Configuring an External NTP Source with NetWare 5.x and NetWare 6.x

  • 3817005
  • 17-Jan-2007
  • 26-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell NetWare 6.5
Novell NetWare 6.0
Novell NetWare 5.1
Novell NetWare 5.0

Situation

Configuring an External NTP Source with NetWare 5 and NetWare 6

Resolution

Using NTP to poll time from External Time source over TCP/IP is easy with NetWare 5 and NetWare 6.

1. If the server is a NetWare 5.0 server, then install Support Pack 5 or later. If the server is a NetWare 5.1 server, then install Support Pack 1 or later. NetWare 6 has this functionality.

2. On the SINGLE OR REFERENCE time server, load MONITOR.NLM | Server Parameters | Time, and change the following parameters
TIMESYNC Configured Sources = ON
TIMESYNC Time Sources = IP_address_of_Internet_time_source:123; Where 123 is the NTP port on that time source.

Example: TIMESYNC Time Sources = 129.7.1.66:123;

3. At the console prompt, Unload TIMESYNC, Load TIMESYNC

Possible Internet Time sources can be found on the National Institute of Standards and Technology website on their NIST Internet Time Servers Page at http://tf.nist.gov/service/time-servers.html.

A Netware SINGLE timesource can be setup to answer NTP requests without having a CONFIGURED list. To do this, perform the following steps:
1. Set the TIMESYNC Configured Sources = ON
2. Set the TIMESYNC Time Sources = ;
3. Unload TIMESYNC and load TIMESYNC

In this mode, the SINGLE is taking time from itself and is synchronized in a matter of 5 seconds to itself. If a SINGLE is pointing to a NTP server, the SINGLE will have to synchronize before it can trust the NTP server as credible.

Additional Information

It is also considered good netiquette to get permission before using someone else's NTP server. See these Rules of Engagement for more information

Formerly known as TID# 10011518