Nutanix CVM: What time is it? Ask to NTP Server

If the health check doesn’t pass, the cluster operation may be at risk of various symptoms or impacts.

Some examples:

• Users cannot log on to the Prism web console using LDAP or other directory-integrated services.
• Cluster unable to start or function correctly due to major time-skew after outage or maintenance.
• Inaccurate logging and log collection.
• Inaccurate health check results rely on accurate time frames and event correlation.
• Incorrect and skewed graphs in Prism.
• User VMs starting on hypervisor hosts with inaccurate RTC (real-time clocks) causing guest OS time skew.
• Third-party backup software products like Veeam or Commvault having trouble interacting with the cluster.
• Snapshots expire too soon or too late when the time between a cluster and a remote site is out of sync.

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nutanix@cvm$ ncc health_checks network_checks check_ntp

nutanix@cvm$ ntpq -pn
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
========================================================================
 x.x.x.x         x.x.x.x          2 u    2   64    1   58.698   93.111   0.000
*127.127.1.0     .LOCL.      10 l    1   64    1    0.000    0.000   0.000

Then, after waiting 10-15 minutes, ntpq command now shows:

nutanix@cvm$ ntpq -pn
     remote           refid       st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
========================================================================
*x.x.x.x         x.x.x.x          2 u    7   64  177   58.523   93.156   0.646
 127.127.1.0     .LOCL.          10 l   20   64  177    0.000    0.000   0.000

nutanix@cvm$ /usr/sbin/ntpdate -t 10 -q <ntp_server>

Check the NTP configuration on all hosts using the procedure reviewing the contents of the ntp.conf file below.

nutanix@NTNX-CVM:200.86.145.104:~$ ntpq -pn
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
========================================================================
*200.86.110.180  200.160.7.186    2 u  497 1024  377    0.813    4.799   0.699
 200.160.7.186   .STEP.          16 u    – 1024    0    0.000    0.000   0.000
+200.86.110.242  157.86.110.180   3 u 1028 1024  377    0.776   -2.193   9.009
 127.127.1.0     .LOCL.          10 l  23d   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.000

nutanix@NTNX-20SM5A020034-A-CVM:157.86.145.104:~$ /usr/sbin/ntpdate -t 10 -q 200.86.110.180

server 200.86.110.180, stratum 2, offset 0.003978, delay 0.02589
16 Aug 16:19:57 ntpdate[7664]: adjust time server 200.86.110.180 offset 0.003978 sec

nutanix@NTNX-CVM:200.86.145.104:~$ date
Wed Aug 16 16:20:12 -03 2023