HP NonStop Time Synchronization User s Guide

(1)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 1 of 86

HP NonStop Time

Synchronization User’s

Guide

Abstract

HP NonStop™ Time Synchronization (TimeSync) synchronizes time between HP NonStop servers, Microsoft Windows™ systems, and Linux systems. It can act as both an

NTP/SNTP client and server to receive time from external NTP time sources and to provide time to NTP clients.

This document describes how to install, configure, and use NonStop Time Synchronization.

Product Version

V01

Supported Release Version Updates (RVUs)

This manual supports G06.00 and all subsequent G-series RVUs, H06.03 and all subsequent H-series RVUs, J06.03 and subsequent J-series RVUs, and L15.02 and subsequent L-series RVUs until otherwise indicated in a new edition.

Part Number Published 544583-005 January 2015

(2)

Document History

Part Number Product Version Published

544583-001 V01 – 1.0 July 2007

544583-002 V01 – 1.1 June 2009

544583-003 V01 – 1.3 March 2010

544583-004 V01 – 1.4 August 2014

(3)

6.1 ADD Command ... 53 6.2 CONF Command ... 54 6.3 FC Command ... 54 6.4 INFO Command ... 56 6.5 REMOVE Command ... 58 6.6 SAVE Command ... 59 6.7 SERVERCONF Command ... 59 6.8 SET Command ... 60 6.9 SHOW Command ... 62 6.10 STATUS Command ... 63 6.11 SYNCNOW Command ... 64 6.12 SYSTEM Command ... 65

7. Appendix A: TimeSync Event Messages ... 66

7.1 General TimeSync Messages ... 66

7.2 Windows-specific Messages ... 75

7.3 Linux-specific Messages ... 80

7.4 OSS-specific Messages ... 82

(5)

What’s New in This Manual

New and Changed Information

TimeSync 1.4

• _{Updated the TimeSync Quick Start on page}₂₁_.

• _{Updated the Installing NonStop TimeSync section on page}₂₃_. • Added the ModifyClockRate option on page 38.

(6)

About This Manual

Audience

The intended audience for this document is system managers or administrators responsible for maintaining HP NonStop Servers, Windows workstations and/or Linux systems.

Manual Organization

Section Description

Overview Overview and architecture of the HP

NonStop TimeSync product.

TimeSync Quick Start Outline of key TimeSync installation and configuration steps.

Installing NonStop TimeSync Procedures for installing the NonStop HP NonStop TimeSync product.

Configuring TimeSync Procedures for configuring and managing the NonStop TimeSync product.

Running TimeSync Procedures for running the NonStop TimeSync product.

The TimeSync Command Interface Procedures for using the TimeCom command interpreter.

Appendix A: TimeSync Event

Messages Detailed information about the system event/log messages generated by TimeSync.

Notation Conventions

Hypertext Links

(7)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 7 of 86 with a blue underline, you are taken to the location described. For example:

This requirement is described under Backup DAM Volumes and Physical Disk Drives on page 25.

General Syntax Notation

This list summarizes the notation conventions for syntax presentation in this manual. UPPERCASE LETTERS

Uppercase letters indicate keywords and reserved words. Type these items exactly as shown. Items not enclosed in brackets are required. For example:

MAXATTACH

lowercase italic letters

Lowercase italic letters indicate variable items that you supply. Items not enclosed in brackets are required. For example:

file-name computer type

Computer type letters within text indicate C and Open System Services (OSS)

keywords and reserved words. Type these items exactly as shown. Items not enclosed in brackets are required. For example:

myfile.c

italic computer type

Italic computer type letters within text indicate C and Open System Services (OSS)

variable items that you supply. Items not enclosed in brackets are required. For example:

pathname

[ ] Brackets

Brackets enclose optional syntax items. For example: TERM [\system-name.]$terminal-name

(8)

A group of items enclosed in brackets is a list from which you can choose one item or none. The items in the list can be arranged either vertically, with aligned brackets on each side of the list, or horizontally, enclosed in a pair of brackets and separated by vertical lines. For example:

FC [ num ] [ -num ] [ text ]

K [ X | D ] address

{ } Braces

A group of items enclosed in braces is a list from which you are required to choose one item. The items in the list can be arranged either vertically, with aligned braces on each side of the list, or horizontally, enclosed in a pair of braces and separated by vertical lines. For example:

LISTOPENS PROCESS { $appl-mgr-name } { $process-name } ALLOWSU { ON | OFF }

| Vertical Line

A vertical line separates alternatives in a horizontal list that is enclosed in brackets or braces. For example:

INSPECT { OFF | ON | SAVEABEND } … Ellipsis

An ellipsis immediately following a pair of brackets or braces indicates that you can repeat the enclosed sequence of syntax items any number of times. For example:

M address [ , new-value ]…

[ - ] {0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9}…

An ellipsis immediately following a single syntax item indicates that you can repeat that syntax item any number of times. For example:

(9)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 9 of 86 Punctuation

Parentheses, commas, semicolons, and other symbols not previously described must be typed as shown. For example:

error := NEXTFILENAME ( file-name ) ;

LISTOPENS SU $process-name.#su-name

Quotation marks around a symbol such as a bracket or brace indicate the symbol is a required character that you must type as shown. For example:

"[" repetition-constant-list "]"

Item Spacing

Spaces shown between items are required unless one of the items is a punctuation symbol such as a parenthesis or a comma. For example:

CALL STEPMOM ( process-id ) ;

If there is no space between two items, spaces are not permitted. In this example, no spaces are permitted between the period and any other items:

$process-name.#su-name

Line Spacing

If the syntax of a command is too long to fit on a single line, each continuation line is indented three spaces and is separated from the preceding line by a blank line. This spacing distinguishes items in a continuation line from items in a vertical list of selections. For example:

ALTER [ / OUT file-spec / ] LINE [ , attribute-spec ]…

!i and !o

In procedure calls, the !i notation follows an input parameter (one that passes data to the called procedure); the !o notation follows an output parameter (one that returns data to the calling program). For example:

(10)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 10 of 86 CALL CHECKRESIZESEGMENT ( segment-id !i , error ) ; !o

!i,o

In procedure calls, the !i,o notation follows an input/output parameter (one that both passes data to the called procedure and returns data to the calling program). For example:

error := COMPRESSEDIT ( filenum ) ; !i,o

!i:i

In procedure calls, the !i:i notation follows an input string parameter that has a corresponding parameter specifying the length of the string in bytes. For example:

error := FILENAME_COMPARE_ ( filename1:length !i:i

, filename2:length ) ; !i:i

!o:i

In procedure calls, the !o:i notation follows an output buffer parameter that has a corresponding input parameter specifying the maximum length of the output buffer in bytes. For example:

error := FILE_GETINFO_ ( filenum !i

, [ filename:maxlen ] ) ; !o:i

Notation for Messages

This list summarizes the notation conventions for the presentation of displayed messages in this manual.

