NTP server installation Guide

Introduction

An NTP (Network Time Protocol) server is a system that synchronizes the time of devices within a computer network. It ensures that all devices within the network are using the same time reference. NTP servers maintain accurate time by using a highly precise clock and by communicating with other servers to constantly adjust and synchronize their time. This synchronization is crucial for various applications and systems that rely on accurate timing, such as network security protocols, financial transactions, and distributed systems.

Pre-requisites

Sudo or root access to run privileged commands.

Ubuntu Commands

Step 1: Update your system

First, update your system to the latest package versions. This helps to ensure that you have the latest security patches and system updates.:

BASH

apt-get update 
apt-get upgrade

Step 2: Install NTP

run the following command to install the ntp.

BASH

apt-get install ntp

Step 3: Configure NTP Server

Once installed, you need to configure the NTP server. The configuration file for NTP is located at /etc/ntp.conf.

BASH

vi /etc/ntp.conf

In this configuration file, you can specify the NTP servers to which your machine will synchronize. These servers are specified in lines that begin with “server”. For example:

BASH

server 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 1.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 2.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 3.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst

The iburst option allows the system to send a burst of packets if the server is unreachable.

Step 4: Allow NTP Through the Firewall

If you have a firewall enabled, you need to allow NTP through it. NTP uses UDP port 123, so you will need to allow this port through the firewall. If you’re using ufw firewall, you can do this with the following command:

BASH

sudo ufw allow 123/udp

Step 5: Restart NTP Service

After making the changes, restart the NTP service for the changes to take effect, run the following command.

BASH

systemctl restart ntp

Step 6: Verify NTP is Working

To check the status of the NTP service, run the following command.

BASH

systemctl status ntp

To check the synchronization status, use:

BASH

ntpq -p

RHEL Commands

Step 1: Update your system

First, update your system to the latest package versions. This helps to ensure that you have the latest security patches and system updates.:

BASH

yum update -y

Step 2: Install NTP

run the following command to install the ntp.

BASH

yum install ntp -y

Step 3: Configure NTP Server

Once installed, you need to configure the NTP server. The configuration file for NTP is located at /etc/ntp.conf.

BASH

vi /etc/ntp.conf

In this configuration file, you can specify the NTP servers to which your machine will synchronize. These servers are specified in lines that begin with “server”. For example:

BASH

server 0.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 1.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 2.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst
server 3.ubuntu.pool.ntp.org iburst

The iburst option allows the system to send a burst of packets if the server is unreachable.

Step 4: Restart NTP Service

After making the changes, restart the NTP service for the changes to take effect, run the following command.

BASH

systemctl restart ntp