[jaxisland]

I have two DC, but they are on VM's, so what I want to do is completely disable them from going and getting time from an external source and just act like a client to another server. Right now Im unable to get them from trying and getting time which now all my servers and clients are off by minutes, which is bad.

So my question is how do I disable the ntp server portion on the DC's and make it take its time from another authoritative ntp server in the same domain?

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To me it seems that the domain controllers want to control the time. To simplify / clarify my question, how can I make my domain controllers listen to a member server for their time, and the time for the domain?

[jaxisland]

To me it seems that the domain controllers want to control the time. To simplify / clarify my question, how can I make my domain controllers listen to a member server for their time, and the time for the domain?

[dsenette]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042 thats how to monkey with the NTP reg keys

alternately....what VM program are you using? i know VMware with the VMTools allows you to configure the guest machine to get it's time from the host machine....i would imagine the others can do the same?

[jaxisland]

I use VMWare. My DC's are virtual. So I want the host machine to go to an external site and get the time. Then use vmtools to give it to my DC. But everytime I set the NTP settings on the host to go external it looks at the DC. If I disable the Time service on the DC the host machine says:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W32Time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 14
Date: 1/9/2008
Time: 2:10:38 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SVR9
Description:
The time provider NtpClient was unable to find a domain controller to use as a time source. NtpClient will try again in 15 minutes.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft....link/events.asp.



This makes me beleive that only domain controllers can be used as NTP servers???

[dsenette]

no....in a domain they take presedence as far as the clients getting time....but you can set the DC to get the time from an external source

[jaxisland]

The problem is I was told by people higher than me, that VM servers cannot be time servers. So thats why I needed to make a host server the top time server. But it seems that only domain controllers can be time servers. My host machine is not a domain controller. Now I am looking into 3rd part apps to help me out as well. Any ideas?

[dsenette]

well...thre are actually a bunch of 3rd party ones....google free ntp sever or something to that effect

[jaxisland]

yeah thats where I am at now. I am trying to find one that replaces the windows time service, but no such luck.