This happened in Spring when clocks are moved forward an hour.

The user staged a version to be unpublished at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 8th, 2020. The server is in the EST time zone and the ServerTimeZone setting is blank.

The solution was to choose a time outside of the 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM range where daylight savings kicks in.

Conversely, in November when clocks are set backward an hour, the issue is likely a bit different- where content could become published at e.g. 1:30am, then unpublished when clocks are set back to 1:00am, then republished again at 1:30am. Though this is dependent on how autopublish settings are set up and start/end times for restrictions.