NTP Network Time Sources on HP-UX

[Franky Leeuwerck_2]

Hi there,

I simply don't like manually adjusting the clock on an HP-UX system running a DBMS and scheduled jobs all day long.

Does anyone in the forums has good experience with setting up NTP on HP-UX ? Is it free ? Is a good practice to do so ?

Regards,


Franky

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Franky:

It's free; it's supported' it's easy.

There is an excellent guide in the "Installing and Administering Internet Services" manual in chapter-7.

You can find an external source to which to synchronize your server, here:

http://ntp.isc.org/bin/view/Servers/WebHome

Regards!

...JRF...

[Pete Randall]

Franky,

You can even use SAM to set up your NTP environment. Go to SAM > Time > NTP Sources.


Pete

[Franky Leeuwerck_2]

If I have a server in China, running with the Chinese timezone setting, do I have to specify a Chinese time server ?
I guess not ... I suppose all time information is communicated in UTC/GMT and gets on the server translated into the correct TZ display output ?


Franky

[john kingsley]

To setup a simple NTP configuration:
edit /etc/rc.config.d/netdaemons and change:
export NTPDATE_SERVER=
export XNTPD=1
export XNTPD_ARGS=

edit ntp.conf and add:
server
driftfile /etc/ntp.drift

Start the time daemon:
/sbin/init.d/xntpd start

As long as the TZ variable is set correctly on both the time source and client systems, it won't matter what timezone the systems are in.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Not at all. NTP doesn't know or care about timezones. It's common for a given UNIX box to have users connected from all around the world, each with a different TZ setting. You do want to find "good" timeservers which means that they respond in a reliable, predictable way, and with as short transmission delays as ossible. This generally means using those that are geographically close to you. Look at the file /usr/share/doc/NTP_Primer.txt; it will tell you how to identify "good" timeservers.

[John Waller]

If you don't have access to an external time source you can use the internal clock on one of your HP servers. I've added the following lines to the /etc/ntp.conf file:

broadcast nnn.nnn.nnn.255 version 3
fudge 127.127.1.1 stratum 10
server 127.127.1.1
driftfile /etc/ntp.drift

The broadcast is the broadcast address for your network. I also had to "touch /etc/ntp.drift" before starting xntpd.

On the clients I use the lines:

driftfile /etc/ntp.drift

server hostname(ip address) version 3

where hostname(ip address) is either the hostname OR ip address of the server created above.

To start the daemon edit the /etc/rc.config.d/netdaemons file and set the following:

export NTPDATE_SERVER="hostname"
export XNTPD=1
export XNTPD_ARGS=

The NTPDATE_SERVER="hostname" is only required on the clients and should includ ethe hostname or ip address of your NTP server.

Filally issue /sbin/init.d/xntpd start on the server machines then the rest of your clients.

[Andrew Rutter]

franky,

this thread might provide you with some interesting reading on XNTPD and HP's support statement

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=971488&admit=-682735245+1132679858328+28353475

Andy

[Franky Leeuwerck_2]

Thanks all for your responses.
I'll go through your suggestions and links.

Best regards,
Franky

[王峻]

You need setup TIMEZONE, by other hand, you can find more information from www.ntp.org.

Asia have so many NTP time server in a pool.
By other hand, if you need correct time source, you must connect to Internet or use GSP/Sate equipments.