Re: How to do better on Win2003's NTP?

Hello Kent,

See here and inline:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042

Expand all on the left pane and you got a lot of infos:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/ac86e77c-0be3-430a-ba0b-c2225506fc4f1033.mspx

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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Hello all, I am setting up the NTP server function in the Windows 2003
PDC server. There are not much information about the value in W32Time
registry, so hope to get some help here.

The NTP server on Windows 2003 is for company wide usage purpose that
will synchronize cisco network devices, unix servers and windows
2000/NT. Also the Windows 2003 will act as a NTP client to synchronize
from the GRPS time source.(The Windows 2003 is also a Primary Domain
Controller).

/-----
Network Devices (Cisco...)

GPRS Time Source -- Win2003 PDC ----- Domain Clients (XP)

\-----
Unix, Win2000, NT Servers

From the technical documents on the microsoft website, there isn't
much about the detail to set up an NTP server. I have followed the
steps of those technical documents and modified the "W32Time" in
registry. Finally, it could synchronize the other machines. But I have
not much confidence on it, since there isn't much information about
the meaning of values in the registry. And any unknown change could be
a risk to the PDC and the whole infrastructure.

At present, I installed another Win2k3 to simulate the PDC as a NTP
server(Not client for GPRS yet), and it works. This synchronizes with
the Cisco Switch 2950 and Unix about every 17 minutes.

Here are the registries I changed under "W32Time":

===========================================

\Parameters\Type -> NTP

\Config\AnnounceFlags -> 5

\TimeProviders\NtpServer\Enabled -> 1

\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval -> 900

\Config\MaxPosPhaseCorrection -> 172800

\Config\MaxNegPhaseCorrection -> 172800

\Config\LocalClockDispersion -> 0 (Previous 10)

Run the commands to restart the time service:

- net stop w32time

- net start w32time

===========================================

There are questions about the NTP in Win2003

(1) Does NTP in Win2003 have the security option to set a key for
authentication?

Within an Active Directory forest, the Windows Time service (W32time) relies on standard domain security features to enforce the authentication of time data. The security of Network Time Protocol (NTP) packets that are sent between a domain member and a local domain controller that is acting as a time server is based on shared key authentication. The Windows Time service uses the local computer's Kerberos session key to create authenticated signatures on NTP packets that are sent across the network. When a computer requests the time from a domain controller in the domain hierarchy, the Windows Time service requires that the time be authenticated. The domain controller then returns the required information in the form of a 64-bit value that has been authenticated with the session key from the Net Logon service. If the returned NTP packet is not signed with the computer's session key or if it is not signed correctly, the time is rejected. In this way, the Windows Time service provides security for NTP data in an Active Directory forest.



(2) How to set the value of registry and control the interval that
clients update their time?

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/fcc66e8b-58d9-41c9-83ee-56d07397e3e01033.mspx?mfr=true

I have made a call to Microsoft, but they treated it as a "How to", no
support on this. @.@

Thanks to all, any information is appreciated.



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How to do better on Win2003s NTP?
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