2. With what time source is the time server synchronized?
If the time server to be configured is a master time server, you must select
in timeserv.ini a standard time source such as NIST or USNO. If you use an
Internet link to access NIST or USNO, you must check whether the source is
blocked by a firewall. Try to PING tick.usno.navy.mil or Telnet
132.163.135.130.13. One or both should respond if you have proper Internet
access via TCP/IP. If you use a modem to dial the source, you must choose the
COM port of the modem, the modem speed, the modem command string, and the
source's telephone number. Callout A in Listing 1 shows the steps for calling a
time source using a modem. If you use an NTP time server, you need to know its
host name or its IP address.
If the time server is a primary time server, you need to know the NT
computer name of the master time server and of any other time servers. You enter
these names in a source list in timeserv.ini. You can randomly choose the
time server that the primary time server synchronizes with, or you can choose by
top-down order from the source list. The PrimarySource= statement at A in
Listing 2 illustrates the setting for a primary server to obtain the time from a
master time server. This primary server can get the time from a master server or
from another primary server. The RandomPrimary= statement at C in Listing 2
shows the setting for choosing a time source randomly from a source list of
servers.
If the time server is a secondary time server, you need to know whether it
obtains time from the same domain or a different, secondary domain. The
SecondaryDomain= statement at A in Listing 3 shows a time source in a secondary
domain.
3. How often do you want the time server to request the time?
By default, a master time server using a modem requests time once a day
between 6:00 am and 6:30 am (to get a low phone rate). A time server using a
network link checks every 8 to 12 hours. You can easily change this setting to
many times daily by increasing the synchronization frequency in timeserv.ini.
For instance, if you want your time server to obtain time every hour, you
can set the configuration Period=24 in timeserv.ini. The Period= statement in
listings 1, 2, and 3 show example settings for synchronization frequency.
4. Is the time server a time source?
As defined earlier, a time source is a time server in a domain that responds
to time requests from a secondary time server or a client workstation searching
for network time from the domain. Configure a primary time server as a time
source, as shown in the Timesource= statement at B in Listing 2. The servers in
listings 1 and 3 are not time sources.
5. Do you want to track time service events in the application log?
Even though the default is Off, turning the log on is a good idea, at least
on the master time server and the primary time servers. An On setting lets you
track time service events in the application log of Events Viewer. With the log
turned on, as it is in the Log= statement in all three listings, you can monitor
whether the time service is working as you want it to. Also, you can add this
event to a monitoring system to automatically notify you of problems that arise.
6. Do you want the TimeAdjustment API to disable CMOS synchronization?
By default, NT regularly synchronizes the OS time to the CMOS Request to
Send (RTS) when the OS time differs from the CMOS time by more than one minute.
The result can be a maximum 0.45 second time drift daily if you use the default
period (Period=0) in timeserv.ini. Usually, the clock in a time server
will be more precise and stable when you disable the OS synchronization feature
by using Tasync=no in timeserv.ini, because the NT time service obtains accurate
network time for the server. Leave the default as Tasync=no unless you
find time drifting more with timeserv than before. The last line in each listing
shows the OS synchronization feature disabled. For more detailed information,
read the Microsoft document timeserv.wri on the Microsoft Windows NT
Resource Kit CD-ROM.
Installation
Installing TimeServ is straightforward. Before you take the following steps
to install it on an NT machine, check timeserv.exe, timeserv.dll, and
timeserv.ini from the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit CD-ROM
and verify that you have administrative privileges on the time server.
Copy files timeserv.exe and timeserv.dll to %systemroot%\system32 in
the winnt directory, and copy file timeserv.ini to %systemroot%. Edit timeserv.ini for the time server as discussed in "Configuring a Time Server."
Run timeserv -automatic or timeserv -manual, depending on whether
you want to start the time service automatically or manually the next time the
server starts. If the time server is a time source (i.e., Timesource=yes in timeserv.ini), reboot the server so that the time source takes effect. Otherwise,
use the command NET START TIMESERV to start the time service, or start it in the
Services utility in the Control Panel.
You sometimes need to modify timeserv.ini after the time service has
started. You must stop the time service, edit the file, execute timeserv
-update, and restart the time service.
For a large network, Systems Management Server (SMS) lets you install the
time service for each time server using Microsoft SMS. If you do not have SMS,
you can use NT Scheduler to install the time service on a remote time server
from your NT workstation. The Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit
CD-ROM provides a Windows-based scheduler, WINAT.EXE. You will find using WINAT.EXE much easier than the command-line version AT.EXE. For workstations, you
can simply add your NET TIME commands to the domain logon script and synchronize
your workstation to a domain or a computer, as described in "Microsoft
Network Time Command."
In Sync with Success
Microsoft's time service, TimeServ, and network time command, NET TIME, are
very useful for time synchronization in an NT network. Applying these two time
utilities to your NT network will keep your servers and workstations
synchronized to the standard time to enhance your success in systems management
and mission-critical business applications. Microsoft time utilities can scale
from a small LAN with a single domain to a large WAN with multiple domains
across time zones.