Accurate DateTime synchronization for Workstations?

Question

How do I synchronize and ensure that the workstations have accurate DateTime synchronized when needed?

We have to change workstation date-time for testing some apps. How do I ensure back original date-time with accuracy? I've heard there are some date-time servers using which I can get the current accurate date-time within my time-zone.

Thanks.

This is related to the Time Drift question asked previously: http://serverfault.com/questions/6431 — Justin Scott, May 26 '09 at 20:31

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered May 26 '09 at 18:36

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you can use a ntp server. on Linux you can use ntpd wich is a client and a ntp server. for example: my ntp is 172.16.5.2 i just have to put in the ntp.conf of every client: server 172.16.5.2 and restart the ntpd service on each of them and they will sync their date time with my ntp server : 172.16.5.2

you can as well synchronise windows client, using the same way, in windows XP it is called 'network time server' as far as i remember. more info on ntp at : http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~mills/ntp.html

hope this helps

answered May 26 '09 at 18:36

Xinity

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With NTP you can also use a GPS to get the time. – bbigras May 26 '09 at 19:34
that's exactly what we do, but it costs a lot to have a GPS system as an ntp server :) – Xinity May 27 '09 at 07:42

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered May 26 '09 at 18:42

Based on your phrasing, you want local control of the time source and not use one of the atomic clock sources found on the internet. What you want to do is set one machine as a time reference and then set all of your other machines to pull their time from it.

Setup machine as time reference:

http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1117/

NTP Client:

http://blogs.gurulabs.com/lamont/2007/03/windows-ntp-cli.html

Non-windows machines will have a similar setup. Just do some quick digging on google for NTP.

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered May 26 '09 at 21:25

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If you are using Active Directory, use the domain controller as the authoritative time server.

answered May 26 '09 at 21:25

andyhky

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered May 26 '09 at 18:41

If its a member of the domain I believe Active Directory handles time synchronization as Kerberos is dependent upon that. But there might be a registry entry to disable that for your testing. However, once you are done, I would let windows take care of it.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 27 '09 at 04:24

ntp is your friend.

Windows since XP has had an internal client, you should just use that, and as others have said if you run AD always have clients sync of the DC's, then have the DC's sync off reliable unix hosts that get their time from the pool.

*nix generally runs "ntpd" which works well, if your ISP runs ntp servers use those, otherwise go for pool.ntp.org

Accurate DateTime synchronization for Workstations?

5 Answers5