configure network time on windows 2003 domain

[confus9d]

Hello,

We have domain controllers spanning over Asia, Europe and America. Currently one domain controller in Europe is holding all the FSMO roles. For some reason all the computers are getting network time from a dc in Asia instead of the dc in Europe or local one. There's no customization done on the client machines. I assumed DCs get their time from PDC and client machines from local DCs without any customization. Is there any way to make sure computers are receiving time updates from local domain controllers?

 

[pagy]

Possibly a group policy in place that is pointing clients to a specific server

Paul
MCSE


"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
Albert Einstein

 

[confus9d]

I didn't find any GPO on the domain level. Is there any other place i should be looking at?

 

[pendal1]

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong and I learned this here but you can run from a command prompt: netdom query fsmo. This command will tell you the server that holds the fsmo roles which includes the time role which should be the pdc. Hope this helps. You will have to download netdom if you don't already have it.

 

[confus9d]

When I do a query for the FSMO roles, I get the DC in Europe which is correct. But my computers are syncing time with a DC in Asia; that's where the problem is and I can't figure out why. There's no custom registry on my DC in America which is local to me. As I understood, all clients in America should be getting time from local DC which in turn should be syncing with PDC in Europe. But this is not happening.

 

[pendal1]

Your are correct. See if this sequence helps:

I have used the following sequence on my PDC emulator:
1a) w32tm /config /update /syncfromflags:MANUAL /manualpeerlist:time.windows.com,0x1
or
1b) net time /setsntp:time.windows.com,0x1
2) net stop w32time
3) net time w32time
4) net time /querysntp (for quick check)

On all other ADs:
1) w32tm /resync /rediscover

 

[confus9d]

Thanks pendal. The PDC already has some external clock configured. I did w32tm /resync /rediscover on a client machine. It's strange that the result was local DC. But right after I did a net time and the client switched back to server in Asia.

 

[58sniper]

Are you serving up a time server parameter in DHCP?

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[markdmac]

Good call Pat.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[confus9d]

Thanks Pat. Just so I understand. Setting option for time server on DHCP will work for clients that are getting dynamic IP. How will it work for static IPs/servers?

 

[58sniper]

Actually, I would recommend NOT using that. I was merely offering a suggestion as to where they could be getting a configuration that points back to a DC in Asia.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[confus9d]

I checked my DHCP and it's not offering time.

 

[markdmac]

You probably need to give an overview of your infrastructure for more assistance.

Are you all in one domain? Are the locations separated in AD via sites? Is there a DC in each location? Is there a GC in each location?

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[confus9d]

Currently there is 1 domain with 15 sites in Asia, Europe and America. One DC in Europe has all the FSMO roles and is configured to get time from an internet source. Each site has one DC + GC + DNS. I'm troubleshooting this time issue from America region. I have a local DC + GC + DNS. I also have Exchange running on a seperate server. When I look at the event log I see my clients are getting time from local DC. but when I do a net time on the command line I see clients getting time from a DC that is in Australia. This DC in Australia is also configured to get time from an Internet source. What I don't understand is why would my clients including the DC in America would sync time with server in Australia? Shouldn't the DC be syncing with server in Europe with FSMO roles and the clients with the local DC? Also why would eventlog report local DC as time server but net time would show server in Australia as time server? Hope this clarifies my issue. Thanks for all the help.

 

[markdmac]

Does each DC also have DHCP running?

As long as authentication is happenign locally, and provided the users are using DHCP, then I would configure the local DHCP to specify the time server to use.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[58sniper]

Why is the Ausralian server also configured to get time from an external source?

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[confus9d]

To answer Mark's question: I've already tried serving local DC as time server through DHCP. I see in the evenlog, clients getting time from local DC as well since then. But doing a net time for some reason still shows Australian server.

To answer Pat's question:Australian server was part of a stand alone domain and it was configured to sync time from external source. The server was joined to current Active Directory as a DC and I believe the time settings were never changed.

What is also strage, I've run net time on some clients and servers almost in every sites in my AD and looks like all of them are synching time with server in Australia, even the PDC emulator itself is syncing time with Australian server.

 

[SLMHC]

Did you ever get this figured out?



-Dave