The Domain Time II Control Panel Applet - Advanced Settings Tab

Advanced Clock Control

Enable Test Mode
Checking this box causes Domain Time to operate in all ways as it would in normal operation, except for actually setting the time or changing the machine's slew rate. This allows you to test or troubleshoot the server's ability to obtain and serve the time, but without actually changing the server's time.

Results of all operations are logged normally, so you can use the log in test mode to track down any communication or other synchronization issues. Note: Be sure to disable this option when you're through testing!

Refuse to serve time until this machine's clock has been set
By default, Domain Time II Server refuses to provide time to clients until it knows it has the correct time. If you have disabled the "Set this machine's time from a trusted external time source" option on the Time Sources tab, you MUST uncheck this box before Domain Time II Server will serve the time.

Use Slewing to improve long-term clock accuracy
Checking this box enables Domain Time to adjust the rate of the internal system clock to run more accurately between synchronizations with its trusted time source. See Clock Slewing for more details on what clock slewing does.

If this machine's time is ahead of the server's time...
This option lets you control how Domain Time deals with time mismatches if discovers that the local clock on the local machine is ahead of its configured time source.

Set this machine's clock backward to match the server
Instructs the server to immediately set its clock backward to match the source. This is not recommended in most situations, since applications that expect time to progress forward (such as SQL transaction databases, event logs, etc.) could have events recorded with non-sequential time stamps.

Slow this machine down until the server "catches-up"
As mentioned above, some applications have problems if the system time is shifted backwards unexpectedly, so this option allows you to avoid backward clock shifts when the machine synchronizes with its time source. Domain Time will adjust the system clock in small increments to gradually slow down the clock until it matches the source. This is the default setting.

If this machine's time is behind the server's time...
This option lets you control how Domain Time deals with time mismatches if discovers that the local clock on the local machine is behind its configured time source.

Set this machine's clock forward to match the server
Instructs the server to immediately set its clock forward to match the source.

Speed this machine up until the clocks match
As mentioned above, some applications have problems if the system time is shifted unexpectedly, so this option allows you to avoid abrupt clock shifts when the machine synchronizes with its time source. Domain Time will adjust the system clock in small increments to gradually speed up the clock until it matches the source. This is the default setting.

Clock Slew Rate If you have enabled slewing (see above), this slider adjusts how quickly Domain Time II Server slews to make clock corrections. Use the slider to determine the overall type of slewing response you desire, from very rapid to very slow.

For each correction of the clock, Domain Time uses sophisticated calculations to determine the optimal slew rate, as well as the minimum and maximum acceptable slew rates. The center position of the slider corresponds to this optimum rate, and the extremes of the slider represent the minimum and maximum values. Moving the slider modifies the slew rate across a range of steps from slowest (-9) to fastest (+9).

For example, given a 1 second variance, the optimal slew rate (center slider position) will take approximately 2 seconds to correct, the fastest (+9) setting would take ~1.33 seconds to correct, and the slowest (-9) setting would take ~4 seconds to correct. Corrections of very small variances and very large variances use different calculations to determine the optimal, minimum, and maximum settings, but the principle is the same.

See the Clock Slewing page for more information on slewing.

Miscellaneous Settings

Show splash screen at logon
Sets whether Domain Time will show the splash screen at system logon. This option is greyed out on Evaluation versions of Domain Time II Server.

Show system tray icon
Controls whether the Domain Time System Tray icon appears in the System Tray. This utility is quite handy, however, if you don't want it to appear, check this box.

Timeset Chime
Plays a sound whenever the Server successfully sets its time from its time source. Useful for audible confirmation of time syncs (and very impressive in a room filled with servers who all sync in unison). If checked, the sound will play whether or not there is a logged-in user. The default for this option is unchecked.

Sound card plays through the sound card if available
PC Speaker plays through the PC speaker

Time of Day Chimes
This option will be unavailable if the Show Sytem Tray icon checkbox on the Advanced tab is unchecked.

The Time of Day Chimes feature plays sound files at specific times of the day, such as every 15, 30 45 minutes and on the hour. There must be a logged-in user and the Domain Time II System Tray icon must be present in the Windows System Tray for the chimes to play. You must also have installed at least one free Domain Time II Chime Pack for this feature to work.

This setting overrides the Time of Day Chimes setting of the System Tray Applet. Unchecking this box will set the Time of Day Chimes System Tray Applet to "None."

See the documentation for the System Tray Applet for complete instructions and to download free Domain Time II Chime Packs.

Windows Time Settings

This button launches the Domain Time II Windows Time Agent to allow you to configure the server portion of the Windows Time service. See the Windows Time Agent - Server tab page for complete information.

Disable Agent
This checkbox disables the Windows Time Agent. If checked, the Windows Time Agent control panel applet will be present, but the Agent itself will be disabled.

Windows Time (W32Time) Startup
This drop-down box lets you determine how the Windows Time Service should behave on this machine. When the Domain Time II Server service starts, it will ensure the Windows Time service is set to this mode. The available options are:


• Not Touched
  The existing startup state (Automatic, Manual, or Disabled) of the Windows Time Service is not changed.

• NoSync
  This mode makes sure the Windows Time Service is running, but Domain Time II Server actually obtains the correct time and manages the local system clock. NoSync mode is necessary for correct operation on Active Directory Domain Controllers and other systems where an application (such as server clustering) requires that the Windows Time Service be running. This is the preferred selection when Domain Time II Server is installed on a Windows Domain Controller or a Cluster Server.

  Read the Co-existing with Windows Time page for a complete explanation of how Domain Time interoperates with Windows Time.

• NT5DS
  The Windows Service is set to run and it obtains the time from the Active Directory heirarchy in NT5DS sync mode. This mode will severely conflict with Domain Time II Server unless BOTH the "Set this machine's time from a trusted external time source" checkbox on the Time Sources tab and the "Refuse to serve time until this machine's time have been set" checkbox on the Advanced Settings tab have been unchecked.

  In this mode, Windows Time obtains the time and manages the local clock. Domain Time will merely answer time sync queries.

  This option is not recommended.

• AllSync
  The Windows Service is set to run and it attempts to obtain the time from the Active Directory heirarchy in NT5DS sync mode and using NTP Client mode. This mode will severely conflict with Domain Time II Server unless BOTH the "Set this machine's time from a trusted external time source" checkbox on the Time Sources tab and the "Refuse to serve time until this machine's time have been set" checkbox on the Advanced Settings tab have been unchecked.

  In this mode, Windows Time obtains the time and manages the local clock. Domain Time will merely answer time sync queries.

  This option is not recommended.

• NTP
  The Windows Service is set to run and it attempts to obtain the time using Windows Time's NTP Client mode. This mode will severely conflict with Domain Time II Server unless BOTH the "Set this machine's time from a trusted external time source" checkbox on the Time Sources tab and the "Refuse to serve time until this machine's time have been set" checkbox on the Advanced Settings tab have been unchecked.

  In this mode, Windows Time obtains the time and manages the local clock. Domain Time will merely answer time sync queries.

  This option is not recommended.

• Disabled
  The service startup setting for Windows Time Service is set to Disabled. The Windows Time Service will not be allowed to run. You may preset this setting before installation in the DOMTIME.INI setup template file by adding the line
  STRING:Force Windows Time State=Disabled

  to the [Server Settings] section.
  

 

• Co-existing with the Windows Time Service
• Time Sources
• Clock Slewing
• Clock Target Seeking
• The Domain Time II System Tray Applet
• The Domain Time II Chimes

 

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