Forum Discussion

Vanir10's avatar
Vanir10
Copper Contributor
Nov 29, 2023
Solved

Trouble understanding NTP configuration

Were currently in the process of upgrading our domain controllers. One of our root domain controllers is set to receive time from an external time source and all the other domain controllers are set ...
windows server
  • Dave Patrick's avatar
    Dave Patrick
    Dec 05, 2023

    Hard to say from what you just posted but for the PDC emulator      

     

     

    w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:<ntp ip address> /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time

     

    for all the rest of domain members you can    

        

    w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update  
net stop w32time
net start w32time

     

     

Dave Patrick's avatar
Dave Patrick
MVP
Nov 29, 2023

The default for domain joined members is to use NT5DS domain time as source.      

       

If you were doing it manually it would be;   

 

 

 

w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update  
net stop w32time
net start w32time

 

 

Some general info
- All domain members should use NT5DS domain time.
- Desktops and member servers sync with any domain controller.
- Domain controllers sync with PDC emulator (one per domain)
- PDC emulator in child domain can sync with any domain controller in parent domain.
- PDC emulator in parent domain syncs with either a hardware clock or possibly an external source.
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/nepapfe/2013/03/01/its-simple-time-configuration-in-active-directory/          

 

 

Dave Patrick's avatar
Dave Patrick
MVP
Nov 30, 2023

Vanir10 just checking if there's any progress or updates? please don't forget to mark helpful replies.     

       

 

  • Vanir10's avatar
    Vanir10
    Copper Contributor
    Dec 05, 2023
    Well this helped put a couple pieces together but the problem that our PDC emulator was never on the root server that the other DCs were pointed at and then was moved.

    I found some registry edits on the root machine that the other DCs were getting time from and changed the old root to look like the other older ones and changed the new one to be the ntp server.

    For some reason the upgraded servers are pointing to the correct server but the old ones still point at the older root server, even after an NTP restart.

    Doesn't work exactly the way I was expecting and I'm still not sure why only the new ones will point at the new NTP server but hey it works.
    • Dave Patrick's avatar
      Dave Patrick
      MVP
      Dec 05, 2023

      Hard to say from what you just posted but for the PDC emulator      

       

       

      w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:<ntp ip address> /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time

       

      for all the rest of domain members you can    

          

      w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update  
net stop w32time
net start w32time

       

       

Resources