Time Synchronisation

[Dennis Handly]

>when I try to specify multiple external source's e.g server 0.98.172.32.171
>server 1.1.69.31.13.210

Why do you have that initial "0." and "1.1." for the IPv4 IP addresses? Otherwise those are actual host names for 0.pool.ntp.org, etc.

[Donald Thaler]

the entry was server 0.98.172.32.171, and i used the ip address because i didn't know any better, i'll stick to pool.ntp.org. i still get 'time error 3573.388661 is way too large (set clock manually)' in the syslog.log file even though the time returned by date is right on the money. is it because the timezone is set to ast ? I changed the value in TIMEZONE to EST5EDT, do i have to bounce the server to get the change to show ?

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi (again) Donald:

> i still get 'time error 3573.388661 is way too large (set clock manually)' in the syslog.log file even though the time returned by date is right on the money.

Once again, you should query and set your server's date in UTC to make sure that it is actually correct. Whatever your TZ variable is set to matters not. Localtime is your view of reality, NOT the view NTP needs or takes.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Dennis Handly]

>the entry was server 0.98.172.32.171

This isn't valid, did you mean 98.172.32.171?

>I still get 'time error 3573.388661

As JRF says, your clock is wrong. It is now about UTC 1420.

[Donald Thaler]

the example from support.ntp.org shows
"server 0.pool.ntp.org
server 1.pool.ntp.org
server 2.pool.ntp.org
server pool.ntp.org

If you use only one pool server, we recommend you use the "bare" zone without a number, but if you use several, then use the numbered ones first. "

if one server shows a time of
date Tue Dec 23 09:30:00 AST 2008
date -u Tue Dec 23 13:31:43 UTC 2008

and the other server shows a time of
date Tue Dec 23 09:30:00 EST 2008
date -u Tue Dec 23 14:31:19 UTC 2008

how do i get the one showing AST time in synch with the EST time ?

[Dennis Handly]

>server 0.pool.ntp.org
>server pool.ntp.org

These are all host names or aliases, there are no IP numbers here, no special prefixes.

>how do I get the one showing AST time in synch with the EST time?

Simply use:
# date -u 12231533 # where 1533 matches your other machine

Then hunt down and change every setting of TZ from AST4 to EST5EDT. Including /etc/TIMEZONE.

[James R. Ferguson]

HI (again) Donald:

> Dennis: Then hunt down and change every setting of TZ from AST4 to EST5EDT. Including /etc/TIMEZONE.

Or, run:

# /sbin/set_parms timezone

Regards!

...JRF...

[Dennis Handly]

>ME: Then hunt down and change

One of the first things you should change is your current shell so you know the time is broken/fixed:
TZ=EST5EDT
date

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi (again):

Dennis, yes, that is a valid point.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Donald Thaler]

this just keeps getting better and better..

after running sbin/set_parms timezone on the server that had the timezone of ast, the time now shows as:
date -u
Tue Dec 23 15:01:11 UTC 2008
# date
Tue Dec 23 10:01:17 EST 2008
(the current time is 11:01)

the syslog.log has this error:
Dec 23 10:56:57 artemis syslog: libtt[26503]: ttdt_Xt_input_handler(): tttk_message_receive(): TT_ERR_NOMP^INo ttsession process is running, probably because tt_open() has not been called yet. If this code is returned from tt_open() it means ttsession could not be started, which generally means ToolTalk is not installed on this system.
Dec 23 10:03:08 artemis xntpd[1696]: tickadj = 625, tick = 10000, tvu_maxslew = 61875
Dec 23 10:03:08 artemis xntpd[1696]: precision = 6 usec

what is ToolTalk ???

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Donald:

Regarding your query about ToolTalk:

http://securitytracker.com/alerts/2001/Oct/1002479.html

You can simply disable the service if you don't need it. Comment it out of '/etc/inetd.conf' :

#rpc xti tcp swait root /usr/dt/bin/rpc.ttdbserver 100083 1 /usr/dt/bin/rpc.ttdbserver

Regards!

...JRF...

[Donald Thaler]

if i'm getting an error in syslog don't i need it ?

what about the fact that the time reported is one hour behind the current time, can i just bump the time up ?

[Dennis Handly]

>this just keeps getting better and better..

As in "a good thing"(tm)? :-)

>after running set_parms timezone on the server that had the timezone of ast, the time now shows as:
Tue Dec 23 15:01:11 UTC 2008
Tue Dec 23 10:01:17 EST 2008 # (the current time is 11:01)

Well, this is as expected, until you update the time with:
# date -u 12231643 # where 1643 matches your other machine

[Donald Thaler]

in the date -u command what does
the 1223 represent and what does the 1643 represent... i did a man on date but it's in greek !!!! -:) and 'it keeps getting better' was meant in a good way... i'm learning more about ntp than i ever wanted to know... to think that 3 days ago i had no clue as to what ntp was and now .......

[Donald Thaler]

ignore my last stupid question 1223 is undoubtedly the date and the 1643 must be the time on my other server !!!

[Dennis Handly]

>the 1223 represent and what does the 1643 represent... i did a man on date but it's in greek! -:)

Simply it is the UTC/GMT date and time:
# date -u MMDDHHMM

[Donald Thaler]

one last question ... when i do the xntpd start ... is this a one time process or does the ntp process keep on running until i stop it ?

[Dennis Handly]

>when i do the xntpd start, is this a one time process or does the ntp process keep on running until i stop it?

It keeps on going until you reboot. That's why you must fiddle with the files in /etc/rc.config.d/ that you first mentioned. If you have done that, you are good to go even after then.