GETUTCDATE() Function in SQL Server

GETUTCDATE() :

This function in SQL Server is used to return the UTC date and time of the present database system in a ‘YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss.mmm’ pattern.

Features :

• This function is used to find the UTC date and time of the current database system.
• This function comes under Date Functions.
• This function doesn’t accept any parameter.
• This function returns the output in ‘YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss.mmm’ format.

Syntax :

GETUTCDATE()

Parameter :

This method doesn’t accept any parameter.

Returns :

It returns the UTC date and time of the current database system in a ‘YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss.mmm’ format.

Example-1 :

Using the GETUTCDATE() function and getting the output.

SELECT GETUTCDATE();

Output :

2021-01-03 15:34:14.403

Here, the output will vary each time the code is compiled as this method returns the current UTC date and time.

Example-2 :

Using GETUTCDATE() as a default value in the below example and getting the output.

CREATE TABLE get_utc_date
(
   id_num        INT IDENTITY,
   message        VARCHAR(150) NOT NULL,
   generated_at DATETIME NOT NULL
   DEFAULT GETUTCDATE(),
   PRIMARY KEY(id_num)
);
INSERT INTO get_utc_date(message)
VALUES('Its the first message.');

INSERT INTO get_utc_date(message)
VALUES('get_utc_date');

SELECT
     id_num,
     message,
     generated_at
FROM
     get_utc_date;

Output :

  |id_num |  message              |   generated_at
-------------------------------------------------------------  
1 | 1     | Its the first message.| 03.01.2021 17:32:16
-------------------------------------------------------------
2 | 2     | get_utc_date          | 03.01.2021 17:32:16

Here, firstly you need to create a table then insert values into it then generate the required output using the GETUTCDATE() function as a default value.

Note: For running the above code use SQL server compiler, you can also use an online compiler.

Example-3 :

Using CONVERT() function in order to translate the output of the GETUTCDATE() function into the current date only.

SELECT CONVERT(DATE, GETUTCDATE());

Output :

2021-01-07

Here, the output may vary every time the code is compiled as it returns current date.

Example-4 :

Using CONVERT() function in order to translate the output of the GETUTCDATE() function into the current time only.

SELECT CONVERT(TIME, GETUTCDATE());

Output :

06:40:14.4700000

Here, the output may vary every time the code is compiled as it returns current time.

Application :

This function is used to return the current UTC date and time of the database system.