ESX 3.5 & NTP

[davidjerwood]

I am trying to setup/configure my new esx 3.5 servers to sync time with the NTP Servers. I have entered the ip addresses of my ntp servers in the "Time Configuration" settings and have manually checked the ntpconf but when I run ntpdate on my esx host I get " 2 Jan 12:54:57 ntpdate[3049]: no servers can be used, exiting" although the time does appear to be correct.

Has anyone else had this issue, am I missing something?

Any help appreciated.

[AWo]

ntpd should not run while using ntpdate.

AWo

[davidjerwood]

Sorry how do you mean?

[AWo]

"ntpd" is the ntp daemon (service) which runs in the background to do the time sync. If you use the "ntpdate" command this daemon should be stopped temporarily.

Try "/etc/init.d/ntpd stop" (and "start" to start it again).

AWo

[davidjerwood]

Ok, Thanks very much.

I have tried stopping the NTP Service running NTPdate and then starting

NTP Service again but NTPdate still reports "ntpdate[10938]: no servers

can be used, exiting"

Here is a copy of my NTP Log.

*****

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpdate[10954]: can't find host server

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpdate[10954]: can't find host server

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpdate[10954]: step time server

172.24.25.210 offset 0.000083 sec

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd: succeeded

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: ntpd 4.1.2@1.892 Thu Feb 15

04:31:47 EST 2007 (1)

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: precision = 21 usec

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: kernel time discipline status

0040

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: getnetnum: "kod" invalid host

number, line ignored

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: frequency initialized 0.000

from /var/lib/ntp/drift

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd: ntpd startup succeeded

*****

Having said that when I start the service it reports.

****

# /etc/init.d/ntpd start

ntpd: Synchronizing with time server:

Starting ntpd:

# tail -f messages

[AWo]

Please post your "ntp.conf" and the ntpdate command as well as "ifconfig -all" from your ESX console.

AWo

[davidjerwood]

NTP.Conf

***

restrict kod nomodify notrap noquery nopeer

restrict 127.0.0.1

server 172.27.25.210

server 172.24.25.210

driftfile /var/lib/ntp/drift

1. Authentication delay. If you use, or plan to use someday, the

***

Ifconfig

***

# ifconfig

lo Link encap:Local Loopback

inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0

UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1

RX packets:47150 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

TX packets:47150 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

collisions:0 txqueuelen:0

RX bytes:6863896 (6.5 Mb) TX bytes:6863896 (6.5 Mb)

vswif0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:50:56:49:CB:5E

inet addr:172.27.1.45 Bcast:172.27.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0

UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1

RX packets:54154 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

TX packets:20322 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000

RX bytes:33442943 (31.8 Mb) TX bytes:7293638 (6.9 Mb)

***

# ntpdate

2 Jan 13:21:36 ntpdate[18882]: no servers can be used, exiting

***

Many Thanks for your help

[AWo · Accepted solution]

You have to enter "ntpdate 172.27.25.210". Only "ntpdate" is the wrong syntax. By using ntpdate you do a one-time sync so you can check if the ntp server is available.

Nevertheless, ntpd should be stopped.

AWo

[davidjerwood]

Great, That works

Thanks very much for your help.

[AWo]

Jan 2 13:08:06 lvprdesx005 ntpd[10958]: getnetnum: "kod" invalid host

number, line ignored

What about this host? It seems that the name ca't be resolved.

AWo