Use NTP Servers for Time and Date Synchronization of a Host

To avoid time synchronization problems between an ESXi host and other components in the vSphere network, you can synchronize the time and date of the host to an NTP server.

The NTP and the PTP services cannot run simultaneously. Deactivate the PTP service and then activate the NTP server synchronization. Additionally, when you activate the NTP service, the manual time configuration becomes inactive.

Note:

You can set a startup policy to control the start and stop of the NTP service. You can also change the NTP service status manually. For more information about services, see Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on the Host.

Prerequisites

• Verify that the PTP service is not running. For information about how to change its status, see Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on the Host.

Procedure

1. In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters.
2. Select a host.
3. On the Configure tab, select System > Time Configuration.
4. Click Add Service and select Network Time Protocol from the drop-down menu.
5. In the Network Time Protocol dialog box, edit the network time protocol settings.
   1. To monitor all events in the vSphere environment, select Enable monitoring events.
   2. In the NTP Servers text box, enter the IP addresses or host names of the NTP servers that you want to use. A best practice is to use at least three NTP servers for the time synchronization of the host.
   3. Click OK.

   The NTP configuration is triggered immediately.