Windows ntp server, Linux Client

We are running a Windows 2000 machine with an ntp server. This machines
gets its time reference from a built in timecode board so I assume it is
a stratum 1 server (it does not synchronize with other srvers).
We are trying to use this machine as an ntp server for our linux client
machines.

Have successfully tested the linux client machines with internet time
servers, so I know the client machines are fine. We have had no luck
synchronizing these machines with the Windows server. Other Windows
machines work fine when syching with the Windows server.

I have heard that there may be an incompatibility between Windows ntp
servers and other ntp servers. Does anyone know of such a problem and is
there a resolution?

Thank you.

Brad Schroeder <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<EpURc.7828$(E-Mail Removed)> ...
> We are running a Windows 2000 machine with an ntp server. This machines
> gets its time reference from a built in timecode board so I assume it is
> a stratum 1 server (it does not synchronize with other srvers).
> We are trying to use this machine as an ntp server for our linux client
> machines.
>
> Have successfully tested the linux client machines with internet time
> servers, so I know the client machines are fine. We have had no luck
> synchronizing these machines with the Windows server. Other Windows
> machines work fine when syching with the Windows server.
>
> I have heard that there may be an incompatibility between Windows ntp
> servers and other ntp servers. Does anyone know of such a problem and is
> there a resolution?
>
> Thank you.

Here's my assumptions of your network:
-- active directory
-- win netlogon via a domain controller
-- your time server is a PDC or provides time services to PDC
-- your time source is a 3rd party hardware card (GPS?)

w2k and xp do have built into them sntp servers/clients (w32time) --
however they are not "stand alone" services, AFAIK. They are embedded
into the Kerberos authentication scheme so wonderfully "extended" by
MS, and are meant to keep domain clients' clocks adequately synched
with a PDC to keep Kerberos authentication happy.

Googling "linux sntp w32time client" provided 105 hits and no Linux
clients -- not independently of 3rd party time servers, anyway.

This begs the question of whether your Linux clients _can_ use
Kerberos to authenticate to a PDC -- or at least get through the
netlogon process -- and whether that will enable them to time synch.
I believe that a PDC requires a "trusted" time source from the clients
-- ie., the clients have to get their time via their DC, not an
outside source. I know there are Linux projects out there that are
meant to ease Linux client authentication to Win networks.

You might look at this for general info:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...intimeserv.doc
or the real quicky version:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...NoWebContent=1
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;216734
Book length coverage(?):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

As you can see, I'm not that familiar with getting Linux clients to
inter-operate with Win networks (except for Samba for Win clients
using Linux based services) or Kerberos authentication details. I'm
more familiar with Linux clients on NetWare where there are some
rudimentary but sufficient client packages for NDS.

Hopefully, someone more up to snuff will chime in and enlighten us
both.

regards,
prg
email above disabled

Oops! Brad Schroeder <(E-Mail Removed)> was seen spray-painting on a wall:
> We are running a Windows 2000 machine with an ntp server. This
> machines gets its time reference from a built in timecode board so I
> assume it is a stratum 1 server (it does not synchronize with other
> srvers).
> We are trying to use this machine as an ntp server for our linux
> client machines.
>
> Have successfully tested the linux client machines with internet time
> servers, so I know the client machines are fine. We have had no luck
> synchronizing these machines with the Windows server. Other Windows
> machines work fine when syching with the Windows server.
>
> I have heard that there may be an incompatibility between Windows ntp
> servers and other ntp servers. Does anyone know of such a problem and
> is there a resolution?

Yes, there is a resolution.

The so-called "Windows NTP server" isn't one. It doesn't comply with
the specs.

Get thee to <http://www.ntp.org/>, and see about replacing it with a
copy of the reference implementation instead of what Microsoft borked
up.

And head to comp.protocols.time.ntp, as that is the appropriate
newsgroup for this...
--
(reverse (concatenate 'string "gro.mca" "@" "enworbbc"))
http://www3.sympatico.ca/cbbrowne/ntp.html
Share and Enjoy!!

Brad Schroeder <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<EpURc.7828$(E-Mail Removed)> ...
> We are running a Windows 2000 machine with an ntp server. This machines
> gets its time reference from a built in timecode board so I assume it is
> a stratum 1 server (it does not synchronize with other srvers).
> We are trying to use this machine as an ntp server for our linux client
> machines.
>
> Have successfully tested the linux client machines with internet time
> servers, so I know the client machines are fine. We have had no luck
> synchronizing these machines with the Windows server. Other Windows
> machines work fine when syching with the Windows server.
>
> I have heard that there may be an incompatibility between Windows ntp
> servers and other ntp servers. Does anyone know of such a problem and is
> there a resolution?
>

The code that Microsoft ships with their systems is not fully
compliant with the ntp protocol from what I understand from
Dave Mills. The Windows NTP server from http://www.ntp.org/ is
compliant and your Linux boxes should have no problem synchronizing
with it. What I don't know, and your description didn't provide
the information is whether or not your builtin timecode board is
supported by the Windows implementation. If it is there's no
problem. If not it could probably be added.

Danny

> Thank you.