Although the Windows Time service is not an exact implementation of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), it uses the complex suite of algorithms that is defined in the NTP specifications to ensure that clocks on computers throughout a network are as accurate as possible. Ideally, all computer clocks in an AD DS domain are synchronized with the time of an authoritative computer.
Factors often affect the accuracy of synchronization in AD DS:
- Network conditions
- The accuracy of the computer's hardware clock
- The amount of CPU and network resources available to the windows time service
The service control manager is responsible for starting and stopping the windows time service. The windows time service manager is responsible for initiating the action of the NTP time providers included with the operating system.
The windows time service uses the Network Time Protocol NTP to help synchronize time across a network. NTP is an internet time protocol that includes the discipline algorithms necessary for synchronizing clocks.
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is the default time synchronization protocol used by the Windows Time service in the operating system. NTP is a fault-tolerant, highly scale able time protocol and is the protocol used most often for synchronizing computer clocks by using a designated time reference.
We need to keep in mind that when we specify multiple servers, then all the servers we specify will be used at the same time. NTP will check the various servers against each other. It does not simply switch when there is an outage.
The computers in the domain should sync only with the DCs, the DC should sync to several external servers.
To configure multiple NTP sources, there is one command to make the change:
" w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:"10.0.10.20,0×1 0.us.pool.ntp.org,0×1 time.apple.com,0×1 " /update /reliable:yes" without quotes.
