Is NTP server necessary for failover function?

[cwb1000]

We had one P4300 SAN solution + one failover manager. The problem is our system didn't have external connection. In other word, we can' setup NTP server. Does this affect the fail over function since nodes & failover manager have different time/clock on the system.

If so, what can we do? Configure a local windows time server to act as NTP server. It seems doesn't work due to the P4000 user manual. Someone really achieve this? Or can we run any script through command line to manually adjust the time with schedular task. Thanks!

[twg351]

I never setup ntp.  failover works fine w/o it.

You can manually re-sync the group time (TIME Tab --> Time Tasks --> Edit Date, Time & Time Zone), this wil lforce them in sync.  Mine got over an hour out of sync recently due to power fuialures, etc.  failover still worked fine.

[Steve Burkett]

We're running a SAN/IQ 8.1 P4500 SAS setup with the NTP server settings pointing to two of our Active Directory domain controllers. Works fine. You might need to allow UDP Port 123 on any firewalls in between. 

[cwb1000]

Does you Active Directory domain controllers sync with any external time source or just sync internal with hardware clock? Because from the user manual, if you want to use windows as NTP time server for san, you must use external time source for your widows time server. Am i right? 

[Steve Burkett]

Yes correct, we've got our PDC Emulator role Domain Controller grabbing the correct time from an external source, and all the other domain controllers grab the time off him. All our NTP clients (routers, switches, wireless access points, SAN etc) grab from their local Domain Controllers. 

[cwb1000]

The problem is we don't have any external connection, windows time server can't connect to any internet or external time source. So we are looking for solution without external connection.