NTP won't synch to remote time source.

[Trevor Phillips]

OpenVMS 7.3-1, TCPIP V5.3 ECO 2, NTPD 4.1.0.
Trying to get this node to synch with a W2003 Server over NTP.
tcpip$ntp.conf file configured with:

server ntp-clock version 3

(ntp-clock is defined in hosts database and can be pinged etc - have tried raw ip address in conf file)

I can force a reset of the local VMS clock using ntpdate to the w2k3 server, but NTP will not set the time (it has drifted out by 10 secs since the last ntpdate).

ntpdc - peer command shows the remote server name, and the correct details in terms of time differences etc.

ntpq - associations command shows remote clock as reachable, but advises that the condition is "reject"

ntptrace - returns:
LOCALHOST: Stratum 16
0.0.0.0: *not synchronised*

Forced full logging for NTP, logs say time is being rejected but not why! Analysed network traffic and NTP requests are being received and returned by server.

DTSS is not running and NTP is enabled in TCPIP services. Have tried disabling auth in conf file as well.

I am sure its something small I have missed in the config, but I can't seem to spot it.
Any ideas as to why NTP will not synch?

[Bojan Nemec]

Trevor,

On my system (VMS 7.3-2 TCPIP V5.4 - ECO 2, NTP 4.1.047) works fine. The only two (not commented) lines in TCPIP$NTP.CONF are:

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

In my case the ntp server is a linux machine. Maybe you have to set something on the w2k3 server. Try to bypass the w2k3 server and go directly to the external ntp server. Also note that the first Synchronizing time can be very long.

Bojan

[Ian Miller.]

I have a vague memory that the ntp server on Windows does not do proper ntp but some slightly incompatabile subsub - I think its suppposed to be SNTP.

[Garry Fruth]

ntpq -peers may provide information (http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6526/6526pro_024.html#ntpq_sec); a "#", "x", "." indicate reasons for rejection.

Any clues in the TCPIP$NTP_RUN.LOG (sp?) file?

[Garry Fruth]

Sorry, mistake on the previous reply. The reference for the ntpq -peers command is http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/73final/6526/6526pro_024.html#heading_12.8.4.1

[Trevor Phillips]

Thanks for the responses so far.

An ntpq peers displays a blank (space) before the remote host name. Docs advise that this "indicates that the peer was discarded, because of high stratum or failed sanity checks"

I need to now investigate why this is. The w2k3 server has a radio (rugby) clock directly connected to it. The w2k3 server NTP software has set itself to stratum 1, which I would accept as being correct?

Rgds,
Trevor.

[Garry Fruth]

The -peers should also have indicated stratrum of the server under the column labeled "st". Is it 1, as you expected?

[Trevor Phillips]

Yes, the stratum is 1 as expected.

ntpq -peers displays

remote refid st
ntp-clock .LOCL. 1

I am trying to investigate what sanity checks would cause it to reject the time.

[Garry Fruth]

Does the offset from the peers command show over 900,000? I believe that represents 15 minutes which is beyond where NTP adjusts.

You could also try
ntpq> assoc
ntpq> readvar ### flash where ### is the associd of the ntp server.

[Trevor Phillips]

The Alpha is currently 10 seconds faster than the reference clock (which is well within the limit whereby NTP would shutdown).

readvar flash returns:

status=9014 reach, conf, 1 event, event_reach, flash=00 ok