CMS R18 and NTP Synchronisation

[mattKnight]

The time on our CMS server is drifting (VM hosts are never great at keeping time) and they are not synchronised to any time source.

Avaya's solution is to run the ntpupdate command from a scheduled job within cron. This is not difficult to to carry out, but... Configuring (and starting) ntpd seems a better way - correction of time drift is continious and so any time adjustment is outside the tolerance of CMS and our wfo tools hence I'd not expect any issue with reporting intervals. Obviously, the initial correction of about 5 minutes needs to planned to be mid reporting interval.

So, why do Avaya suggest/recommend/support a solution using cron as opposed to the standard way (ntpd? Is this a hangover form the days of Solaris servers? Are they avoiding vulnerability issues in ntpd? Does any one have an idea why or validate that using ntpd doesn't have negative effects?

Cheers

Take Care

Matt
I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone.
My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.

 

[dialtonebone]

I don't know the "why's" but there are many SOLNs saying 100% don't support ntpd. It is odd and I don't understand the why of this either.

 

[kyle555]

Haven't found a great answer either. What can you tell me about VM hosts not be great at keeping time? I've found them to be reliable enough. I know it's bad juju to do NTP on a guest and let the host control the guest clock too.

What solution article did you read? Sometimes you'll get a guy send you old Solaris stuff when you're on a newer Linux vm...

 

[mattKnight]

>What can you tell me about VM hosts not be great at keeping time?
I actually meant guests in my OP, but typed hosts!
I've always believed its because of the hypervisor dividing the processors between guests can lead to drift. We're about 4 minutes out over 70 days right now. VM hosts are better, but really any computer clock is subject to slip. I know that VM domain controllers are strongly recommended to be synced to NTP otherwise Kerberos gets upset

>What solution article did you read?

SOLN267465
Originally created - 2015
Updated - 2018
And it states "Any version CMS on any platform"...

It just seems a really odd way of handling time sync! I forsee a ticket to Avaya in my near future then.

Take Care

Matt
I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone.
My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.