Maintaining the time on network

[julianf]

What is the most effective way to manage the time on the desktops and servers on an active directory network.

At present, all users login scripts have an entry which sets the time to that of one of the servers.

However, this will only work if the user on the workstation has righs to change the time. (we keep the default policy for most users.)

Is there a domain policy that can be set to make sure that all users can change the system time.

Perhaps a time server is the route to go...how would this work?

Thanks

Julian

 

[LeonBar]

To get the time to work do this:
On the server
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\system\currentControlSet\services\W32Time\Parameters
Double Click localNTP and then modify
In the Edit DWORD Value type 1

If you don’t want the server to sync its clock to an outside source alter this key
HKEYLOCALMACHINE\system\currentControlSet\services\W32Time\Parameters
The value called "Type" change the value of that setting to “NoSync” (No quotes)

After you make changes to the time server you have to stop and restart the service
from a command prompt
net stop w32time will stop the service
net start w32time will restart the service
if you don't stop and restart the service the changes will not take effect.
To make these changes you don't have to reboot the server just stop and restart the time service.

That will keep from having the event viewer tell you your server is not syncing to a time source. If your server is on the Internet and you want to use a timeserver don’t change the lower value.

for more information about time server.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223184

I just did this.
You don’t have to set any permissions on the workstations for the time to sync just have the service running. They should automatically sync to the PDC.

Leon

 

[julianf]

Thanks a mil...

Will try this and let you know...

The workstations....does any particular service need to be running so that it will automatically synch with the PDC. Also...does this have to be done on a DC....or can it be done on a normal windows 2000 standalone server?

(Also...I know that there is an option on DHCP server to add a value for a time server...does this need to be done to allow the workstations to pull the time from the time server?)

Sorry....just not entirely sure how the workstations will know what server to pull the time from.