Cannot Get External Time Sync To Work With PDC - No Matter What

We have a really strange issue here with our setup on our new 2012 R2 DC with the PDC role. We cannot get it to synchronise with an external time source and it always reverts to Local CMOS Clock.

Firstly it's important to mention that this machine is running as a VM under ESXi 6.0 which has "Synchronize guest time with host" switched off under the VM properties.

These are the steps I have run through and where I am with it.

C:\Windows\system32>net stop w32time
The Windows Time service is stopping.
The Windows Time service was stopped successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /unregister
W32Time successfully unregistered.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /register
W32Time successfully registered.

C:\Windows\system32>net start w32time
The Windows Time service is starting..
The Windows Time service was started successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm.exe /config /manualpeerlist:"1.uk.pool.ntp.org" /syncf
romflags:manual /reliable:YES /update
The command completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /config /update
The command completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /query /peers
#Peers: 4

Peer: 1.uk.pool.ntp.org
State: Active
Time Remaining: 44.6093371s
Mode: 1 (Symmetric Active)
Stratum: 0 (unspecified)
PeerPoll Interval: 0 (unspecified)
HostPoll Interval: 6 (64s)

Peer: 1.uk.pool.ntp.org
State: Active
Time Remaining: 44.7187111s
Mode: 1 (Symmetric Active)
Stratum: 0 (unspecified)
PeerPoll Interval: 0 (unspecified)
HostPoll Interval: 6 (64s)

Peer: 1.uk.pool.ntp.org
State: Active
Time Remaining: 44.8280879s
Mode: 1 (Symmetric Active)
Stratum: 0 (unspecified)
PeerPoll Interval: 0 (unspecified)
HostPoll Interval: 6 (64s)

Peer: 1.uk.pool.ntp.org
State: Active
Time Remaining: 44.9374612s
Mode: 1 (Symmetric Active)
Stratum: 0 (unspecified)
PeerPoll Interval: 0 (unspecified)
HostPoll Interval: 6 (64s)

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

EventLogFlags: 2 (Local)
AnnounceFlags: 5 (Local)
TimeJumpAuditOffset: 28800 (Local)
MinPollInterval: 6 (Local)
MaxPollInterval: 10 (Local)
MaxNegPhaseCorrection: 172800 (Local)
MaxPosPhaseCorrection: 172800 (Local)
MaxAllowedPhaseOffset: 300 (Local)

FrequencyCorrectRate: 4 (Local)
PollAdjustFactor: 5 (Local)
LargePhaseOffset: 50000000 (Local)
SpikeWatchPeriod: 900 (Local)
LocalClockDispersion: 10 (Local)
HoldPeriod: 5 (Local)
PhaseCorrectRate: 7 (Local)
UpdateInterval: 100 (Local)


[TimeProviders]

NtpClient (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\system32\w32time.DLL (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 1 (Local)
CrossSiteSyncFlags: 2 (Local)
AllowNonstandardModeCombinations: 1 (Local)
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes: 15 (Local)
ResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes: 7 (Local)
CompatibilityFlags: 2147483648 (Local)
EventLogFlags: 1 (Local)
LargeSampleSkew: 3 (Local)
SpecialPollInterval: 3600 (Local)
Type: NTP (Local)
NtpServer: 1.uk.pool.ntp.org (Local)

NtpServer (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\system32\w32time.DLL (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 0 (Local)
AllowNonstandardModeCombinations: 1 (Local)

VMICTimeProvider (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\System32\vmictimeprovider.dll (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 1 (Local)


C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /resync /force
Sending resync command to local computer
The computer did not resync because no time data was available.

I am under the impression that everything is set correctly so I cannot understand why it refuses to synchronise each time. I have tried different time servers such as time.windows.com and another local one which all achieve the same results.

Once again, time synchronisation within VMware tools is definitely off.

June 22nd, 2015 1:47pm

Hi Vince,

Your syntax is correct. But some external time servers require you to add a certain flag value like "0x1" or "0x8". You should use a command like the following example:

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm.exe /config /manualpeerlist:"1.uk.pool.ntp.org,0x8" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:YES /update

Don't ask me what it exactly does, because it has been a long time for me to find this out. But as far as I can remember this flag tells the W32Time service how it does the request, as a 'normal client request' and so on. And if you use a DNS name as the Time Server you should alway use the 0x1 flag anyway. Please try this and let me know if it works. For more details about the flags refer to the following blog:

Windows Time and the W32TM service
http://blogs.technet.com/b/industry_insiders/archive/2006/08/29/w32-tm-service.aspx

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June 22nd, 2015 2:00pm

Thanks, I tried what you suggested however it has made no difference and the server still cannot resync.

