Windows 2019 Server - Network Time

Question

Although I have defined my DHCP scope to synchronize our server time with our workstations my workstations are are constantly falling out of sync. While a few minutes off may not seem substantial, those 2-5 minutes are seriously impacting our label printing software.

My understanding is that this very fundamental networking feature is problematic with Windows Server 2019 and its Windows 10 Pro 64 bit workstations.

I'd like to know what the workaround is that will restore proper functionality to network time distribution, yes I've used external sources and have done so many times in the past without incident.

If there is not 'fix' I'd like an experienced referral to a third party solution to draw time from an external source and distribute accurate network time to my workstations.

I'm wasting far too much time on to something simple.

Answer 1

Glad to hear it helps and that things are working more normal now.

I would have thought every workstation would have resolved its network time to NS1

The windows time service does not work that way. It would present a risky situation if there were no alternatives. Below is the basics of how it should work.

• All domain members should use NT5DS domain time.
• Desktops and member servers sync with ANY domain controller.
• Domain controllers sync with PDC emulator (one per domain)
• PDC emulator in child domain can sync with any domain controller in parent domain.
• PDC emulator in parent domain syncs with either a hardware clock or possibly an external source.

There's also a graphic representation of how it works in the link here.
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/nepapfe/2013/03/01/its-simple-time-configuration-in-active-directory

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Answer 2

Some general info

• All domain members should use NT5DS domain time.
• Desktops and member servers sync with any domain controller.
• Domain controllers sync with PDC emulator (one per domain)
• PDC emulator in child domain can sync with any domain controller in parent domain.
• PDC emulator in parent domain syncs with either a hardware clock or possibly an external source.
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/nepapfe/2013/03/01/its-simple-time-configuration-in-active-directory/

For all domain members (not PDCe)

w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
then check
w32tm /query /source
w32tm /query /configuration

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Answer 3

On problem machine please run;
w32tm /unregister
net stop w32time
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
then post result of;
w32tm /query /source
w32tm /query /configuration

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Answer 4

Hello @Allan J. Ashinoff ,

Thank you for posting here.

Based on the description above, would you please tell us whether you have AD domain environment?

If so, whether all the servers and workstations you mentioned are in the AD domain?

If so, whether you have single forest with single domain?

If so, usually, we can configure the time of PDC in the root domain to synchronize with an external reliable time source. We can configure one GPO setting in the link below and apply to only PDC.

Then configure the time of other domain controllers in the domain and the time of all member servers and domain clients in the domain. We can configure the other GPO setting in the link below and apply to only non-PDC (domain controllers, member servers and domain clients).

Time Synchronization in Active Directory Forests
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/18573.time-synchronization-in-active-directory-forests.aspx

After that, we can run gpupdate /force on all the machines to make GPO settings take effect.

If it does not work, would you please tell us whether any one machine in your domain is Hyper-V or VM?

Hope the information is helpful. If anything is unclear, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,
Daisy Zhou

============================================

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Answer 5

I ran what you recommended on 5 systems and this was common between them. Unless I'm mistaken shouldn't the NTPserver be our server and not the local host? Apparently the issue is on the server itself.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>w32tm /query /configuration
[Configuration]

EventLogFlags: 2 (Local)
AnnounceFlags: 10 (Local)
TimeJumpAuditOffset: 28800 (Local)
MinPollInterval: 10 (Local)
MaxPollInterval: 15 (Local)
MaxNegPhaseCorrection: 4294967295 (Local)
MaxPosPhaseCorrection: 4294967295 (Local)
MaxAllowedPhaseOffset: 300 (Local)

FrequencyCorrectRate: 4 (Local)
PollAdjustFactor: 5 (Local)
LargePhaseOffset: 50000000 (Local)
SpikeWatchPeriod: 900 (Local)
LocalClockDispersion: 10 (Local)
HoldPeriod: 5 (Local)
PhaseCorrectRate: 1 (Local)
UpdateInterval: 30000 (Local)

[TimeProviders]

NtpClient (Local)
DllName: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\w32time.DLL (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 1 (Local)
CrossSiteSyncFlags: 2 (Policy)
AllowNonstandardModeCombinations: 1 (Local)
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes: 15 (Policy)
ResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes: 7 (Policy)
CompatibilityFlags: 2147483648 (Local)
EventLogFlags: 0 (Policy)
LargeSampleSkew: 3 (Local)
SpecialPollInterval: 1024 (Policy)
Type: NT5DS (Policy)

NtpServer (Local)
DllName: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\w32time.DLL (Local)
Enabled: 0 (Local)
InputProvider: 0 (Local)