[ntp:questions] Re: Are these Windows XP clients beyond hope?
Neil Trotter
neil_trotter at hotmail.com
Mon Sep 19 12:28:38 UTC 2005
In article <PFxXe.111335$G8.21211 at text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, David J
Taylor said:
> OK, I use MRTG to plot my own data, based on the output from an NTPQ
> command.
I would like to do this myself for long-term monitoring.
> Overclocking shouldn't be an issue, I think. I was wondering more about
> settings like powering down (or lowering the CPU frequency) when not in
> use.
It's just possible an eco-friendly user has adjusted settings, but I
generally avoid power-saving technology.
> > ... there is obviously *some* variable factor in
> > the mix, be it hardware or configuration.
>
> My guess is software rather than hardware.
I'm hoping so :-)
> >> - if you do a ntpq -p on those systems, do they appear to be in sync?
> >
> > No, they don't; this is how I was monitoring them.
>
> Ah, so is the problem that these PCs are not seeing their NTP servers
> properly. Perhaps you could elucidate on this point? How are the PCs
> "not syncing"? If there was a batch of bad crystals such that the clock,
> when free-running, exceeded the 500ppm error which NTP allows, that would
> be an issue.
I don't think they're having a problem seeing the NTP servers. There
are 4 XP-based PCs on the network with identical ntp.conf files. They
share a single gateway/firewall machine. 2 keep time, 2 don't.
Initially I am setting the clock (using "Date and Time Properties")
manually to within 0.5 second. Having reset the clock, I restart the
ntp service on the client. Monitoring with ntpq -p shows offset
increasing by >200ms per minute, that is, the clock is gaining at this
rate.
I am wondering if an unreasonably large value in the drift file,
possibly as a result of starting the NTP service with the clock set at
the wrong time in the past, might cause me problems. I don't have easy
access to the machines during working hours, but can check this tonight.
--
Neil
Alternative Network Directory
http://www.and-world.com
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