Bold Text

Bold text in an example indicates user input typed at the terminal. For example: ENTER RUN CODE

?123

CODE RECEIVED: 123.00

(11)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 11 of 86 Nonitalic text

Nonitalic letters, numbers, and punctuation indicate text that is displayed or returned exactly as shown. For example:

Backup Up.

lowercase italic letters

Lowercase italic letters indicate variable items whose values are displayed or returned. For example:

p-register process-name [ ] Brackets

Brackets enclose items that are sometimes, but not always, displayed. For example: Event number = number [ Subject = first-subject-value ]

A group of items enclosed in brackets is a list of all possible items that can be displayed, of which one or none might actually be displayed. The items in the list can be arranged either vertically, with aligned brackets on each side of the list, or horizontally, enclosed in a pair of brackets and separated by vertical lines. For example:

proc-name trapped [ in SQL | in SQL file system ]

{ } Braces

A group of items enclosed in braces is a list of all possible items that can be displayed, of which one is actually displayed. The items in the list can be arranged either vertically, with aligned braces on each side of the list, or horizontally, enclosed in a pair of braces and separated by vertical lines. For example:

obj-type obj-name state changed to state, caused by

{ Object | Operator | Service }

process-name State changed from old-objstate to objstate

{ Operator Request. } { Unknown. }

(12)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 12 of 86 | Vertical Line

A vertical line separates alternatives in a horizontal list that is enclosed in brackets or braces. For example:

Transfer status: { OK | Failed } % Percent Sign

A percent sign precedes a number that is not in decimal notation. The % notation

precedes an octal number. The %B notation precedes a binary number. The %H notation precedes a hexadecimal number. For example:

%005400 %B101111 %H2F

P=%p-register E=%e-register

Notation for Management Programming Interfaces

This list summarizes the notation conventions used in the boxed descriptions of programmatic commands, event messages, and error lists in this manual.

UPPERCASE LETTERS

Uppercase letters indicate names from definition files. Type these names exactly as shown. For example:

ZCOM-TKN-SUBJ-SERV lowercase letters

Words in lowercase letters are words that are part of the notation, including Data Definition Language (DDL) keywords. For example:

token-type !r

The !r notation following a token or field name indicates that the token or field is required. For example:

(13)

ZCOM-TKN-OBJNAME token-type ZSPI-TYP-STRING. !r !o

The !o notation following a token or field name indicates that the token or field is optional. For example:

(14)

1. Overview

1.1. Introduction to NonStop TimeSync

NonStop TimeSync synchronizes time across multiple NonStop, Linux, and Windows systems. It has the ability to act as a synchronization client, a synchronization server, or both simultaneously.

In client mode, TimeSync obtains reference times from one or more configured time sources, and adjusts the local system time accordingly. Supported time sources include any system running TimeSync in server mode anywhere in your network, or any

NTP/SNTP server.

In server mode, TimeSync supplies reference times to requesting clients. These clients can be other systems running TimeSync in client mode, or any NTP/SNTP client.

NonStop TimeSync supports multiple time sources, slow drift algorithms and other detailed settings to give users precise control over how time is maintained on their systems. It also ensures that updates occur safely on all platforms, and never allows time to move backwards unless configured to do so.

1.2. NonStop TimeSync Features

NonStop TimeSync provides a wide range of features. In nearly all cases, these features are equivalent on all supported platforms.

Key Features and Benefits

• Allows NonStop system clocks to be synchronized between all systems within a cluster or Expand network.

• Allows system clocks to be synchronized between NonStop, Linux, and Windows systems.

• Allows system clocks to be synchronized with an NTP source.

• Synchronizes clocks between systems automatically in a cluster or network; requires no user intervention to invoke synchronization.

• Helps ensure that time updates occur safely on all platforms, and prevents time from moving backward unless configured to do so.

(15)

General Features

• Allows any supported system to act as a Time Synchronization Server. • Allows any supported system to operate as a Time Synchronization Client. • Supports both Guardian and OSS environments on NonStop servers. • Runs as a service on Microsoft Windows and as a daemon on Linux.

• Integrates with native event management services on each platform to enable

logging of critical events (EMS on NonStop, syslog on Linux, and the Windows event log on Windows).

• Maintains a dedicated log file of time synchronization activities. • No overhead or impact on performance.

• Provides the TimeCom command interpreter (CI), which can be used to dynamically alter TimeSync settings and obtain status information.

Client Features

• Up to microsecond accuracy, depending on the system.

• Can be configured to safely update system clocks by preventing both backward time changes and drastic jumps in time.

• Includes Multisource mode, which permits clock averaging from among multiple sources to yield a more accurate reference time.

• Provides a configurable offset for system clocks not kept in GMT/UTC.

• Offers a report-only mode which can be used to report time differences between the local system and reference sources without updating the local system time.

• Permits changes to the clock rate on the local system in order to minimize clock drift.

Server Features

• Provides the ability to act as time source for any system running TimeSync in client mode.

• Has the capability to act as the time source for any system running an NTP or SNTP client.

(16)

• Allows systems that do not keep system time in GMT/UTC to act as time sources via a configurable offset.

TimeSync and Daylight Savings Time (DST) Transitions

TimeSync tracks all system times and calculates all time differences using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)/Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). UTC/GMT time is the “base time” off of which all other times are calculated. In addition, UTC/GMT time is not affected by Daylight Savings Time transitions. When a DST transition occurs, UTC/GMT time does not change; instead everyone’s “difference” from UTC/GMT times changes.

To illustrate, if you are in California, the difference between the local time and UTC/GMT time is -8 hours when on Pacific Standard Time (November through March). When

Daylight Savings Time goes into effect in early March and clocks are set ahead, the base UTC/GMT time does not change. Instead, clocks in California are moved ahead one hour, to Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), thereby altering the difference between local time and UTC/GMT time. Instead of the -8 hour difference for PST, the difference between PDT and UTC/GMT is only -7 hours. Thus the local time is changed, but the base UTC/GMT time from which the local time is derived does not change.

This is an important point to understand, because it means that TimeSync is not affected by transitions to/from Daylight Savings Time. TimeSync always operates using UTC/GMT time, thus any local time changes for Daylight Savings Time are transparent to it.

