Windows,2003,Installing,and,Co computer Windows 2003 Installing and Configuring an Authoritative NTP

Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0cm;mso-para-margin-right:0cm;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0cm;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}Precisionand time synchronisation is highly important for modern computer networks,without synchronisation many time sensitive transactions would be impossible tocarry out.Theinternal clock in computers does keep time and date information but these RealTime Chips are not designed to keep perfect time as computers are mass producedand optimized for low cost rather than being perfect clocks.Ofcourse for a lot of applications this can be more than adequate but fortime-sensitive transactions such as online purchasing not having a network thatis synchronised can cause errors in transactions and can even leave the networkvulnerable to fraud.FortunatelyWindows Server from 2000 onwards has a time synchronisation utility built incall windows time (w32time.exe) this can be configured to allow the machine tobe used as time server. Windows time uses a form of NTP (Network Time Protocol) which was developed over 20 years ago.It uses an algorithm to synchronise time ona network. NTP (version 4) can maintain time overthe public Internet to within 10 milliseconds (1/100th of a second)and can perform even better over LANs with accuracies of 200 microseconds(1/5000th of a second) under ideal conditions.NTP uses a single time reference andsynchronises all machines on the network to that time. It can be configured to both synchronise a network using theinternal clock or an external time source.Note: Microsoft strongly recommends that you configure a timeserver with a hardware source rather than from the internet where there is noauthentication.To configure the Windows Time serviceto use an external time source, click Start, Run and type regedit then clickOK.Locate the subkey:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\ParametersRight-click Type then Modify, in editValue type NTP in the Value data box then OK. Right click ReliableTimeSource, thenclick Modify.In the Edit DWORD Value box, underValue Data, type 0, then click OK.Right-click NtpServer in the right panethen click Modify.In Edit Value, type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNSmust be unique. Now click Ok.To set the poll intervals locate:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\ParametersIn the right pane, right-click Period,then click Modify.In the Edit DWORD Value box, underValue Data, type 24 then OKExit Registry EditorClick Start, then Run then type the following and press Enter:Net stop w32time && net start w32timeNetwork Time Protocol (NTP) is anInternet protocol used for the transfer of accurate time, providing timeinformation along so that a precise time can be obtainedTo enable the Network Time Protocol;NTPserver, locate and click:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer\In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify.In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value data, then clickOK.Now go back and click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\NtpServerIn the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then Modify, in the EditDWORD Value under Value Data type In the right pane, right-click NtpServer,then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value under Value Data type the Domain Name System (DNS), each DNSmust be unique and you must append 0x1 to the end of each DNS name otherwisechanges will not take effect.Now click Ok.Locate and click the followingHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollIntervalIn the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, then clickModify.In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, type the number ofseconds you want for each poll, ie 900 will poll every 15 minutes, then clickOK.To configure the time correction settings, locate: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\config In the right pane,right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value box,under Base, click Decimal, under Value Data, type a time in seconds such as3600 (an hour) then click OK.Now go back and click:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\configIn the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, then Modify.In the Edit DWORD box under base, click Decimal, under value datatype the time in seconds you want to poll such as 3600 (polls in one hour)Exit Registry EditorNow to restart windows time service, click Start, Run (oralternatively use the command prompt facility) and type:net stop w32time && net start w32timeAnd on each computer, other than the time server, type:W32tm/ -s and the time servershould be up and running