Configuring/Integrating NTP with DTSS

[CharlieCalhoun]

I reviewed this thread

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=752540&admit=109447626+1226350053187+28353475

I would like to continue running DTSS on my systems but have the DTSS servers get their times from an internal NTP server. The link above refers to RUN_NTP_TP.COM in SYS$COMMON:[SYSHLP.EXAMPLES.DTSS]

$ typ RUN_NTP_TP.COM;1
$! example of running NTP time provider
$set proc/priv=all
$define/sys/exec DTSS$_TP_VERBOSE 0
$define/sys/exec DTSS$_TP_TIME_STAMPS 6
$define/sys/exec DTSS$_TP_HOSTNAME -
"usno.pa-x.dec.com","yield.zk3.dec.com","clock3.cup.Tandem.com", -
"leon.eng.hou.compaq.com","ucxaxp.lkg.dec.com"
$run sys$common:[sysexe]dtss_ntp_provider
$exit

As shown above, the com file executes dtss_ntp_provider.exe.

I'm unable to find that executable on my 8.3 system. I do find a similar named executable. Is this merely an oversight on a typo in the com file?

Directory SYS$COMMON:[SYSHLP.EXAMPLES.DTSS]

DTSS$PROVIDER_NTP.EXE;1

DTSS$NT_PROVIDER.EXE vs. DTSS$PROVIDER_NT.EXE.

Is this still the preferred, simplest, method to integrate NTP into my existing DTSS structure?

[Hoff]

The provider image for NTP within DTSS was broken and got pulled and fixed and re-added in a subsequent release, and it looks like this example is stale.

(It looks like this is a DECnet-Plus DECdtss-specific example, and not part of stock OpenVMS. If your DECnet-Plus bits are current, ping HP.)

Some background on this topic is here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/841

[CharlieCalhoun]

Good Info, Hoff, thanks. I'll go ahead and Ping HP on this. I haven't been able to find exactly what I need here in the forums on this. So, for that reason, I'm going to leave this open for a while and post a resolution back here when I have one, or give someone else a chance to jump in.

[Thomas Ritter]

Earlier this year I did a major implementation of NTP to DTSS using the NTP provider. The executable was on the 8.3 installation kit and worked fine. If you have a big investment in DTSS then the NTP Provider is a great supplement. Our motivation to use NTP was because of time creep. The 1280s were losing a few seconds every fortnight and this had legal implications. Prior to implementing the NTP provider manual procedures would update the system time. Just make sure your NTP server is up to the task.

[Hoff]

That executable file is AFAIK what you want.

I think this is just some stale example bits on the disk, or from within some DTSS kit either installed recently or sometime in past history. (Various of the core OpenVMS examples are known to be stale, so this being stale is not a surprise.)

I've punted on DTSS most everywhere, and now use NTP. (And I don't have those DTSS examples on the local box.)

As of V7.3, all of the time services were integrated and now OpenVMS runs it all. The DTSS and NTP bits do provide the external time-base, but OpenVMS then provides the timezones and the offsets and the API and the DST change-over and the drifting support.

[CharlieCalhoun]

Time creep is my dilemma as well. Time slips about 20 seconds every 2 weeks. My thinking is that I don't want eliminate DTSS and point all of my cluster members to the NTP server in case it goes down for some reason. If it does, then DTSS will at least keep the cluster node members time in sync with each other. I have a 5 node cluster with 2 other stand alone servers on VMS. 1 stand alone box and 1 cluster member are currently DTSS Servers. I'd like to point those two servers to NTP and let the DTSS clerks continue to get their time from the servers. Let me know if I'm off on my logic.

[Thomas Ritter]

Charlie, your on the right track. In my case all of the DTSS clerks get their time from the DTSS server, which was the only one hooked into NTP. The NTP Provider can be configured so that is does not set crazy times. Looks at the logical names in the source code. Unfortunately I do have access to my notes. At another site.

[Steven Schweda]

I haven't looked at this stuff for a long
time, but, long ago, I did do some simple
tune-ups/updates on the example code. You
might get something useful from that.

http://antinode.info/dec/sw/dtss_ntp.html

Seems to be working for me (VMS V7.3-2).