Installing the Time Service Resource for Windows Clustering in a Windows NT Domain (279005)

SUMMARY

A Windows 2000-based computer tries to synchronize its time with a Windows 2000-based domain controller. When it is not possible for the computer to connect to a Windows 2000-based domain controller, you can instead:

install the Microsoft Windows Clustering Time Service, as this article discusses.

-or-
change from the default time service to use the w32time service on an available Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based domain controller.

-or-
use a non-Microsoft time service.

For additional information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

258059 How to Synchronize the Time on a Windows 2000-Based Computer in a Windows NT 4.0 Domain

216734 How to Configure an Authoritative Time Server in Windows 2000

MORE INFORMATION

In Windows NT 4.0, the Time Service resource is installed with Windows Clustering as a default function of the cluster. This resource is not necessary in a Windows 2000 Active Directory domain because Time Service runs automatically against the domain when you log on. It also periodically checks the Cluster service in the course of normal domain functionality. In a Windows 2000 domain, Windows Clustering uses this information to synchronize the nodes in a constant manner. If a domain controller is not available to perform this action, an issue may occur with databases and synchronization.

If you install Windows 2000 in a Windows NT 4.0 domain, it is necessary to add the Time Service resource to the cluster group. When a Windows 2000 domain is implemented, the Time Service resource can then be removed. This procedure frees processor time and decreases file handle counts that the cluster has to watch.

NOTE: The Time Service resource can cause a conflict with the domain controller. It is recommended that you remove the Time Service resource when a Windows 2000 domain is implemented.

To install the Time Service resource, follow these steps:

Start Cluster Administrator.
Right-click the Cluster group.
Enter the Time Service resource.
Right-click the resource and bring it online.

Time Service does not require any dependencies to function successfully. Therefore, when you install the Time Service resource, it starts immediately if the cluster is online. This functionality may cause issues with some databases. Therefore, it is recommended that SQL, SAP, Oracle and any other generic services are offline when you install the Time Service resource.

After you install Time Service, you are able to check the resource. To do this, take Time Service offline, change the time, and then bring the resource online again. If Time Service is working correctly, the time on the cluster nodes is changed as soon as the resource comes online.