However, it also means that your system clocks must be kept in UTC/GMT time in order for TimeSync to accurately synchronize those clocks with other systems. If a given system clock is not stored in UTC/GMT time, TimeSync provides a configurable GMTOffset value that you can set so that TimeSync can make the necessary corrections when calculating time differences. See Process Options for more information on how to set this value. If you are unsure of how your system clock is currently configured, you can check it as follows:

• On NonStop Guardian, use the systimes command to show the current local time (LCT) and GMT time:

TACL 1> systimes

30 Jun 2007, 10:05:27.517934 LCT 30 Jun 2007, 17:05:27.517934 GMT

29 Jun 2007, 16:38:02.000000 Cold Load (LCT) 21 Jun 2006, 23:17:20.310000 Sysgen (LCT)

(17)

• On NonStop OSS, use the date command to display the current local time, and the date –u command to show UTC/GMT time:

/tmp > date

Thu Jul 12 11:06:42 PDT 2007 /tmp > date -u

Thu Jul 12 18:06:52 UTC 2007

• _{On Linux, you can also use the date and date –u commands as described above:}

/tmp > date

Thu Jul 12 12:08:48 CDT 2007 /tmp > date -u

Thu Jul 12 17:08:50 UTC 2007

• On Windows, double-click the clock in the system tray to check time settings. Once you have determined how your local clock is set up, you can configure TimeSync accordingly. Again, see Process Options for more information on setting up the

GMTOffset value for your system if necessary.

Safely Updating Local System Clocks

A common problem in attempting to synchronize clocks is that some time changes can adversely impact applications that are running on the system. This is particularly true in two different cases:

1. A drastic time change that causes the clock to jump by a large amount, for example setting the system clock ahead by an hour. This is problematic because many

applications have some notion of real time and rely on it for scheduling tasks, tracking progress, and measuring throughput. A sudden large jump in time can wreak havoc with those activities. For example, an application might have a list of tasks that are to be initiated at certain times of day. A sudden change in the system clock may cause some of these tasks to be skipped, or to be invoked in a burst of activity while the application tries to “catch up” for the time that was missed.

2. Setting the system clock back by any amount of time. This is a particularly

troublesome thing to do because many applications assume that time will never move backward, and are not designed to handle cases of a given time repeating itself. For example, an application might rely on the system clock for generating a unique ID for a transaction, or for generating a unique key for a database record. If the system clock is set back as part of an effort to synchronize time, there exists a very real possibility that those same “unique” IDs or keys could be generated again, which in

(18)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 18 of 86 turn could result in data loss or corruption.

TimeSync addresses both of these issues and lets you tailor its behavior through various configuration options.

To prevent sudden drastic changes in time, TimeSync can be configured to “drift” clock changes in slowly over a longer period, thereby eliminating jumps in time that can be problematic for applications.

To eliminate potential issues with the system clock being set backward, TimeSync can instead be configured to “drift” backward changes in slowly as well. In this case, TimeSync never alters the system clock to an earlier time. Instead, it works by slowing down how quickly time moves forward on the system, essentially waiting for the

reference source to “catch up” before resuming normal timekeeping. This does not, however, mean that time stops on the local system. Instead, it moves forward slightly more slowly than real time until the clocks are synchronized.

Options to control how TimeSync updates the local system time can be set in the

TimeSync configuration file, or via the TimeCom CI. See Configuring TimeSync for more information on how to set TimeSync up for your particular environment.

1.3. NonStop TimeSync Architecture

NonStop TimeSync consists of three components: the TimeSync process itself adjusts the local system time if client mode is enabled and/or provides reference times to other sources if server mode is enabled; the TimeSync configuration file contains settings to control the TimeSync process; and the TimeCom command interpreter provides a user interface to dynamically query and update TimeSync process settings.

There are four versions of NonStop TimeSync:

• TimeSync for NonStop (T0811) provides time synchronization for HP NonStop servers running G06.00 or later, HP Integrity NonStop servers running H06.00 or later, HP Integrity NonStop BladeSystem servers running J06.00 or later, and HP NonStop X servers running L15.02 or later. It consists of two versions of TimeSync, one that executes in the Guardian environment and one that executes in the Open System Services (OSS) environment. You can use either version, depending on your preferences for your particular system.

• TimeSync for Linux (T0812) provides time synchronization for Linux servers running RedHat Enterprise Linux 3.0 or later, or Suse Linux 9.0 or later.

(19)

• TimeSync for Windows (T0813) provides time synchronization for Windows systems running Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server or later.

TimeSync capabilities are largely equivalent between platforms. In all cases it has the ability to run both as a client (wherein it adjusts local system time based on reference times received from other sources) and as a server (in which case it supplies reference times to other clients). The product components are also the same on each platform, and consist of the TimeSync process itself, the TimeCom command interpreter, and the TimeSync configuration file. Unless otherwise stated, any reference to a TimeSync capability, feature, option, or command in this document applies to all platforms.

Because almost all TimeSync features are available on all supported platforms, you have a great deal of flexibility in how you choose to configure TimeSync within your network. Any platform/system can act as a server, and any platform/system can act as a client. Thus it’s really up to you to decide which configuration makes the most sense for your particular environment. For example, Figure 1-1 shows one way that TimeSync can be configured to manage time across systems:

(20)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 20 of 86 Figure 1-1. TimeSync Example Architecture

In this example, TimeSync running on a Linux server (Linux3), with both client mode and server mode enabled, obtains time from the time.nist.gov and clock.redhat.com Internet time sources. It then supplies time to several HP NonStop servers, Windows systems, and other Linux systems running TimeSync in client mode. The result is that all system clocks are kept in sync.

(21)

2. TimeSync Quick Start

This section is intended to provide a brief overview of the steps required to install and run TimeSync on your system(s). It does not replace the other material contained in this manual. Please read the other sections thoroughly before deploying TimeSync in your environment. In general, you will need to follow the steps below in order to get TimeSync up and running:

1. Install TimeSync on your system(s). For TimeSync version 1.3 or earlier on NonStop systems, and for all versions of TimeSync on Windows and Linux systems, this requires loading the correct version of the TimeSync CD, copying files to the system in question, and running any installation-related scripts. For TimeSync version 1.4 or later on

NonStop systems, TimeSync is included on the SUT and installed automatically. See Installing NonStop TimeSync for installation details for the particular platforms you are interested in.

2. Obtain a license key if necessary. On HP Integrity NonStop X systems (x86 based), TimeSync is included in the OS bundle and hence it does not need a separate license key. On HP Integrity NonStop systems (Itanium based) TimeSync does not need a license key on NB56000c and NB56000C2 NonStop Poulson blade systems (Itanium Poulson based) as it is a mandatory add-on with these systems. For NB54000 or earlier systems (Guardian or OSS), or TimeSync version 1.3 or earlier, TimeSync continues to be an optional product and hence you must obtain a license key by sending a request to [email protected]. Your license request should include the product name (NonStop TimeSync), the system serial number, system type, node name, number of processors, and OS version for each system on which TimeSync will run. Please note that TimeSync will not start on a given system until a valid license key has been installed.

