Configuring an Authoritative Time Server (the cool way)

The other day, I saw this really cool blog posting by the Directory Servers team titled: Configuring an Authoritative Time Server with Group Policy Using WMI Filtering. Basically, in our every ending quest to ensure time is sync’ed the posting show how to use WMI Filtering to force certain GPO settings upon the PDC emulator. :>)

So… to sum how one might do employ what is talked about in this posting from end-to-end. Here are the steps:

1.  Go to www.pool.ntp.org and identify a pool address to use.
2. Using GPMC, create a GPO in the Forest Root Domain (because everyone deploys AD using an empty root) named Forest NTP Configuration and link it to the Domain Controllers OU.
3. Next, create a new WMI Filter:
   •  Name: PDCe Role Filter
   • Description: Queries for the Domain controller that holds the PDC FSMO Role.
   • Query: Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem where DomainRole = 5
4. Set the Forest NTP Configuration WMI Filter to PDCe Role Filter.
5. Finally, for the Forest NTP Configuration GPO define the following settings under ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesSystemWindows Time ServiceTime Providers hive:
   •  Enable Windows NTP Server – Enabled
   • Configure Windows NTP Client – Enabled
     • NTP Server: ###.pool.ntp.org,0x1
     • Type: NTP

Bam… you now have to never worry about moving your PDC emulator role around without having to re-configure NTP. Hopefully this is helpful.

If you like this, check out some other posts from Tyson:

• When a computer science degree matters, and when it doesn’t
• Since when did cloud computing become/need a manifesto?
• Why would one phish using a Certificate Authority (CA) as bait?
• Would I trust you, if everyone else trusted you?
• Here is a good question: Is scripting programming or just systems administration?
• PowerShell boy and the case of the missing cmdlets!
• Fun with PowerShell 2.0 Eventing!
• Creating a custom 404 page to handle link redirection for ASP.NET web applications

Or if you want, you can also check out some of Tyson’s latest publications:

• Windows PowerShell Unleashed (2^ndEdition)
• Windows Server 2008 Unleashed (Yes, I did help on this book)

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