Overview

Manage platform time and configure time servers. After a time server is added, all host on the platform will synchronize time with the specified time server.

Definitions

The time configuration service involves the following concepts:

• Internal time server: Uses a management node or host as the time server for platform system time to synchronize time with other nodes on the platform.
• External time server: Uses an external node as the external time server to synchronize time with all nodes on the platform directly or via the internal time server.
• Time synchronization: The process in which the time of a node on the platform is synchronized with a time server.

Fundamentals

The local time is synchronized with the time server via network time protocol and certain algorithms. The following list shows the basic time synchronization process:

1. Select time source: Configure either internal or external time server as reference clocks.
2. Obtain timestamps: Each node on the platform communicates with the time server to acquire timestamps.
3. Calculate time difference: Based on the acquired timestamps, each node calculates the time difference between itself and the time server.
4. Adjust local clock: Each node synchronizes its local clock according to the time difference.
5. Periodic synchronization: Each node periodically communicates with the time server to prevent clock skew and maintains continuous time synchronization.

Benefits

The time configuration service has the following benefits:

• Precision: Uses accurate clock adjustment algorithms to achieve more precise time synchronization.
• Automation: Features an automatic time mechanism that periodically calibrates time without manual intervention.
• Reliability: Supports adding multiple time servers to enhance the reliability and stability of time synchronization.
• Intuitive: Displays the relationship between time servers and platform time configuration in a digram and shows the current platform time and timezone.

Scenarios

The time configuration service is primarily used in the following scenarios:

• Network management: Provides precise time synchronization for analyzing log information collected from different network devices to facilitate fault localization.
• Billing system: Maintains uniform timekeeping to ensure accurate billing records.
• Collaborative processing: Ensures proper execution order when multiple systems process complex events simultaneously.