Suse server not responding after syncing with NTP Server

vipin123 · 09-21-2007, 10:41 AM

Hi all,

The clocks on our servers running SUSE Enterprise Server 10 drift in time. The NTP service corrects the time periodically. During time sync, a few of the machines stop responding. They do not even respond to keystrokes over SSH terminal. The machines then would have to be power recycled. This is my problem. Some of the servers are having VMWare installed in it. But even the others are having these problems.

So anybody who can give an idea , please respond..

Thanks,

vipin

vipin123 · 09-24-2007, 06:29 AM

This is the log file contents

8 Jun 18:08:19 ntpd[9042]: synchronized to 198.60.22.240, stratum 1
8 Jun 18:27:33 ntpd[9042]: kernel time sync disabled 0041
8 Jun 18:35:03 ntpd[9042]: kernel time sync enabled 0001
11 Aug 18:09:21 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to LOCAL(0), stratum 10
11 Aug 18:09:21 ntpd[24479]: kernel time sync enabled 0001
11 Aug 18:10:27 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 204.152.189.171, stratum 2
23 Aug 14:15:02 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 198.144.194.12, stratum 2
25 Aug 23:12:36 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 199.120.225.2, stratum 2
27 Aug 13:02:39 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 204.152.189.171, stratum 2
5 Sep 10:33:03 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 199.120.225.2, stratum 2
8 Sep 02:05:52 ntpd[24479]: synchronized to 198.144.194.12, stratum 2
14 Sep 15:10:12 ntpd[3622]: synchronized to LOCAL(0), stratum 10
14 Sep 15:10:12 ntpd[3622]: kernel time sync enabled 0001
14 Sep 15:11:17 ntpd[3622]: synchronized to 208.75.88.4, stratum 2
16 Sep 19:14:56 ntpd[3622]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
16 Sep 19:19:21 ntpd[13239]: synchronized to 198.38.16.1, stratum 2
16 Sep 19:19:21 ntpd[13239]: kernel time sync enabled 0001
17 Sep 09:51:10 ntpd[13239]: ntpd exiting on signal 15

any constructive ideas ?

Thanks,

vipin

irishbitte · 09-04-2008, 04:56 PM

Vipin, one of the issues you are facing is around the kernel using timestamps on all files of machines linking into your Suse Server. When you SSH into a machine, if it depends on the server for time, it will definitely shut down communications, since SSH watches for time differences in files on client and host, and treats fluctuating differences as an attack of some form.

My only suggestion is that you change your NTP settings to sync from either one or at most two NTP servers. This will reduce the fluctuation.