Time Synchronization on Domain

[G33KB0Y]

If I am on one of my DC's and I type in net time it shows I am syncing with server3 another one of my DC's. When I type in net time /query it shows my NTP server as server6 another DC which is supposed to be the authoritive time server. So why is net time showing server3? Shouldn't it show server6?


All workstations and member servers are set to Nt5DS so they sync with the DC. When I run net time on any of those they show server3.

Server6 is my authoritive time server but server3 seems to think it is.

Any ideas?

 

[mlichstein]

2000 and XP clients can sync with any domain controller in the domain. Typically they sync with the DC that authenticates them.

The PDCe of the root domain is authoritative from the forest. There is a hierarchy that is used to sync time throughout the forest. Domain controllers can sync with either the PDCe or another DC. Member servers and clients can sync with any DC.

Check out the 2000 Time Service whitepaper for more info (specifically figure 2 on page 11):

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/howitworks/security/wintimeserv.asp

 

[G33KB0Y]

Thanks for the reply. I am going to take a look at the white paper. What you said makes sense to me now..

I appreciate it!

 

[G33KB0Y]

Ok... I read the white paper and it helped a lot but one question I still have is.

Even if I have the registry set to server6 as the NTP server and I run net time on the client or server(DC's and Members)it will go to the server that authenticated me and not the manually configured NTP server?

 

[mlichstein]

It should go to the manually configured NTP server. But you said all the clients were at nt5ds, which is what they should be.

 

[G33KB0Y]

Yes if they are set to nt5ds they should sync with the domain and that's what they are doing.

However though. If I manually specify the ntp server to server6 and do a net time /query on that server or client it will show me that it's set to go to server6. That's not the problem.

The problem is, if I do a net time on that same server or client it shows server3 not server6. Is it because I am authenticated against server3?

Hope I cleared it up a little for ya.

 

[mlichstein]

Not sure what's going on there, but net time is not the most reliable way to see who you are synchronizing with.

w32tm is a better way to check. On 2000 you can run w32tm -v -once to see (stop the time service before running the command).

On XP, you have to enable debugging, and I can't remember how to do that off the top of my head.

 

[G33KB0Y]

Ok. I appreciate all your help on this though!

I will keep digging into it to see what I can find.