563000 - How to make AADvance receive SNTP/NTP time synchroniz... https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.

com/app/answers/detail/a_id/563000

1 of 1

563000 - How to make AADvance receive SNTP/NTP time synchronization

Access Level: TechConnect
Date Created: 09/02/2013 07:36 AM
Last Updated: 01/14/2015 02:02 PM

Question
I followed the advice in the 553633 Configuration Guide chapter 4 page 22 to set up SNTP time synchronization from a computer but the time isn't being set. What could be
wrong?

Answer
NTP time synchronization is hierarchical. A master clock creates a time signal from an atomic clock in a laboratory. This is provided to a number of time servers. The time
servers provide their time to other servers in a cascade, until eventually all computers with a route to the Internet receive the time.
In a domain network, the domain server usually provides time to the networked PCs, since it is linked into other networks and the Internet.
It is common to assemble PCs in an industrial setting into a workgroup. These have no hierarchy - there is no domain server. None of them have access to the Internet and so
none of them are receiving an NTP time signal. Therefore any PLC requiring NTP synchronization cannot receive time from these PCs.
The answer is to ensure that a source of time is available on the network. This can either be a route, however convoluted, to an Internet NTP server, or a local GPS clock which
serves NTP. A GPS clock derives time from GPS satellites and provides it to NTP clients (and probably other protocols).
SNTP is compatible with NTP. When an NTP server receives a time which is different to its own clock, it will ramp/drift its clock time, over time, until it matches the new time.
SNTP simply immediately provides the new time to its clients. AADvance does not have the capacity or requirement to adjust its provision to its time clients, and so it only
conforms to SNTP.
For more information on the protocol, refer to :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Time_Protocol
It may be possible to force a PC to act as a time server without also receiving time as a client:
1. Run gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor)
2. Local Computer Policy --> Computer Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> System --> Windows Time Service
3. Edit Global Configuration Settings
4. Change to Enabled
5. Set General Parameters --> Announce Flags to 5
This configures it to always advertise as a time server, and always advertise as a reliable time server. The flags are explained in: MSDN Blog > Windows Time Service >
To be (reliable) or not to be (reliable).
6. Click OK to close Global Configuration Settings
7. Under Time Providers, edit Enable Windows NTP Server
8. Change to Enabled
9. Click OK to close Enable Windows NTP Server
10. Either:
Restart Windows, or
Open a command prompt and enter the command: net stop w32time && net start w32time
To return the PC to synchronising to a time server, run the following command in a command prompt: w32tm /resync /rediscover
Reference: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314054

Comments (0)
This answer has no comments
Post a Comment

Product Tree for This Answer (expand/collapse)

This page is best viewed in Internet Explorer 10, Firefox 31, Chrome 37, Safari 6 or newer.

23/6/2015 9:53 AM