Configure a Controller as an SNTP Client

As an SNTP client, the AADvance controller accepts the current time from an external Network Time Protocol (NTP) or SNTP network time server.
TIP: Always select both Ethernet ports of a processor slice whether configuring SNTP as a client, server, or both. Also when only requires a primary server.
The SNTP client receives the real time clock data from the primary network time server.
IMPORTANT: Modifications to the SNTP settings are active after the power has cycled.
cmv_ccsc
The SNTP client settings provide this information to the controller:
Setting
Description
Enable SNTP Client
The controller is configured as an SNTP client
SNTP Client Mode
Operating mode for the time synchronization signal used by the processors for setting their real time clock:
  • Unicast
    : The SNTP client actively polls the configured servers and uses their responses. The polling rate (19s) is based on the drift rate of the real time clock and cannot be configured.
  • Broadcast:
     The SNTP client passively waits for regular broadcasts from the server. This reduces network traffic and the load on the servers.
Ethernet Port
Ethernet port of the controller
SNTP Server IP Address
IP address of the network time server. Non-fault tolerant operations require one SNTP server for a processor. Other processors will automatically synchronize to the server and inherit the time. Fault-tolerant SNTP client operations require more than one server address.
If only a primary time server is required, set the secondary time server IP address to the null value of 0.0.0.0.
Required SNTP Version
The version of the SNTP server. Possible versions are
SNTPv1
,
SNTPv2
,
SNTPv3
,
SNTPv4
, or
Any
. When the version of the NTP/SNTP that the server offers is unknown, choose Any. This latest option disables some validation aspects of the incoming signal.
To configure a controller as an SNTP client
  1. In the
    Communication View
    , expand the required controller, and then double-click
    SNTP
    .
    The
    Communication
    property page displays.
  2. From the
    Communication
    property page, in the SNTP Client section, select
    Enable SNTP Client
    .
  3. Specify the
    SNTP Client Mode
     for each server:
    • To use the broadcast mode where the SNTP client passively waits for regular broadcasts from the server, from the drop-down combo box, click
      Broadcast
      .
    • To use the unicast mode where the SNTP client actively polls the configured servers and uses their responses, from the drop-down combo box, click
      Unicast
      .
  4. Select the required
    Ethernet Ports
     and then define the
    SNTP Server IP Address
     property for the required servers.
    • For a non-fault tolerant operation, define one SNTP server for only one processor. The other processors will automatically synchronize to the first processor and inherit the time.
    • For a fault-tolerant SNTP client operation, define more than one server address.
      TIP: The first address represents the primary server and the second address represents the secondary server for each processor module. At start up, the SNTP client chooses the primary server of the lowest slice; if no primary signal is valid, the SNTP client looks for an active secondary server signal.
  5. Define the
    Required SNTP Version
     property for each required pair of servers for the processor modules.
    TIP: When the NTP/SNTP server version is unknown, use the
    Any
     option, disabling some validation aspects of the incoming signal.
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