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SRDB ID   Synopsis   Date
19195   Upgraded to 2.6, using xntpd, but the system clock is drifting. Worked fine   4 Sep 1999

Problem Description Top
Ever since upgrading to Solaris 2.6, the system clock has been drifting and
there are messages like 'synchronisation lost', 'Previous time adjustment
didn''t complete' and 'time reset (step)' a lot in the /var/adm/messages 
file. The system either was previously working fine with the freeware
xntpd or the configuration was copied from another system that was 
using the freeware version.
-- 23-Apr-99 08:22 US/Eastern --
Problem Solution Top
The common lore for setting up xntpd on Solaris using
the freeware version included the warning to set the 
kernel variable dosynctodr to 0 in the /etc/system 
file thus: set dosynctodr=0

When using NTP on Solaris 2.6 or later, the kernel 
variable MUST be left at the default value of 1. Prior 
to 2.6 this variable controlled whether or not to rein  
in the softclock using the hardware clock, with the result 
that NTP and the hardware clock would fight for control of 
the soft clock; thus before 2.6 you had to set dosynctodr 
to 0. At 2.6, every system call that adjusts the softclock 
also sets the hard clock, thus while NTP controls the soft 
clock, the hard clock is also controlled. Setting 
dosynctodr to 0 reverts the behavior back to the pre 2.6 
defaulkt behavior, having exactly the opposite effect 
as that intended.

Do not set dosynctodr to 0.
Product Area Bundled Network
Product NTP
OS Solaris 2.6
Hardware Ultra 2
Document Content with freeware xntpd.

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