Configuring Ntp; Overview; How Ntp Works - H3C SR6600-X Configuration Manual

Configuring NTP

Synchronize your device with a trusted time source by using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) or
changing the system time before you run it on a live network. Various tasks, including network
management, charging, auditing, and distributed computing depend on an accurate system time setting,
because the timestamps of system messages and logs use the system time.

Overview

NTP is typically used in large networks to dynamically synchronize time among network devices. It
guarantees higher clock accuracy than manual system clock setting. In a small network that does not
require high clock accuracy, you can keep time synchronized among devices by changing their system
clocks one by one.
NTP runs over UDP and uses UDP port 123.
NOTE:
NTP is supported only on the following Layer 3 interfaces:
Layer 3 Ethernet interfaces
•
Layer 3 Ethernet subinterfaces
•
Layer 3 aggregate interfaces
•
VLAN interfaces
•
• Tunnel interfaces

How NTP works

Figure 26 shows how NTP synchronizes the system time between two devices (Device A and Device B, in
this example). Assume that:
Prior to the time synchronization, the time of Device A is set to 10:00:00 am and that of Device B
•
is set to 1 1:00:00 am.
Device B is used as the NTP server. Device A is to be synchronized to Device B.
•
It takes 1 second for an NTP message to travel from Device A to Device B, and from Device B to
•
Device A.
It takes 1 second for Device B to process the NTP message.
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