A license key is not required for Windows or Linux systems.

3. Configure TimeSync by editing the timesync.conf file (OSS, Windows, and Linux) or TSCONF file (Guardian) using any text editor.

4. If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled (in other words, you will be using TimeSync to set the local system time), add at least one TimeSource to the [Client] section of the configuration file.

5. If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled, HP recommends that you initially enable ReportOnly mode by setting the ReportOnly value in the [Client] section of the configuration file to True. TimeSync will then determine the difference between the local system time and the reference time, and report that difference to you. At that

(22)

point you can decide how to alter any other configuration settings, and then enable time synchronization by setting ReportOnly to False via the TimeCom CI.

6. If you will be running the Guardian version of TimeSync, set the Transport name in the [Process] section of the configuration file to the name of the TCP/IP process that TimeSync should use for communication. It is not necessary to set this value for any other platform.

7. If you will be running TimeSync on a system in which another application utilizes port 123, shut down that application or change the LocalPort value in the [Process] section of the TimeSync configuration file to an unused port number.

8. Make any other configuration changes necessary; see Configuring TimeSync for details on all configuration options.

9. Save all configuration changes and exit the text editor.

10.If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled, disable the time

synchronization capabilities of any other software running on the system (e.g. ASAP or NSX on NonStop, NTP client on Linux, NTP client on Windows).

11.Start TimeSync as described in Running TimeSync.

12.Monitor TimeSync activity using a system log viewer (e.g. EMSA or WebViewpoint on NonStop, Windows Event Viewer on Windows, or Syslog Viewer on Linux).

(23)

3. Installing NonStop TimeSync

This section covers the procedures for installing TimeSync on NonStop, Linux and Windows systems.

3.1 Installing TimeSync on a NonStop

Server

TimeSync 1.4 is delivered on the SUT. TimeSync 1.3 and prior versions are packaged on a CD as an independent product. To install TimeSync on a NonStop server, proceed as follows:

1. For TimeSync 1.4, the TimeSync files will be placed on the system from the SUT. For TimeSync 1.3 and earlier, run the IPSetup program on the product CD to begin installation, and follow the on-screen prompts to copy the TimeSync files to the NonStop system.

2. Files will be placed into the product subvolume, installation subvolume and/or SOFTDOC subvolume, as described below:

File Name

Placed Description

OSSPAX A OSS pax archive file containing TimeSync for OSS files

README A The product README file (TimeSync 1.3 and earlier)

SOFTDOC A,C The product SOFTDOC file

TIMECOM A.B TimeCom object file

TIMESYNC A,B TimeSync process object file

TSCONF A,B TimeSync configuration file

ZTIMGP D TimeSync persistent process configuration file

A – The product subvolume; for example $DSMSCM.ZTIMES.

B – The installation subvolume; normally $SYSTEM.SYSTEM (optional).

C – The SOFTDOC subvolume; for example, $SYSTEM.ZSOFTDOC (optional). D – The configuration subvolume; normally $SYSTEM.ZCNFDEFS (optional). 3. If you plan to run the Guardian version of TimeSync, use DSM/SCM to accept and

(24)

automatically configure TimeSync to run as a persistent process with name $TIME. Otherwise, you can now run TimeSync directly from either the installation subvolume or product subvolume.

You can also manually configure TimeSync to run under the control of the persistence manager using SCF. For example:

-> assume process $ZZKRN

-> add process $ZZKRN.#TimeSync, & cpu 1, & name $TIME, & program $SYSTEM.SYSTEM.TIMESYNC, & hometerm $ZHOME, & autorestart 5, & startmode APPLICATION

4. If you plan to run the OSS version of TimeSync, copy the OSSPAX file from the product subvolume to an OSS directory, adding a .pax extension, and use the pax utility to extract the file contents. For example, from an OSS shell prompt, do the following (assuming you used IPSetup to place the TimeSync files in

$DSMSCM.ZTIMES):

[root tmp]# cp –p /G/dsmscm/ztimes/osspax /var/tmp/osspax.pax [root tmp]# pax –rf /var/tmp/osspax.pax

The pax file contents will be extracted to the product installation directory

/usr/tandem/timesync. You can then configure and run TimeSync from that location. 5. If you are running TimeSync 1.3 or earlier, or are running on an NB54000 system or

earlier, obtain and install a license key for the product by sending an email request to [email protected]. In the request, include the system number, system type, node name, number of processors, and OS version for each system on which

TimeSync will run. In return you will receive a license file for each system containing the license key for that system. This file must be placed in $SYSTEM.SYSTEM, and must be named TIMESLIC regardless of whether you are running the Guardian or OSS version of TimeSync. Once a valid license key has been installed, TimeSync will be able to run on that system.

TimeSync 1.4 does not require a license key on NonStop Poulson systems (NB56000) as it is a mandatory add-on with these systems, nor is a license key required for NonStop X systems.

6. Edit the TimeSync configuration file (TSCONF in Guardian or timesync.conf in OSS) and create a custom configuration for the system as described in Configuring TimeSync.

(25)

7. If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled (i.e. TimeSync will be updating the local system time), you should disable time synchronization in products such as NSX and ASAP to avoid potential erratic changes to system time.

8. In order for the TimeCom CI to communicate with TimeSync, a loop-back route (address 127.0.0.1) must be configured for the TCP/IP process that TimeSync will use for communication.

3.2 Installing TimeSync on a Linux Server

TimeSync is packaged on a CD as an independent product. For Linux, two different installation methods are available: RPM (RedHat Package Manager) and tar archive file. The advantage of using the RPM-based installer is that RPM tracks and manages all packages installed on your system, which makes it easy to check what has been installed, upgrade to newer versions, and uninstall products. However, RPM also gives you less flexibility in terms of how the product is installed. For customers who prefer to more closely control the installation process, the TimeSync for Linux CD also contains a tar archive of the product files. You can extract the contents of this and then install the product as you wish.

To install TimeSync using the RPM-based installer, proceed as follows: 1. Place the CD into the CD drive on the Linux system.

2. Mount the CD if your system is not configured to do so automatically, for example:

[root tmp]# mount /mnt/cdrom

3. Change to the WS_SW directory on the CD, for example:

[root tmp]# cd /mnt/cdrom/WS_SW

4. Use rpm to install TimeSync on your system, for example:

[root WS_SW]# rpm --install TimeSync-1.3.203-1.i386.rpm

The following files will be installed into the /usr/bin/timesync directory:

File Name Description

ReadMe.txt The product README file

timecom TimeCom object file

timesync TimeSync process object file

(26)

TimeSync User’s Guide.pdf TimeSync manual (this document) in PDF format

In addition, the TimeSync initialization script file, named timesync, will be installed to the /etc/init.d directory, and TimeSync will be added to the list of services/daemons to be started when the system boots.

