The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol for synchronizing the clocks of computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. NTP uses UDP on port 123 as its transport layer. See more on Wikipedia pages.

How to Configure NTP Server on Solaris 10:

[Check NTP services:
bash-3.00# svcs ntp
STATE          STIME    FMRI
disabled       21:14:03 svc:/network/ntp:default
bash-3.00#

NTP services still ‘disabled’, OK leave it disabled state, before enable NTP services, we need to create / edit ntp.conf.

bash-3.00# cp /etc/inet/ntp.server /etc/inet/ntp.conf
bash-3.00# vi /etc/inet/ntp.conf

[Find two lines:
server 127.127.XType.0
fudge 127.127.XType.0 stratum 0

Replace “XType” with your External Clock Device.the complete list are on ntp.conf file.

—————–

# This is the external clock device.  The following devices are
# recognized by xntpd 3-5.93e:
#
# XType Device    RefID          Description
# ——————————————————-
#  1    local     LCL            Undisciplined Local Clock
#  2    trak      GPS            TRAK 8820 GPS Receiver
#  3    pst       WWV            PSTI/Traconex WWV/WWVH Receiver
#  4    wwvb      WWVB           Spectracom WWVB Receiver
#  5    true      TRUE           TrueTime GPS/GOES Receivers
#  6    irig      IRIG           IRIG Audio Decoder
#etc…..

—————-

Usually we use XType number 1, “Undisciplined Local Clock”. So the configuration become like this:

server 127.127.1.0
fudge 127.127.1.0 stratum 0

You can also syncing to an external NTP server:
Go to http://www.pool.ntp.org/ for a list of public time servers:
change `server 127.127.XType.0`
to `server time_server`

[Exp for Indonesia pool zone:
server 0.id.pool.ntp.org
server 0.asia.pool.ntp.org
server 2.asia.pool.ntp.org

[then ENABLE the NTP services:
bash-3.00# svcadm enable ntp
bash-3.00# svcs ntp
STATE          STIME    FMRI
online         21:38:44 svc:/network/ntp:default

Now, your NTP server will broadcast its packet using UDP port 123 on Multicast network 224.0.0.1

How to Configure NTP Client on Solaris 10:

On client side, check ntp services, leave it in disabled state, we’ll re-enable again later:

[Copy ntp.client become ntp.conf file:
bash-3.00# cp /etc/inet/ntp.client /etc/inet/ntp.conf

The default config is “multicastclient 224.0.1.1”  It mean your client passively waits for a ntp server to provide NTP packet to multicast network 224.0.1.1. If you want to sync your clock to a particular server, even though the clock is coming from the Internet or from the server’s hardware clock then specify it as:

server <NTP_server_ip_address>

Donf forget to remove/comment the line “multicastclient 224.0.1.1”

[ENABLE the NTP services:
bash-3.00# svcadm enable ntp
bash-3.00# svcs ntp
STATE          STIME    FMRI
online         22:30:15 svc:/network/ntp:default

Run “ntpq -p” to check which NTP server you are using right now.

[Read more:
# man xntpd

[Additional references:
Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks – Part I: Introduction to NTP
http://www.sun.com/blueprints/0701/NTP.pdf

Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks – Part II: Basic NTP Administration and Architecture
http://www.sun.com/blueprints/0801/NTPpt2.pdf

Using NTP to Control and Synchronize System Clocks – Part III: NTP Monitoring and Troubleshooting
http://www.sun.com/blueprints/0901/NTPpt3.pdf