ESX Server 3.5 - Strange time issues

[dbutch1976]

Hi everyone,

What is the definitive location that a new ESX server install will pull its time from? It seems complete bizzare to me! I just reinstalled the server I'm using for testing because the clocks on my hosts were 3 hours out of synch with the ESX server. I only know this because every time I restarted the clocks would go out of synch again, I would manually correct them but if I restarted then they would be out of synch again upon reboot.

So I decided to just start over and reinstalled. I also noticed the time on the BIOS was out of synch by 3 hours, so I corrected that, then during the install I used the GUI and ensured that all the settings were correct. I booted it up and put my vmdk files back onto it,. added a server into the inventory, and ba-boom, it's still an hour out of synch! If I set it to synch from an internet time server in windows it corrects itself, but is once again incorrect after a reboot.

If I use VMWARE tools to synch with the host then the time is an hour off.

Please keep in mind I'm a windows guy, so this huge process of setting the time using putty is a little hard to swallow. Isn't there an easier way of just seeing what time the host is using and correcting it????

Thanks.

[COdlk]

This does sound a little strange. Here is a great KB that goes through the whole setup process

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1339

david

[TB_Rich · Accepted solution]

Firstly when you install it gets it from the BIOS. Then when you have done that you will want to set up NTP on the HOST. Do this by going to the 'configuration' tab and then 'time configuration'. You can use the following internet time servers (just set you company's firewall or whatever to allow it obviously) 0.pool.ntp.org 1.pool.ntp.org 2.pool.ntp.org. The setting up is very easy and will make sense to you as you do it. Also it will do ESX's firewall for NTP when you submit.

Then you want to make sure vm tool's is installed on your windows guests and set the tick box to sync with vm host. Important, disable the windows time service.

Do that and your windows host's will keep in time properly.

[dbutch1976]

Thanks, that's got it, and I didn't have to log into the console which was what I really wanted. Thanks!