5. Dismount the CD if your system is not configured to do so automatically, for example:

[root WS_SW]# cd /tmp

[root tmp]# eject /mnt/cdrom

6. Edit the TimeSync configuration file, timesync.conf, and create a custom configuration for the system as described in Configuring TimeSync.

7. If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled (i.e. TimeSync will be updating the local system time), you should disable the built-in Linux NTP client to avoid potential erratic changes to system time.

8. In order for the TimeCom CI to communicate with TimeSync, loop-back support (address 127.0.0.1) must be enabled on the system.

To install TimeSync using the tar archive file, proceed as follows: 1. Place the CD into the CD drive on the Linux system.

2. Mount the CD if your system is not configured to do so automatically, for example:

[root tmp]# mount /mnt/cdrom

3. Create an installation directory on your system and change to it, for example:

[root tmp]# mkdir /usr/local/timesync [root tmp]# cd /usr/local/timesync

4. Copy the archive file from the WS_SW directory on the CD to the directory created above, for example:

[root timesync]# cp /mnt/cdrom/WS_SW/TimeSync-1.3.203.tar.gz ./

5. Use the tar utility to extract the archive contents, for example:

[root timesync]# tar –xzvpf TimeSync-1.3.203.tar.gz

The following files will be extracted to the current directory:

(27)

timecom TimeCom object file

timesync TimeSync process object file

timesync.conf TimeSync configuration file

timesync.init TimeSync init script

6. Move/copy files to any other location on your system if you wish to do so.

7. If you would like TimeSync to start automatically when the system boots, you will need to copy the initialization script to the /etc/init.d directory, and also add TimeSync to the system startup scripts. For example:

[root timesync]# cp –p timesync.init /etc/init.d/timesync [root timesync]# /sbin/chkconfig –-add timesync

Note that in the above, the name of the file in the /etc/init.d folder must match the name supplied following the /sbin/chkconfig –-add command (in this case, both are “timesync”).

In addition, if you choose to start TimeSync at system boot time, be sure that the RunAsService flag in the timesync.conf file is set to True. See Process Options below for more information.

8. Dismount the CD if your system is not configured to do so automatically, for example:

[root WS_SW]# cd /tmp

[root tmp]# eject /mnt/cdrom

9. Edit the TimeSync configuration file, timesync.conf, and create a custom configuration for the system as described in Configuring TimeSync.

10.If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled (i.e. TimeSync will be updating the local system time), you should disable the built-in Linux NTP client to avoid potential erratic changes to system time.

11.In order for the TimeCom CI to communicate with TimeSync, loop-back support (address 127.0.0.1) must be enabled on the system.

(28)

3.3 Installing TimeSync on a Windows

Server

TimeSync is packaged on a CD as an independent product. To install TimeSync on a Windows system, proceed as follows using the product CD:

1. Place the CD into the CD drive on the Windows system. The TimeSync installer should start automatically. If it does not, locate TimeSyncSetup.exe in the WS_SW folder on the CD and double-click it to begin installation.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to install TimeSync. It is recommended that the default installation options be chosen.

The following files will be installed into the default program files folder (e.g. C:\Program Files\HP\TimeSync for Windows):

License.txt The product license file

ReadMe.txt The product README file

TimeCom.exe TimeCom object file

TimeSync.conf TimeSync configuration file

TimeSync.exe TimeSync process object file

3. Edit the TimeSync configuration file, TimeSync.conf, and create a custom configuration for the system as described in Configuring TimeSync.

4. If you will be running TimeSync with client mode enabled (i.e. TimeSync will be updating the local system time), you should disable the built-in Windows NTP client to avoid potential erratic changes to system time.

5. In order for the TimeCom CI to communicate with TimeSync, loop-back support (address 127.0.0.1) must be enabled on the system.

(29)

4. Configuring TimeSync

TimeSync configuration settings are stored by default in the timesync.conf file (Windows, Linux, and OSS) or the TSCONF file (Guardian) located in the TimeSync program

directory. TimeSync loads this configuration information immediately at startup. To control TimeSync behavior, you can either alter the settings in this file before starting the process, or else change settings dynamically using the TimeCom CI.

4.1 Location of the Configuration File

HP recommends that the default location be used for the TimeSync configuration file, however this location can be changed if you wish to do so. If it is changed, it must then be referenced using the –conf command line option when running the TimeSync process. The –conf option overrides the default behavior and causes configuration data to be loaded from the location you specify. The syntax for the option is:

-conf=<configuration file name>

where <configuration file name> is the fully qualified name of the configuration file that the process should load. For example, if the configuration file is located at

/etc/timesync/myconf.conf on a Linux system, the command to start the TimeSync process would be:

./timesync –conf=/etc/timesync/myconf.conf

Note that when a configuration file is specified via the –conf option, the configuration file located in the TimeSync program directory is not loaded. The process loads only the file defined via the –conf option; it does not load both the default configuration file and the specified file.

If the default location of the TimeSync configuration is changed, the TimeCom command interpreter is affected as well because it also loads the configuration file when it runs. As a result, in this case TimeCom must be started using the –serverconf command-line option, or the SERVERCONF command must be the first command entered after starting TimeCom. For example, if the configuration file is located at /etc/timesync/myconf.conf on a Linux system, the command to start the TimeCom process would be:

./timecom.exe –serverconf=/etc/timesync/myconf.conf

4.2 Structure of the Configuration File

(30)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 30 of 86 a particular functional area.

Sections are denoted by a section name contained in square brackets: for example, [Process]. The configuration file can contain any or all of these sections:

• [Process]

The [Process] section contains settings related to general TimeSync process attributes.

• _[Server]

The [Server] section contains settings related to TimeSync running as a time source server (i.e. supplying time to remote systems).

• [Client]

The [Client] section contains settings related to TimeSync running as a time source client (i.e. obtaining time information from one or more remote time sources). • [Logging]

The [Logging] section contains settings related to TimeSync’s dedicated logging mechanism. These settings affect TimeSync’s logging mechanism only and do not control what information is written to the system log on any platform.

• _[Tracing]

The [Tracing] section contains settings related to TimeSync’s built-in trace facility. Each section of the configuration file can contain one or more option settings that relate to that section. These options are specified using keyword/value pairs, with one such pair given per line. The format for a keyword/value pair is:

<option keyword> [=] <option value>

The equal sign (=) is optional. Some examples of valid configuration option specifications would be:

LocalPort = 123 ServerMode False

Once the TimeSync process encounters a section in the configuration file, all subsequent option specifications are treated as part of that section until another section is

encountered or until the end of the configuration file is reached.

