Time service problems/questions for SBS 2000

I have configured SBS to use a list of three external time servers. The time
is being kept accurately. I am getting warning and informational messages
that I do not understand. Could someone please tell me what is going on or
point me in the right direction to find out more.

My SNTP settings and sample event log entries are shown at the message end.
I had to reset the NTP server list when a previous NTP server went off the
air. I believe the problem started around then. I turne don the
informational events after I started getting the warnings.

1) Why do I get a warning that the NTP server did not respond almost
immediately followed by informational messages saying it did?

2) Is the high skew rate a sign that my hardware clock is getting off or
does it mean something else?

3) I noticed that event ID 11 does not show a server name. There are two
adjacent spaces. I believe the underlying windows return message has a
server name. Could this be a sign that my server list is honked up? If so,
how do I fix it?

Thanks for any help,

Joe M

==========

Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]
(C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>net time /querysntp
The current SNTP value is: clock.fmt.he.net hydrogen.cert.ucr.edu
dewey.lib.ci.phoenix.az.us

The command completed successfully.

==========

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: w32time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 11
Date: 3/10/2005
Time: 6:46:35 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SBS
Description:
The NTP server didn't respond
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
----------
Event Type: Information
Event Source: w32time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 61
Date: 3/10/2005
Time: 6:46:45 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SBS
Description:
The Time service synced time from time source (CLOCK.FMT.HE.NET) .
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
----------
Event Type: Information
Event Source: w32time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 6
Date: 3/10/2005
Time: 6:46:45 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SBS
Description:
Time set (offset > .5 second)
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
----------
Event Type: Information
Event Source: w32time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7
Date: 3/10/2005
Time: 6:46:45 AM
User: N/A
Computer: SBS
Description:
Skew >15 seconds per day, compensation not attempted
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
----------

Dave
Mon Mar 14 14:38:12 CST 2005

1. I think that some servers respond more slowly than others, which is what
causes the "did not respond" message. It's successful the second time,
which explains what you're seeing. I was getting many errors per day until
I switched from U.S. Naval Observatory time to some other time server that
is apparently less overwhelmed with requests.

2. This seems normal to me, and they're just informational messages, so I'd
ignore them.

3. Do you have an extra space between the FQDN's in your list? You have to
be really careful with the syntax. Or, if you find one server to be
reliable, just use that one and don't bother with a list at all.

HTH.


"JoeM" <x24w0cg02@NOsneakSPAMemail.com> wrote in message
news:cZ4Yd.5509$oO4.5465@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>I have configured SBS to use a list of three external time servers. The
>time is being kept accurately. I am getting warning and informational
>messages that I do not understand. Could someone please tell me what is
>going on or point me in the right direction to find out more.
>
> My SNTP settings and sample event log entries are shown at the message
> end. I had to reset the NTP server list when a previous NTP server went
> off the air. I believe the problem started around then. I turne don the
> informational events after I started getting the warnings.
>
> 1) Why do I get a warning that the NTP server did not respond almost
> immediately followed by informational messages saying it did?
>
> 2) Is the high skew rate a sign that my hardware clock is getting off or
> does it mean something else?
>
> 3) I noticed that event ID 11 does not show a server name. There are two
> adjacent spaces. I believe the underlying windows return message has a
> server name. Could this be a sign that my server list is honked up? If so,
> how do I fix it?
>
> Thanks for any help,
>
> Joe M
>
> ==========
>
> Microsoft Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]
> (C) Copyright 1985-2000 Microsoft Corp.
>
> C:\>net time /querysntp
> The current SNTP value is: clock.fmt.he.net hydrogen.cert.ucr.edu
> dewey.lib.ci.phoenix.az.us
>
> The command completed successfully.
>
> ==========
>
> Event Type: Warning
> Event Source: w32time
> Event Category: None
> Event ID: 11
> Date: 3/10/2005
> Time: 6:46:35 AM
> User: N/A
> Computer: SBS
> Description:
> The NTP server didn't respond
> Data:
> 0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
> ----------
> Event Type: Information
> Event Source: w32time
> Event Category: None
> Event ID: 61
> Date: 3/10/2005
> Time: 6:46:45 AM
> User: N/A
> Computer: SBS
> Description:
> The Time service synced time from time source (CLOCK.FMT.HE.NET) .
> Data:
> 0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
> ----------
> Event Type: Information
> Event Source: w32time
> Event Category: None
> Event ID: 6
> Date: 3/10/2005
> Time: 6:46:45 AM
> User: N/A
> Computer: SBS
> Description:
> Time set (offset > .5 second)
> Data:
> 0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
> ----------
> Event Type: Information
> Event Source: w32time
> Event Category: None
> Event ID: 7
> Date: 3/10/2005
> Time: 6:46:45 AM
> User: N/A
> Computer: SBS
> Description:
> Skew >15 seconds per day, compensation not attempted
> Data:
> 0000: 00 00 00 00 ....
> ----------
>
>

JoeM
Fri Mar 18 01:21:41 CST 2005

Thanks. I'll drop it down to one server and see if the warning messages
diminish or at least show the server name. After I posted the question I
have been getting some time set sequences that do not have a warning. Before
I posted the warning started EVERY sequence (at least all that I looked at
until I got fuzzy eyed). I did not think a busy server response timeout
would happen every time.

Jim
Fri Mar 18 07:08:22 CST 2005

I think Mariette post a note on her web site www.smallbizserver.net
about getting the server to see an outside time source. A few clicks
in the article has cleared up some of my time error logs.

"JoeM" <x24w0cg02@NOsneakSPAMemail.com> wrote:

>Thanks. I'll drop it down to one server and see if the warning messages
>diminish or at least show the server name. After I posted the question I
>have been getting some time set sequences that do not have a warning. Before
>I posted the warning started EVERY sequence (at least all that I looked at
>until I got fuzzy eyed). I did not think a busy server response timeout
>would happen every time.
>

Jim B. SBS MVP

Duncan
Fri Mar 18 16:30:26 CST 2005

In article <kskl3112nr8tesste98c9u60nk4aq85aco@4ax.com>,
jimbehningmvp@atl.mindspring.com says...
> I think Mariette post a note on her web site www.smallbizserver.net
> about getting the server to see an outside time source. A few clicks
> in the article has cleared up some of my time error logs.
>
> "JoeM" <x24w0cg02@NOsneakSPAMemail.com> wrote:
>
> >Thanks. I'll drop it down to one server and see if the warning messages
> >diminish or at least show the server name. After I posted the question I
> >have been getting some time set sequences that do not have a warning. Before
> >I posted the warning started EVERY sequence (at least all that I looked at
> >until I got fuzzy eyed). I did not think a busy server response timeout
> >would happen every time.
> >
>
> Jim B. SBS MVP

There is an excellent article on MS website, search for it, called:
wintimeserv.doc

Get that - tells yer everything you need.

--
Duncan

JoeM
Sun Mar 20 01:48:17 CST 2005

Duncan,

Thanks for the article name. I learned a couple of things that may be
relevant: 1) W32Time only uses one server even if you specify a list in the
/setsntp option of net time; and 2) net time /setsntp should not be used
with the W32Time service running. I stopped W32Time, set to one server, and
restarted W32Time. No errors on startup. We'll see if this continues.

Thanks,

Joe

"Duncan McC" <hard@work.ok> wrote in message
news:MPG.1ca61daf5d743fe2989791@msnews.microsoft.com...
> ...
> There is an excellent article on MS website, search for it, called:
> wintimeserv.doc
>
> Get that - tells yer everything you need.
>
> --
> Duncan