Day Light Saving update in the NTP
 

Hi Guys,

We have our NTP server SERVER-NTP which sync its time with the server ntp0.nl.uu.net and time.nist.gov. And all other devices sync their time with our server SERVER-NTP. Now from 1st June the time in our country will increase to 1 hour for Day Light saving. I need to update my NTP server also . Any clue how to do that . Or can any one suggest me any server with
GMT+6 time as currently we have GMT+5 time. Any Clue ?

NTP has nothing at all to do with timezones. it uses a single global timestamp which is then adjusted later to be offset with timezones and seasonal changes.

Not sure how Centos does it, but Debian has a directory /usr/share/zoneinfo. This contains files for each country or timezone within the country, detailing daylignt saving arrangements for the zone. Normally linux/unix machines are globally synced to UTC (Universal time=Greenwich Mean Time) and the system uses the zoneinfo files to convert UTC to local time.

Countries/regions change the daylight savings rules all the time. You just have to get an updated zoneinfo file. It might just be a matter of updating a package.

:confused: I am little confused from the above two replies. You mean i dont have to change any thing on the ntp server but i have to change timezone setting on all my machine ?. I mostly have Centos 4.4 machine and few Solaris 9 servers as well.

if this is normal annual daylight savings, then you do nothing at all. It'd be a pretty crap system if you did don't you think??

if your country has recently changed it's policy on daylight savings, then your zone files might be outdated, which is what the other post is about. I think Canada did this last year.

Dear acid_kewpie,

Yes this policy is new implemented in our country. So according to you guys i have to update the zoneinfo files on all my servers right ?. Or i only have to update the zoneinfo on my NTP server.

OK, last time. NTP is not related to timezones. Any device within a timezone whcih has changed will need to be updated.

If i only update the timezone on the NTP server then the time of NTP server will be updated. Then all the machine update their time from NTP ??

Why are you not reading what I keep saying? There is no timezone in an NTP request. it is a timestamp. You seem to be really missing the fundamental point of NTP and timezones in the wider picture. I can use an NTP server in New York, Singapore, London, they all give THE SAME time, and the client then adjusts it.

OK.I got it. Thanks.