1. A parallel computer system comprising: a plurality of nodes coupled together that each has a processor and an independent clock, wherein each of the plurality of nodes includes a portion of a database that is referenced by a selected query to the database that includes a timestamp parameter; a time server coupled to the plurality of nodes and having a baseline clock that provides a reference time; and a timestamp synchronization mechanism executed by the processor in each of the plurality of nodes that accesses the time server and assures values for the timestamp parameter for the selected query are identical in each of the plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes stores a value for the timestamp parameter for the selected query according to the independent clock in each node, and the timestamp synchronization mechanism in each of the plurality of nodes requests a baseline clock from the time server and adjusts the value of the timestamp parameter for the selected query based on a computed difference between the baseline clock and the independent clock resulting in the timestamp parameters for the selected query in the plurality of nodes having identical values.