BTW 0x8 seemed to change the peer mode to Client and 0x1 put it back to Symmetric Active.

June 22nd, 2015 2:16pm

Keep in mind that once you have configured your manualpeerlist you have to restart the W32Time service. After that you can re-synchronize. In your first post you restart it before you configure it. See the following example:

  1. w32tm /configure /manualpeerlist:ntp.timeserver.com,0x8 /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:YES /update
  2. net stop W32Time && net start W32Time
  3. w32tm /resync /rediscover
  4. w32tm /monitor /computers:ntp.timeserver.com
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June 22nd, 2015 2:31pm

Restarting the time service after making the initial change hasn't made any difference. Here is the output of all the commands:

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm.exe /config /manualpeerlist:"1.uk.pool.ntp.org,0x1" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:YES /update
The command completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>net stop W32Time && net start W32Time
The Windows Time service is stopping.
The Windows Time service was stopped successfully.

The Windows Time service is starting.
The Windows Time service was started successfully.


C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /resync /rediscover
Sending resync command to local computer
The computer did not resync because no time data was available.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /resync
Sending resync command to local computer
The computer did not resync because no time data was available.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /monitor /computers:1.uk.pool.ntp.org
1.uk.pool.ntp.org[129.250.35.251:123]:
    ICMP: 9ms delay
    NTP: +0.9417993s offset from local clock
        RefID: ntp-p1.obspm.fr [145.238.203.14]
        Stratum: 2

Warning:
Reverse name resolution is best effort. It may not be
correct since RefID field in time packets differs across
NTP implementations and may not be using IP addresses.

June 22nd, 2015 2:54pm

Hi,

Looks some kind of blockage between PDC and the time source.

What is your stripchart output saying ?

EX:

w32tm /stripchart /computer:in.pool.ntp.org /sample:5 /dataonly

check connection establishment between PDC and Time source UDP port 123 by port query tool.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=24009

To isolate further, install Microsoft network monitor tool to capture the traffic of UDP Port (123) between PDC and time source(Linux) to observe request and response packets.

Also, if have any internal NTP servers, please change and perform a resync.

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June 22nd, 2015 3:17pm

Have you tried another Time Server?
June 22nd, 2015 4:19pm

Had simile issue my hyper visor was set to provide the time synch in integration services to my PDC.  Once iItoggled that off my PDC was able to to time synch with an external source
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June 22nd, 2015 6:54pm

Hi VinceD800,

This problem occurs if a Group Policy object for a Windows Time Service object is configured incorrectly.To resolve this problem, examine the Group Policies that set the Windows Time Service Group Policy objects to their default values or to a value of Not Configured.

Please refer to the article:

Error message when you run the "w32tm /resync" command to synchronize Windows Server 2003 or Windows SBS to an external time source: "The computer did not resync because no time data was available"

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929276/en-us

Best Regards,

Mary Dong

June 23rd, 2015 7:51am

Hello,

in addition to others assure that NO FIREWALL blocks port 123 UDP as this required for the time sync process  incoming and outgoing.

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June 23rd, 2015 8:40am

To Clarify a few things:

I have tried other time servers
They all respond to PINGS
The firewall is not blocking UDP port 123 and Windows Firewall is off on the server
The group policy settings are already undefined

Here is the result of "w32tm /stripchart /computer:0.uk.pool.ntp.org /samples:5 /dataonly":

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /stripchart /computer:0.uk.pool.ntp.org /samples:5 /da
taonly
Tracking 0.uk.pool.ntp.org [143.210.16.201:123].
Collecting 5 samples.
The current time is 25/06/2015 08:11:56.
08:11:56, +01.8593668s
08:11:58, +01.8523233s
08:12:00, +01.8525454s
08:12:02, +01.8523018s
08:12:04, +01.8522436s

The Port Query:


  • Edited by VinceD800 Thursday, June 25, 2015 7:18 AM
June 25th, 2015 7:12am

Hi Vince,

Could you please also check whether have you missed or misconfigured a setting. Sometimes, it may also lead to the failure. You could also refer to the similar thread:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/887f3f23-02de-446c-b224-ac8206c3557f/primary-domain-controller-time-not-working-windows-server-2008?forum=winserverDS

The key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters

If the value defined doesn't have a ",0x1" appended to the end it won't work.

https://dirteam.com/paul/2010/05/18/moving-the-ntp-service-to-a-new-pdce/

Best Regards,

Mary Dong

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June 29th, 2015 10:20pm

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