topic NTP Configuration and Use in Operating System - OpenVMS

NTP Configuration and Use

fabiomacabu — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:45:13 GMT

Hi All,

I have an Alphaserver running OpenVMS 7.2-2 and TCPIP Services v 5.1. I´m trying to do a time synchronization with a GPS with a builtin NTP server. So I execute following steps:

1) Configure Host

TCPIP> SET HOST GPS_TEST /ADD=140.0.194.15/ALIAS="gps_test"

2) Configure TCPIP$NTP.CONF

driftfile SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$NTP]TCPIP$NTP.DRIFT
server gps_test

3) Run @sys$startup:TCPIP$NTP_STARTUP

The process is running, but nothing happens... I tried following:

A) $ ntpdate -q 140.0.194.15
Socket bind error.
Verify that the NTP server (TCPIP$NTP) is not running on this host.
%SYSTEM-F-DUPLNAM, duplicate name

B) $ ntptrace gps_test
GPS_TEST: *Timeout*

C) $ ntpq -n

ntpq> peer
remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset disp
==============================================================================
140.0.194.15 0.0.0.0 16 u - 64 0 0.00 0.000 16000.0
ntpq>
ntpq> associations
ind assID status conf reach auth condition last_event cnt
===========================================================
1 13028 8000 yes no

I don´t know what is happening. Actually the gps synchronize other two Windows machines. Can anyone help to solve this problem?

Thanks in advance, Fabio

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

Hoff — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:56:28 GMT

Is TCPIP$NTP.CONF configured and correct?

AskHL: Configuring NTP On OpenVMS:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1280

Restrictions and details on ntpdate are there, too.

Also get and load the "current" TCP/IP Services patch for V5.1, too.

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

Andy Bustamante — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:42:51 GMT

You're using an older out of date version of the operating system and TCPIP. I'm sure you know that and there are reasons.

I believe you need to shut down ntp services (@sys$startup:tcpip$ntp_shutdown) to use the ntpq utility. Your error message:

>>>Verify that the NTP server (TCPIP$NTP) is not running on this host.

points to this as well.

The logs for ntp are in SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$NTP], the name of the log changed between versions. Also, there is an issue with older releases where the log file when ntp is started remains open. This can be a problem with purging. I believe this was first corrrected in an ECO for TCPIP 5.4.

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

Andy Bustamante — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:56:59 GMT

And of course use

@sys$startup:tcpip$ntp_startup

to restart ntp when you've completed your debugging.

You should confirm your time zone settings as well. Hoff may have a more current entry but start with http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/72

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

Bob Blunt — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:58:29 GMT

You have to have TCPIP$NTP.CONF setup properly. There are examples in the template in SYS$SYSPECIFIC:[TCPIP$NTP]. Add your GPS NTP server into the list as those examples show and it's always good to have some backup sources just in case your local source goes away for some reason. Once you have your local server properly added to the file you should stop and restart NTP to connect to your source(s). The logfile, usually either TCPIP$NTP_RUN.LOG or TCPIP$NTP.LOG may not show "immediate" activity, you might have to wait fifteen or so minutes for the first log entries to accumulate.

There are several information sources on the Internet for NTP, most seem to be (I think) at the University of Delaware. You should be able to find troubleshooting information for the various NTP tools and utilities there. Some of those should give you a better idea what the output means. The real key for NTP on OpenVMS (even for the antique versions) is getting the .CONF file setup properly and starting the NTP service using that file. Unless, of course, you have reachability problems between the OpenVMS system and the GPS source.

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

Aaron Sakovich — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:42:21 GMT

Andy said:

"I believe you need to shut down ntp services (@sys$startup:tcpip$ntp_shutdown) to use the ntpq utility."

Actually, it's when you use ntpdate that the NTP server must be shutdown, because ntpdate can be used to "manually" set the system time. ntpq is just for querying.

Just because an NTP server or client works with a Windows system does not mean that it will work with other systems that adhere to industry standards. Microsoft decided in their infinite wisdom NOT to adhere to the RFC spec, and used TCP instead of UDP for NTP traffic. I've seen several firewall appliances that do not take this into account, and must have custom rules crafted to allow Windows NTP traffic to pass. If there's a firewall or even a router in between you and the GPS or Windows systems, there is a distinct possibility that you may not be able to see it.

Do check your logs as Bob suggested; these should have some good clues. If necessary, you can set the logical TCPIP$NTP_LOG_LEVEL/System anywheres from 1 to 6 to increase the verbosity in the logs. Restart NTP after changing this logical.

HTH

Re: NTP Configuration and Use

fabiomacabu — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:35:29 GMT

Thanks for all!!