Server Time Synchronization

This document explains how to automate adjusting your servers' time through Network Time Protocol (NTP). Server time synchronization prevents various errors that you are likely to run into unless your servers' time is correct. Automation of server time synchronization is implemented through setting up crontab task for your NTP client.

To automate adjustment of your servers' time through NTP:

1. Make sure you have got an NTP client software installed on your server(s). If not, download it from www.ntp.org.
2. Choose time server(s) and add it to your NTP client configuration.
3. Log into your servers as root and use the crontab -e command to add an NTP cron task.
   In the following example your server time is checked with a time server every 4 hours:

   # date syncronization
   0 */4 * * * /usr/sbin/ntpdate ntps1-{0,1,2}.uni-erlangen.de