xntp and timep

[Huiqi Liu]

Since we upgraded our NTP server to HP-UX 11.0 and xntpd to 3.5f, timep on our ProCurve switches can't synchronize their clocks any more. Previously the server was on HP-UX 10.20 and it was working OK. If I change the switches to use sntp then it works. However I have dozens of switches and would prefer to get timep working again, rather than changing the setting on all the switches.

Can anyone help? (Basically how to configure xntpd 3 server to support timep clients).

Many thanks.

[Krishnan Viswanathan]

You need to have a TimeP server on your network to accomplish this. Optionally, you will need to convert NTP results to TimeP but that will require lot of coding.

The best thing is to just setup all your switches to use NTP/SNTP but I understand it is pain for you

[Bill Hassell]

The ProCurve switches are using a pre-historic protocol (timep) which probably uses port 37 (in HP-UX, the 'time' daemon) or port 13 (in HP-UX, the 'daytime' daemon). These daemons are probably turned off on your new system (most security experts recommend disabling these dinosaurs). Nobody is maintaining those ancient services anymore. Probably nobody has even looked at the code since the early 90's. Are there hidden security exploits hanging around in there? Not a good idea to guess.

You can switch the ProCurves to sntp which is supported and secure, or turn on daytime (and/or time) and see if things start working.