Scenario: Synchronize clocks with iSeries server

This scenario demonstrates using the iSeries™ server as both an SNTP server and an SNTP client.

Situation

As an administrator of your company's network, you must maintain both your iSeries server and network clients. Time stamps are critical to your transactions, and you need to maintain synchronization in the network. This scenario demonstrates how you can configure SNTP on your iSeries in order to synchronize clocks on your network.

Objectives

In this scenario, YourCo, Inc. wants to use the SNTP client on the i5/OS™ operating system to receive time from an outside Network Time Protocol (NTP) server. To maintain the time within your network, you will use your iSeries server as an SNTP server. In addition to configuring the SNTP client and server on your iSeries, you will need to configure your firewall to allow the SNTP client to obtain the time from an external NTP server.

The objectives of this scenario are as follows:

To synchronize your iSeries server with an outside NTP server.
To act as an SNTP server for clients within your network.

Details

The following figure shows the solution environment for this scenario.

Figure 1. SNTP as a client and a server
Diagram depicting SNTP relationships within a network

In Figure 1, the iSeries server (Server A) uses the SNTP application as a client and a server. The SNTP client retrieves a time value from an external time source. You specify the address of the external time source. The SNTP application synchronizes Server A's coordinated universal time (UTC) with the time value from the external time source. Then, the SNTP server (Server A) sends the time value to all SNTP client systems (iSeries Server B and Client A) connected to it.

Prerequisites and assumptions

This scenario depends on the following prerequisites and assumptions:

Server A (serverA.yourco.com) is running on i5/OS V5R3 or later.
Server B (serverB.yourco.com) is running on i5/OS V5R3 or later.
Server B (serverB.yourco.com) and Client A are running SNTP clients.
You have a time management strategy.
You have already set the time zone system value.
You want to use SNTP as the time maintenance application on your iSeries.

Configuration steps

The configuration tasks show how to configure the YourCo, Inc. network to use SNTP. Before completing these tasks, complete all the necessary prerequisites.