Comments can be added to the configuration file wherever desired. Any line beginning with a # character is treated as a comment line and is ignored, as are all lines containing

(31)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 31 of 86 only white space characters.

4.3 Configuration Options

The timesync.conf/TSCONF file can contain any or all of the options described below. If the configuration file does not specify a given option, TimeSync uses the default value defined for that option. Descriptions for each option follow.

4.3.1 Process Options

Process configuration options are contained in the Process section of the configuration file. These options specify general run-time parameters for TimeSync.

AutoSave True | False

Controls whether the TimeSync process automatically saves configuration changes in the configuration file. If AutoSave is True, any changes you make to the TimeSync

configuration using TimeCom are immediately written to the configuration file, and thus will be re-applied the next time TimeSync is run. If AutoSave is False, the changes you make using TimeCom alter the current run-time behavior of TimeSync only, and are not preserved in the configuration file. Therefore the next time TimeSync is run the settings will not be re-applied. Note that if AutoSave is True, it is not necessary to use the TimeCom SAVE command since all configuration changes are saved automatically.

Value Range: True or False Default Value: True

Example: AutoSave = False

GMTOffset <value>

The offset, in seconds, between the local system clock and GMT/UTC time. In most cases system clocks are kept in GMT/UTC time, and time values are then converted as needed to Local Civil Time (LCT). Note that this conversion to LCT is where any time zone offsets are applied as well. However, in some cases users may choose to run their system clock on something other than GMT/UTC time. If that is the case, TimeSync can be configured to allow for this offset by setting the GMTOffset value. For example, if your system clock is set to one hour later than GMT/UTC time, the GMTOffset value

(32)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 32 of 86 would be 3600.

Note that the GMTOffset value is not in any way related to time zone information for your system. Time zone data is not used by TimeSync and has no impact on its behavior because TimeSync performs all clock operations using GMT/UTC time. Instead, the GMTOffset value should only be used if you have explicitly set your system clock to something other than true GMT/UTC time.

Value Range: -2147483648 to 2147483647 Default Value: 0

Example: GMTOffset = -3600

LocalAddress <value>

The IP address/interface on the local system which the TimeSync process will use to communicate with remote systems. If this value is not set, TimeSync will use any local address. If this value is set, TimeSync will communicate using the specified address only. This option is particularly important in cases where the local system is configured with multiple IP addresses, and each address/interface is connected to a different network. In this situation, you will need to specify which local address TimeSync should utilize in order to ensure that all TimeSync traffic is routed to the correct network.

Note that specifying a local address value also means that TimeSync will not operate over the loop-back interface, which is typically used for communication on the local system between the TimeCom CI and the TimeSync server. In this case, by default TimeCom will communicate with the TimeSync server using the configured local address instead.

Value Range: A legal dotted-decimal IP address Default Value: Not set (any address can be used) Example: LocalAddress = 192.168.1.19

LocalPort <value>

The port number on the local system which the TimeSync process will use to communicate with remote systems. If this value is 0, TimeSync will pick a random, unused port. However, note that specifying a port number of 0 will make it impossible for the TimeCom CI to communicate with the TimeSync process unless you first

(33)

determine the port number being used by TimeSync and manually set that value using the TimeCom SYSTEM command. For that reason, it is recommended that you always supply a dedicated port number for the TimeSync process.

It is important to distinguish the LocalPort value from the remote port used to access a time source. As stated above, LocalPort is literally the port on the local machine that TimeSync uses to communicate with other systems. TimeSync must use a port on the local system at all times in order to be able to send requests to time sources (if client mode is enabled), receive requests from clients (if server mode is enabled), and receive commands from the TimeCom CI. However, when TimeSync is running with client mode enabled, it also must know the IP address/host name and port number of each defined time source. These remote port values are specified using the TimeSource statement as discussed in the Client Options section below, and should not be confused with the LocalPort value.

Also, TimeSync defaults to using TCP/IP port 123 for communication with other

TimeSync-enabled systems and NTP/SNTP servers. If you have the Windows NTP client enabled on Windows, or are running the NTP daemon on Linux, you will either need to disable them or else configure TimeSync to use a port other than 123 by changing the LocalPort value. It is recommended that you disable the Windows NTP client on

Windows systems, and the NTP daemon on Linux systems, if you plan to run TimeSync in Client mode on those systems. If you do not do so, both TimeSync and the NTP client or daemon will attempt to adjust the local system clock, which in turn could lead to erratic system times. It is also recommended that you turn off time synchronization in products like ASAP and NSX on HP NonStop servers.

Value Range: 0 through 65535

Default Value: 123 (the standard NTP/SNTP port) Example: LocalPort = 123

RunAsService True | False

Flag specifying whether the TimeSync process should run as a service/daemon. If this value is True, TimeSync will run as a daemon on Linux systems and as a service on Windows systems. If False, TimeSync will run as a standard (user) process.

This option is supported on NonStop systems, but does not affect run-time behavior. On Windows systems, this value must match the manner in which TimeSync was originally installed. If TimeSync was installed as a Windows service, this value must be True. If

(34)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 34 of 86 TimeSync was not installed as a Windows service, this value must be False. The

TimeSync installer for Windows will set this value correctly based on the install type, thus you should not need to change it under ordinary circumstances.

On Linux systems, this value should be set to True if the TimeSync process will be started during the system boot/startup sequence (if you install TimeSync for Linux using the RPM-based installer, TimeSync will automatically be configured to start at system boot time and the RunAsService value will be set to True in the default configuration file). If the TimeSync process will be started manually from a command prompt, then this value can be set to either True or False. If set to True, TimeSync will close the terminal when it starts up, change its default directory, and take other actions to try to ensure that it keeps running even in if there are system problems. If this value is set to False, TimeSync will run as a standard user process.

Example: RunAsService = True

Transport <process name>

The name of the transport layer which the TimeSync process should use for

communication. This parameter applies to the Guardian NonStop environment only, and specifies the name of the TCP/IP process that TimeSync will utilize for accessing the network. If this value is not set on a Guardian system, then TimeSync will use the

process name given by the =TCPIP^PROCESS^NAME define, or else $ZTC0 if that value is not specified. This parameter is ignored on platforms other than Guardian.

Value Range: A legal Guardian process ID

Default Value: =TCPIP^PROCESS^NAME define or $ZTC0 Example: Transport = $ZTC04

4.3.2 Server Options

Server configuration options are contained in the Server section of the configuration file. These options control how TimeSync behaves when running as a time source server.

