Using SET Parameters to Configure Timesync

Timesync uses the following SET parameters. For more information, see SET in Utilities Reference.

Parameter	Explanation
`timesync configuration file = path\filename`	Selects a configuration file path. This file is automatically updated when Timesync parameters are changed, using either Monitor NLM^TM, SET parameters from the command line, or Portal. Timesync reads from this file when Restart Flag parameter is set to On. Default: SYS:\SYSTEM\TIMESYNC.CFG
`start of daylight savings time = date_and_time`	Local date and time when the switch onto daylight savings time should occur. Formats include a simple date and time or rules introduced by an parentheses "( ". For example: April 4 1993 2:0:0 am, (April 4 2:0:0 am), (April Sunday <= 1 2:0:0 am), or (April Sunday First 2:0:0 am). Only rules can reschedule for the next year. You must set both the start and end dates before either will be scheduled.
`end of daylight savings time = date_and_time`	Local date and time when the switch off of daylight savings time should occur. Formats include a simple date and time or rules introduced by an open parentheses "( ". For example: October 31 1993 2:0:0 am, (October 31 2:0:0 am), (October Sunday <= 31 2:0:0 am), or (October Sunday last 2:0:0 am). Only rules can reschedule for the next year. You must set both the start and end dates before either will be scheduled.
`daylight savings time offset = [+\|-] hour:minute:second`	The offset applied in time calculations when daylight savings time is in effect. The default is +1:00:00 (one hour). Issuing this command causes UTC time to be recalculated from local time. Default: +1:00:00
`daylight savings time status = on\|off`	Indicates whether daylight savings time is in effect (On) and the daylight savings time offset should be used in time calculations. Changing the status does not change the local time. Default: Off
`timesync configured sources = on\|off`	When On, this server does not listen to advertising time sources. Instead it only contacts sources explicitly configured with the Time Sources parameter. Default: Off
`timesync Directory tree mode = on\|off`	When On, Timesync accepts SAP/SLP packets, which originate from the same tree as this server. During installation, the first server installed in this tree (new tree) will be a Single time server, by default. Every other server installed subsequently in this tree will be a Secondary time server. These Secondary time servers will have the Single time server as their time source. When Off, Timesync accepts SAP/SLP packets from any tree. Default: On
`timesync polling count = number`	Specifies the number of time packets to exchange while polling with the time provider. Default: 3
`timesync polling interval = number`	Specifies when the next polling is scheduled. Default: 600
`timesync reset = on\|off`	When set to On, Timesync resets the selected internal values and clears the configured server list. The flag automatically sets to Off. Default: Off
`timesync restart flag`	When set to On, Timesync will restart. The flag automatically resets to Off. Default: Off
`timesync service advertising = on\|off`	When On, this time source advertises itself using SAP/SLP. Secondary time servers never advertise. Default: On
`timesync synchronization radius = value_in_seconds`	Specifies the maximum tolerance. Timesync remains in synchronization while the offset is lesser than this value. Default: 2000
`timesync time adjustment` `= [+\|-]hour:minute:second[`at month/day/year hour:minute:second [AM or PM]]	Schedule a time adjustment. Can only be issued from a Single, Reference, or Primary type server. The format is [+\|-]hh:mm:ss [AT [date and time]]. Default date and time is six polling intervals or one hour (whichever is longer) from now. Using the word CANCEL instead of a date to cancel a previously scheduled adjustment. Single and Reference time servers do not accept adjustments from Primary time servers. Default: None scheduled
`timesync time source: IP_address`	This server contacts the servers in this list as time providers. Each time server (IP address, DNS Name) in this list is separated by a semicolon ( ; ). For example: a semicolon ( ; ) clears the list MyServer and specifies that MyServer is the NetWare time source. MyServer:123; specifies that MyServer is a NTP time source. Default: Empty list
`timesync type = primary\|single\|reference\|secondary`	Specifies the Timesync server type: Single, Reference, Primary, or Secondary. Default: Single
`standard time offset time zone = IST [Time offset from IST]`	Enter the offset in hours from Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). Time zone string indicates the abbreviated name of the time zone, the offset from UTC, and the alternate abbreviated time zone name to be used when daylight savings time is in effect. The default is <>. Issuing this command causes UTC time to be recalculated from local time. Default: Selected during installation
`default time server type = primary\|single\|secondary\|reference`	Specifies the default time synchronization server type. Choose from Secondary, Primary, Reference, or Single. This parameter can be overridden by separate time synchronization parameters. Default: Secondary
`debug flag = 0\|1\|2\|3\|4\|5\|6\|7`	This parameter specifies whether Timesync opens a debug screen to view debug information. To enable the debug screen: `set timesync debug=7` To disable the debug screen: `set timesync debug=0` For more information about advanced usage of debug flag, see Advanced Usage for Debug Flag.
`immediate synchronization = on\|off`	Activates the synchronization process immediately and starts a polling loop. This trigger is useful after the debug flag has been set to cause some screen output, rather than waiting for the process to awaken normally. This parameters resets to Off automatically. Default: On

Advanced Usage for Debug Flag

This parameter has three types of debug messages. Each type of debug message is enabled by setting a corresponding bit.

TIMESYNC: Polled server Corp_com OFFSET.H=FFFFFFFF OFFSET.L = F1F06723.

This message provides the following details:

Name of the server.

The values for OFFSET.H and OFFSET.L are the calculated deviation of this server's time from the target server's time. The values form a 64-bit signed number with an implied hexadecimal point separating the whole and fractional parts.
For example, FFFFFFFF.F1F06723 indicates that this server is a fraction of a second ahead of Corp_ Com. Another possibility is that this is a weight of zero with non-zero offset values. This indicates that the synchronization data is out of range.

Uniform adjustment requested=-400 milliseconds. This server is configured as a Secondary.

This message provides the following details:

The actual adjustment applied to the clock in milliseconds

The time server type
For example, when the adjustment is +0.00000000, the servers are in exact synchronization. This implies that no error can be detected by the algorithm. This value stabilizes at a very small negative value such as -200 milliseconds.

Adjustment smaller than correction floor was ignored.

This message states that the clock adjustment is so small that it will be ignored. The parameter which determines the cutoff point is set to 1 millisecond by default.

Change this parameter with the following command (undocumented): set timesync correction=x, where x is a value in milliseconds. This value must be always less than the synchronization radius; otherwise, synchronization is not possible.

Setting Time Backwards

Setting the time backwards is not recommended for the following reasons:

Impacts eDirectory drastically, as synchronizing of objects across eDirectory is dependent on timestamps.

eDirectory considers this as synthetic time.

To ensure consistent timestamps across eDirectory, DSREPAIR.NLM provides an interface to declare a new epoch. This results in very high traffic to restamp all eDirectory objects.

The standard practice, before starting a Netware server, is to ensure that the time is as close as 10 minutes to the network time. This prevents many time synchronization issues.