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    Here's a list of frequently asked questions about Domain Time II.

     
     
    Do I really need to read ALL of the documentation? There's SO MUCH!
      No. If you're an experienced administrator, you can just run Setup and figure out almost everything in a few seconds or minutes. However, don't overlook the Management Tools, and especially the Update Server. You can reduce hours of configuration and installation time to just a few minutes using the tools we provide.

      If you're not quite sure of the difference between a server and a client, or why there might be multiple time protocols, or what broadcasts are, then you'll probably want to skim the documentation. The Quick Start Instructions are a good place to begin.

    What are the system requirements to run Domain Time II?

      Domain Time is available for most popular operating systems. Please see the Software Requirements page for details.

    Doesn't Windows already have a time service?

      Yes, versions starting with Windows 2000 have a rudimentary time sync utility. You get what you pay for. See some of the problems with the Windows Time service and compare the features.

    What about time zones and Daylight Saving changes?

      Domain Time operates independantly of time zones and Daylight Saving Time changes. You never need to worry about updating or reconfiguring Domain Time when you change time zones or when Daylight Saving changes occur.

      See this knowledgebase article for more information.

    What Time Servers can I use?

      Put in the IP address of your Symmetricom network clock as the first server. If you want a backup, or want to compare the network clock's time with an external source, configure an Internet server (or other Symmetricom GPS) as an alternate source. You may use Microsemi's servers, or any public time server you want as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. The requirements are set by each time provider, but are usually very simple things. See Public Time Servers for complete information.

    We already have NTP time servers. Can I still use Domain Time II?

      Yes. If you want to keep using an existing NTP server, simply set the IP address of the NTP machine as Domain Time II Server's primary time source, using NTP/SNTP. The rest of the network can get the time from Domain Time as usual.

    What kind of accuracy can I expect from your product?

      Superb! If you use the default settings for Domain Time II Server, and the Thin Client on all your workstations, you should have a system-wide variance of less than 1/4 second at all times. Most of the time, individual machine variances will be 5-50 milliseconds. By changing your settings away from the defaults, you can increase accuracy even more (at the cost of slightly elevated network traffic). We have designed Domain Time II to allow you to choose the level of accuracy you need.

    Do I need to put Domain Time II Server on all of my servers?

      No. You should use Domain Time II Server on your Primary and Backup Domain Controllers, and on any server providing RAS dial-up service. You may use Domain Time II Client on other NT machines -- workstations or servers.

      You may use Domain Time II Client on your BDCs and dial-up servers, too, if you want to forego the benefits of the master-slave-client hierarchy, if you don't care that dial-up clients won't be able to synchronize automatically, and if you don't care about PDC/BDC redundancy. Read more about the Domain Time's cascading time hierarchy.

    Will the new versions of Server and Clients work with my existing Domain Time installation?

      Yes, with some caveats. In most cases, Domain Time II Servers and Clients are interoperable for time sync purposes. The Ultra Thin Client (new in version 3.1) requires a Domain Time II Server version 3.1 or later. Of course, the most recent versions offer more advanced features, reliability, and accuracy as well as the latest updates and patches, so you're always better off running the most recent version.

    Don't users need to log in and have rights to the local machine to synchronize the time?

      No. Domain Time runs as system service which automatically keeps the time synchronized in the background (even when no one is logged on). The service runs in the system security context, which has rights to change the system time.

      Note that DTSet, the command-line time-setting utility, runs on demand, and therefore uses the logged-on user's security context. In this case, the NT user will need to have the Change System Time privilege.

    How do I set up our firewall and/or proxy for Domain Time?

    I want to use Audit Server, but I can't find it. How do I install Audit Server?

      Audit Server is not included with the Starter Kit or other Domain Time II packages -- it is a separate product, with its own setup program. You'll need to contact your sales representative to obtain the software. Then follow these simple installation instructions.

      If you have purchased Audit Server, it will show up in your list of Registered Versions and License Keys. Once Audit Server is installed, you may control it with its control panel applet. Domain Time II Manager will also allow you to remotely control (but not install, upgrade, or remove) Audit Server running on another machine in your network.

    I've purchased the registered version. Do I need to remove the eval version and start over?

      Absolutely not! The registered version is an upgrade to the evaluation version. Just run Setup and choose Upgrade. All of your settings will be preserved. You can also distribute the registered version across your network using Domain Time II Manager and its tools.

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