(35)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 35 of 86 AlwaysSendRefTS True | False

Flag controlling whether the TimeSync process should include a current reference

timestamp when responding to a time request from an NTP client, even if ClientMode is not enabled on the TimeSync system.

If ClientMode is enabled on the TimeSync system (in other words, TimeSync is

configured both as a client and server simultaneously), reference timestamps are always included in responses to NTP clients, and the AlwaysSendRefTS flag has no effect. In this case, the reference timestamp will be the time at which the TimeSync system last synced its clock to an external source. If no sync has been performed yet, then the reference timestamp value will be 0.

However, if ClientMode is disabled on the TimeSync system, then there is no “last sync time” reference timestamp value to return to an NTP client. In this case, if the

AlwaysSendRefTS value is True, then the TimeSync process will set the reference

timestamp to the current time. If the AlwaysSendRefTS value is False, then the reference timestamp will be 0.

Most current NTP clients ignore the reference timestamp field in NTP responses. But some older clients, such as ntpdate on Linux systems, check the reference timestamp field and will invalidate responses from time sources whose clocks have not been synced recently enough. This can be an issue in some TimeSync configurations because in many cases the TimeSync server is intended to be the primary time source and therefore is not synced with any external clock. Setting the AlwaysSendRefTS flag to True in this situation causes TimeSync to include a reference timestamp in the response and thereby allows the TimeSync server to act as a time source to systems running older NTP clients such as

ntpdate.

Example: AlwaysSendRefTS = False

ServerMode True | False

Flag controlling whether the TimeSync process should behave as a time source server and respond to time requests from remote systems. If True, the TimeSync process will listen for and respond to time requests from remote systems. If False, TimeSync will not listen for nor respond to time requests from remote systems. Note that TimeSync can

(36)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 36 of 86 run as both a time source client and a time source server simultaneously.

Example: ServerMode = False

4.3.3 Client Options

Client configuration options are contained in the Client section of the configuration file. These options control how TimeSync behaves when running as a time source client.

ClientMode True | False

Flag controlling whether the TimeSync process should behave as a time source client and obtain time information from remote systems. If True, the TimeSync process will run as a time source client, obtain time information from the defined time source, and set the local system time accordingly. If False, TimeSync will not run as a time source client. Note that TimeSync can run as both a time source client and a time source server simultaneously.

Example: ClientMode = False

DriftBackward True | False

Flag controlling whether operations involved in setting the system time “backward” (i.e. to an earlier time) take place immediately or are done incrementally in a fashion that prevents system time from actually moving backwards. If True, TimeSync drifts backwards time changes in over time by preventing time from moving forward rather than by actually setting the system clock back. If False, TimeSync simply sets the system time to the new time value.

(37)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 37 of 86 DriftBackwardThreshold <value>

The threshold, in milliseconds, for which drift backward operations are allowed if the DriftBackward option is enabled. If the time change necessary is less than this value and DriftBackward is True, then backward time changes will be applied slowly (i.e. drifted). If the time change necessary is greater than this value, then the local system time will be set directly and time changes will not be drifted in. If the DriftBackwardThreshold is less than 0, then all backward time changes will be drifted in as long as DriftBackward is True.

Value Range: -1 through 2147483647

Default Value: -1 (all backward changes should be drifted in) Example: DriftBackwardThreshold = 1000

DriftForward True | False

Flag controlling whether operations involved in setting the system time “forward” (i.e. to a later time) take place immediately or are done incrementally in a fashion that prevents abrupt time change on the system. If True, TimeSync drifts forward time changes in slowly. If False, TimeSync simply sets the system time to the new time value.

Example: DriftForward = False

DriftForwardThreshold <value>

The threshold, in milliseconds, for which drift forward operations are allowed if the DriftForward option is enabled. If the time change necessary is less than this value and DriftForward is True, then forward time changes will be applied slowly (i.e. drifted). If the time change necessary is greater than this value, then the local system time will be set directly and time changes will not be drifted in. If the DriftForwardThreshold is less than 0, then all forward time changes will be drifted in as long as DriftForward is True.

Value Range: -1 through 2147483647

Default Value: -1 (all forward changes should be drifted in) Example: DriftForwardThreshold = 1000

(38)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 38 of 86 MaxReplyDeviation <value>

The threshold, in milliseconds, for determining whether a time response is acceptable or not. If the time specified in a response varies from the local system time by more than the MaxReplyDeviation amount, then the response is discarded by the TimeSync process.

This is useful for preventing situations in which an incorrect, invalid, or corrupted

response from a time source could cause the local system time to be set to an erroneous value.

Value Range: 0 through 2147483647 Default Value: 300000 (5 minutes) Example: MaxReplyDeviation = 250000

MaxReplyWindow <value>

The amount of time, in milliseconds, for which the TimeSync process will wait for a response from a time source. If a response is received outside of this window, it will be discarded by the TimeSync process.

Value Range: 0 through 2147483647 Default Value: 5000 (5 seconds) Example: MaxReplyWindow = 3000

ModifyClockRate True | False

Specifies whether TimeSync should modify the rate of the clock on the local system in addition to adjusting the time. By modifying the clock rate, the amount of time drift between synchronizations is minimized. For example, if the hardware clock of the local system drifts by 10 microseconds per hour, and TimeSync is configured to sync once per hour, then the local system time will drift by 10 microseconds between synchronization operations. If ModifyClockRate is True, TimeSync will detect the amount of drift in the local clock and modify the local system clock rate accordingly, thereby reducing or eliminating the drift. TimeSync will continue to perform synchronizations at the

configured interval/times, but in these cases the amount of adjustment necessary will be lessened.

(39)

Note that this option is only supported on NonStop systems (both Guardian and OSS); it is not supported on Windows or Linux. For NonStop systems, the minium required operating system versions are H06.25 for H-series systems, J06.14 for J-series systems, and all L-series versions.

Value Range: True or False Default Value: False

Example: ModifyClockRate = True

MultiSource True | False

Controls whether the TimeSync process uses a single time source to obtain a reference time, or if it obtains reference times from all defined sources simultaneously. If this value is set to False, TimeSync only communicates with a single time source, beginning with the first TimeSource defined in the configuration file. If TimeSync cannot communicate with that server, or receives an invalid reply, it moves to the next time source in the list until it receives a valid response. If MultiSource is set to True, TimeSync sends a request to every defined TimeSource each update interval. It then averages the times from those servers to determine the correct system time.

In general, MultiSource should be set to False if you are accessing a reliable time source such as an Internet-based NTP server or a local precision clock device. However, if instead you are utilizing two or more local systems as your time sources, running in

MultiSource mode can yield a more accurate reference time than running in single-source mode. This is the case because averaging reference times across systems will have the effect of reducing the impact of any individual system clock inaccuracies.

