Time is not in sync (W2K-Prof.-Guest with ESX 3.0.1)

[HannesJ]

Hello

We have a the problem, that on a w2k-professional-guest the clock is too slow (not in sync). I have tried to get the time over an ntp-server (configured in the guest-os) -> no success. then I have tried to get the time over the vmware-tools (tools.syncTime = "TRUE") -> no success.

What else can I do?

In the guest-properties, I cannot choose "windows 2000 professional"; only "windows 2000 server".

We run the esx-server in version 3.0.1 build-32039.

Thanks a lot.

HannesJ

[cheeko]

You should be able to do that within Windows:

net time /setsntp:YOUR_NTP_SERVER_HERE

restart "Windows Time" service

to verify that your NTP server delivers the correct time (or your VM can receive it), you can run:

net time /querysntp:YOUR_NTP_SERVER_HERE

cheers,

cheeko

[HannesJ]

I have already tried these settings. I can set our ntp-servers and restart the "windows time"-service. After a certain time, the time is still drifting away (too slow).

[mstahl75]

Did you try synching with the VMTools and turning off the Windows Time service? And verify the ESX server was getting the correct time?

[frankdenneman]

Hannes,

Maybe you can try to install the [b]experimental[/b][/u] VMware descheduled time accounting component from the VMTools. When you install VMtools this feature is not selected. To install it, run VMTools and choose modify.

Go to VMware device drivers or something like that and you will see one red cross. This is the option for the expiremental time service.

Be aware, the service will install, but you have to start it up yourself and it will default to manual startup mode. Change it to automatic startup and boot your VM

I've installed it on a couple of DC's and they run fine.

Here is some more info about it:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_esx_vmdesched.pdf

[atdude]

I agree with mstahl -

Turn off the Windows time synch'ing, and through VM Tools configure to Synchronize with the ESX host.

To synch via VMware Tools, right-click VMware tools in taskbar of the Windows box, then select "Open VMware Tools".

The first tab displayed (Options) has the first option as "Time synchronization between the virtual machine and the console operating system". Select/Check this box and then configure your ESX server to synch via an NTP server and you should be ready to go.

For more info, see the VMware Knowledge Base article/Doc ID 1339 "Installing and Configuring NTP on VMware ESX Server".

[HannesJ]

I've turned off the windows-time service and defined the vmware-tools to sync the time with the esx-server -> no success.

our esx-server gets their time correctly from our ntp-servers.

I've already tried the following constellations:

1) Disabled to sync with the vmware-tools (only windows-time) -> no success

2) Enabled to sync with the vmware-tools and windows-ntp -> no success

3) Enabled to sync with the vmware-tools and disabled windows-ntp -> no success.

what else could this be?

could it be, that in esx3 w2k-professional-guests aren't supported?

thanks a lot.

hannesj

[frankdenneman]

Did you try to install the vmtools device driver, mentioned in my previous post?

We had the same problems on w2k3 AD dc's.

Some clients couldn't log on, because their kerberos ticket was issued in the future according to some DC's.

After installing the descheduling service on all dc's the problem went away. The time sync is occurring more accurately.

w2k prof is supported on ESX

[cheeko]

Actually only Windows 2000 Server Editions are supported on ESX 3.0.1 - But it should work anyway ...

http://pubs.vmware.com/guestnotes/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=GOS_Install&file=gue...

[atdude]

Have you tried synching ALL of the VMs in the domain with the ESX server? If you are only synching the "problem machine" with the ESX server and do not disable Windows time on the remaining VMs in the domain, all of the remaining Windows boxes will continue to synch their time via the PDC emulator's (the FSMO role) clock.

Disable Windows Time on all of the VMs, set all of the VMs to synch from the ESX host, and let us know the results.

[HannesJ]

My "problem machine" is a standalone server (not domain joined). I have already installed the VMware descheduled time accounting component from the VMTools (as Frank D wrote) -> no success.

At the moment, the "windows time"-service is disabled, the VMware descheduled time accounting component is enabled -> still no success. I have already tried to enable the timesync with the esx-server and startet descheduled service -> no success.

Could this problem exists, because of the facts, that VMware doesn't support W2K-Professionals anymore?

Thanks.

HannesJ

[atdude]

Okay.....

Manually set the time in the problem box as closely as you can to the time on a server that IS synching with the NTP server...How quickly does the time "drift"?

[HannesJ]

The time is since about 14 hours drifting three minutes backwards. When I manually start the "windows time"-service, the sync is for a short-time ok. After a certain periode, then the time is still drifting away.....

[atdude]

Is there anything in the event logs?

If nothing else, as a workaround you could create the following script with notepad:

net stop time

net start time

Save the script as, say, wintime.bat and then configure a Scheduled Task (via Control Panel -> Scheduled Tasks) to run the script every 12 hours or so.

We can still do what we can to determine the root cause of the problem but bouncing the Windows Time service every twelve hours should at least keep the time within reason.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[HannesJ]

No, there are no events in the event log.

It's a possible way, to write a batch-file which runs after a certain time to get the correct time. But I think, there should be an other way (by vmware) to solve this problem....

[atdude]

Yes, we can (hopefully) determine the root cause and fix the problem, but my point in creating the Batch File was simply a temporary workaround to at least Band-aid the problem for the time being.

[zerep]

Having the exact same issue. Installed a third party time synchronization software, but it's not really working well because it is set to sync every minute, problem is minutes go by very, very, very slowly.

[cheeko]

Maybe this helps:

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/resources/526

[HannesJ]

I think, that the problem is the unsupported w2k-professional operating-system. With our existent w2k3-servers, we never had problems. so, I will migrate the w2k-prof. to an w2k3-std. server.

[jmatos]

Was your VM virtualized?

I'm having the same issue with 4 virtualized VMs running W2K Adv Server.