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Service Integration - Time Synchronization

The NTP time services (RFC 1305) are a useful way to synchronize server clocks to a known good value.

Ipswitch recommends (and uses) a Windows utility called w32tm.exe (Windows32Time) as an NTP client application on MOVEit Transfer servers. Detailed information about this client can be found by looking for w32tm documentation on Microsoft's site, but most time client configuration involves only one parameter (which server to use) and only one action (how to force a time synchronization now).

Time services are built Windows Server. Use the procedure below, from a command prompt, to configure them.

Assign a New Time Server to W32Time

Execute the following command (where ntp.yourisp.net has been replaced with the hostname of a reliable time server such as pool.ntp.org):

C:\>net time /setsntp:ntp.yourisp.net

Force W32Time to Sync Time Now

Execute the following command:

C:\>w32tm /resync /nowait Sending resync command to local computer... The command completed successfully.

Virtual Servers and Time Services

When running time clients on virtual servers (such as products from VMware or Microsoft's VirtualPC), it has been observed that the clock of the host operating system will usually be regarded as more authoritative than data from time clients running on the virtual servers. For example, if the host operating system says it is now 3:25 and a remote time server said it is 3:27, someone on the virtual OS console may see the time jump to 3:27 and then back to 3:25 in short order.

To minimize strange interactions like this, care should be taken to keep the host operating system's time up to date and to avoid the use of time clients on virtual servers.

Available Time Servers

A list of time servers available to the public is maintained at http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/NTPPoolServers.