Value Range: True or False Default Value: False

Example: MultiSource = True

RetryInterval <value>

The frequency, in seconds, at which TimeSync will retry sending time synchronization requests in cases where an error occurs. Note that the RetryInterval value takes precedence over the UpdateInterval or SyncAt list in situations where TimeSync

encountered an error when attempting to send a sync request. Thus if the configured UpdateInterval value or next sync time in the SyncAt list would call for a sync request to

(40)

be sent sooner than the configured RetryInterval, TimeSync will still use the RetryInterval value if it is retrying a previous sync attempt. TimeSync will continue to retry at that interval until a successful sync occurs or until the RetryLimit is reached, at which point it will resume use of the UpdateInterval value or SyncAt list.

Value Range: 1 through 4294967295 Default Value: 60 (1 minute)

Example: RetryInterval = 10

RetryLimit <value>

The maximum number of times TimeSync will retry sending a time synchronization request in cases where an error occurs. If TimeSync encounters an error sending a sync request, it will retry the request, at the configured RetryInterval, up to RetryLimit times. Once a successful sync occurs or the RetryLimit value is reached, TimeSync will return to normal processing.

Value Range: -1 through 2147483647 Default Value: -1 (no limit)

Example: RetryLimit = 5

ReportOnly True | False

Controls whether or not TimeSync actually updates the local system clock when client mode is enabled. If this value is False, TimeSync updates the local system clock at each configured update interval based on the reference time(s) received from the current time source(s). If ReportOnly is True, TimeSync obtains reference times and reports the

difference between the local system clock and those times via the system log, TimeSync log (if enabled), and the TimeCom CI. However it does not actually update the local system clock.

Setting ReportOnly to True is particularly useful when TimeSync is first deployed on a new system, since it allows you to determine the time difference between the system and the defined time source(s) without changing the local system clock. Once you have done so, you can decide how to best configure TimeSync to synchronize clocks with the least amount of potential disruption to the system.

(41)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 41 of 86 Default Value: False

Example: ReportOnly = True

SyncAt <value>[, <value>, …]

Specifies the list of times each day at which TimeSync sends synchronization requests to the defined time source(s) in order to update the local system time.

The list of SyncAt times is only utilized if client mode is enabled; if client mode is

disabled, the SyncAt list is ignored. In addition, if one or more times are specified in the SyncAt list, TimeSync does not initiate sync operations based on the UpdateInterval value discussed below. Sync operations are only initiated at the configured SyncAt times.

Value Range: {<empty string> | hh[:mm[:ss]] [UTC | LCT] } [, hh[:mm[:ss]] [UTC | LCT], …], where <empty string> is a null/empty string, hh:[mm[:ss]] specifies the hour, minute, and second (using a 24-hour clock) at which the sync should occur, and [ UTC | LCT ] specifies whether the time is a universal (UTC/GMT) time or a local (LCT) time. If a null/empty string is given, the SyncAt list is cleared and the UpdateInterval value is used to determine when sync operations should be initiated. If a time is supplied, the hour value is required; minute and second values are optional and default to 0 if not provided. The UTC and LCT designator is also optional and defaults to UTC if not provided. Both UTC and LCT times can be mixed in the SyncAt list.

Default Value: Null/empty string

Example: SyncAt = 01:00 LCT, 12:30:00 UTC, 23:59:59 LCT, 20 LCT SyncAt =

TimeSource <value>

Defines a time source server which TimeSync should use to obtain time information. The Client section of the configuration file can contain any number of TimeSource

specifications. The TimeSync process will attempt to access these in the order specified in the configuration file. If TimeSync cannot access the first time source in the list, it will try the second, etc. If MultiSource is set to True, TimeSync will send a request to each defined TimeSource at every update interval.

If you run TimeSync with client mode enabled, you must define at least one TimeSource in the configuration file, otherwise TimeSync will not be able to synchronize the local

(42)

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User’s Guide Page 42 of 86 system time.

Value Range: {<IP address> | <host name>}[:<remote port number>], where <IP

address> is a legal dotted-decimal IP address, <host name> is a legal TCP/IP host name,

and <remote port number> is a valid TCP/IP port number. If <remote port number> is not given, the default NTP/SNTP port number of 123 is used.

Default Value: None (TimeSource definitions must be added to the configuration file) Example: TimeSource = 192.168.1.200:5000

TimeSource = time.windows.com

UpdateInterval <value>

The frequency, in seconds, at which time synchronization requests are sent to the remote time source and the local time updated. Note that the actual interval between the

initiation of sync operations will be slightly larger than this value because TimeSync does not schedule the subsequent update until the current sync initiation is completed. In most cases, this means the interval between sync attempts will be the UpdateInterval value plus the MaxReplyWindow value.If one or more synchronization times are specified in the SyncAt list described above, TimeSync does not utilize the UpdateInterval value. Instead, sync operations are only initiated at the scheduled SyncAt times.

Important!!! On NonStop systems, HP recommends that you set the UpdateInterval to no less than 360 seconds (6 minutes) for normal usage. Setting the UpdateInterval to a value less than this for a long period of time can lead to timekeeping anomalies on the system. In addition, please note that on NonStop systems the minimum UpdateInterval is 13 seconds. If you supply an UpdateInterval less than this, TimeSync will still only process updates every 13 seconds. This is necessary because of other auditing and synchronization tasks that TimeSync performs between updates.

Value Range: 1 through 4294967295 Default Value: 3600 (1 hour)

Example: UpdateInterval = 2000

HP NonStop Time Synchronization User s Guide

HP NonStop Time

Synchronization User’s

Guide

Abstract

Product Version

Supported Release Version Updates (RVUs)

Document History

Table of Contents

What’s New in This Manual

New and Changed Information

About This Manual

Audience

Related Documents

Manual Organization

Notation Conventions

Hypertext Links

General Syntax Notation

Notation for Messages

Notation for Management Programming Interfaces

1.

Overview

1.1.

Introduction to NonStop TimeSync

1.2.

NonStop TimeSync Features

Key Features and Benefits

General Features

Client Features

Server Features

TimeSync and Daylight Savings Time (DST) Transitions

Safely Updating Local System Clocks

1.3.

NonStop TimeSync Architecture

2.

TimeSync Quick Start

3.

Installing NonStop TimeSync

3.1

Installing TimeSync on a NonStop

Server

3.2

Installing TimeSync on a Linux Server

3.3

Installing TimeSync on a Windows

Server

4.

Configuring TimeSync

4.1

Location of the Configuration File

4.2

Structure of the Configuration File

4.3

Configuration Options

4.3.1

Process Options

4.3.2

Server Options

4.3.3

Client Options

4.3.4

Logging Options