Windows Server - About Windows Time...

Asked By Luc

17-Sep-07 03:16 AM

Good morning.
I have some trouble with Windows Time in my environment:
I have 4 DCs in my organization; one of them is PDCe. PDCe should
synchronize with an external source, but it hasn't a direct connection to
Internet, so I configured it, by Group Policy, to synchronize with another
server in the same organization/domain that has a direct connection to
Internet. So for PDCe I created a Group Policy (by using Group Policy
Management) => "Ntp Client" => an put the FDQN of the server with "NT5DS" as
type (because it is in the same domain); this create on PDCe the registry
key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\W32time

Then I executed on PDCe the commands:

- gpupdate /force
- net stop w32time
- net start w32time

...but when I launch the command:


...bla bla bla
RefID: 'LOCL' [76.79.67.76]
...bla bla bla

Questions:

- I shouldn't see "LOCL" but the FQDN I put on Group Policy...isn't it ? If
I need only to wait that something will upgrade: I launched the "gpupdate
/force" so it should upgrade immediatly the Group Policy isn't it ?
- If I modify the registry key
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32time instead of using Group Policy,
then after 2 or 3 hours I can see the FDQN I put on registry when I launch
the "w32tm /monitor"....does it mean Group Policy doesn't work ?

Please, help me.

Thank you.

Bye, Luca

17-Sep-07 08:13 AM

I would not use group policy to modify the settings of your PDCe.  I would
set them manually via the registry editor.

I don't know what all of your gpo's look like or how you are enforcing them,
etc...

Just follow the link below and go through the steps of an external time
source:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;816042

--
Paul Bergson
MVP - Directory Services
MCT, MCSE, MCSA, Security+, BS CSci
2003, 2000 (Early Achiever), NT

http://www.pbbergs.com

Please no e-mails, any questions should be posted in the NewsGroup
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

17-Sep-07 08:36 AM

Hi Paul.
First of all...thank you for your reply.
Then I tried the Microsoft solution you wrote me and it seems to work: I
don't see the W32Time error on event viewer I saw before. It synchronize
correctly now.
But if I launch "w32tm /monitor" I always see:

...bla bla bla
RefID: 'LOCL' [76.79.67.76]
...bla bla bla

Do you know why ?
Another question: why I cannot set Windows Time on PDCe throught Group
Policy ?
Before I tried to set it by GPO and force Group Policy on PDCe throught the
command: "gpupdate /force" but it didn't work.

Thank you a lot.

Bye, Luca

Thank you a lot.

18-Sep-07 07:57 AM

Since it states LOCL I assume it is the time for the local machine, but
frankly I'm just guessing and don't know.

As I said before on gpo, you could have other policies coming into play or
this policy isn't being applied like you thought, but since you don't really
want to apply via gpo it is a moot point.  I don't have an answer as to why.
You could try running Resultant Set of Policy and see what is applied to
check on your application of this policy.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323276

--
Paul Bergson
MVP - Directory Services
MCT, MCSE, MCSA, Security+, BS CSci
2003, 2000 (Early Achiever), NT

http://www.pbbergs.com

Please no e-mails, any questions should be posted in the NewsGroup
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.