I have tried everything I know and I can't get one of my machines to display the right time... I have turned off ntpd so it won't interfere with my settings.. I set the time zone to America/Los_Angeles and the time is 5 hours behind what it should be. I have scp'd a "Los_Angeles" file over from a machine that displays the right time and sym linked to it from /etc/localtime and no change. I have installed system-config-date and used it to set the timezone to Los_Angeles with no change. When I run ntpdate sync.server. it gives me an offset number that is exactly 5 hours off and then later fails because the time is further off than 1000 seconds from the real time.

Here is the result of: tail -150 /var/log/messages |grep ntpd

Sep  4 10:14:25 Server1 ntpd[21063]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21624]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 10:27:16 Server1 ntpd[21625]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21625]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21648]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 10:27:28 Server1 ntpd[21649]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21649]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21670]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 10:27:31 Server1 ntpd[21671]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 10:30:05 Server1 ntpd[21671]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22130]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 10:45:55 Server1 ntpd[22131]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 10:49:17 Server1 ntpd[22131]: synchronized to LOCAL(0), stratum 10
Sep  4 10:49:17 Server1 ntpd[22131]: kernel time sync disabled 0001
Sep  4 10:50:14 Server1 ntpd[22131]: synchronized to 69.10.36.3, stratum 2
Sep  4 10:58:09 Server1 ntpd[22131]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22706]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 11:05:13 Server1 ntpd[22707]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22707]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22721]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 11:05:17 Server1 ntpd[22722]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 11:05:29 Server1 ntpd[22722]: ntpd exiting on signal 15
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23945]: ntpd 4.2.2p1@1.1570-o Tue Jun 10 00:07:14 UTC 2008 (1)
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: precision = 1.000 usec
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface wildcard, 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface wildcard, ::#123 Disabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface lo, ::1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface eth0, XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: Listening on interface eth0:0, 192.XXX.XXX.XXX#123 Enabled
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: kernel time sync status 0040
Sep  4 16:34:44 Server1 ntpd[23946]: frequency initialized 0.000 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Sep  4 16:37:59 Server1 ntpd[23946]: synchronized to 64.202.112.75, stratum 1
Sep  4 16:37:59 Server1 ntpd[23946]: time reset +17984.996046 s
Sep  4 16:37:59 Server1 ntpd[23946]: kernel time sync disabled 0001
Sep  4 16:41:43 Server1 ntpd[23946]: synchronized to LOCAL(0), stratum 10
Sep  4 16:42:04 Server1 ntpd[23946]: synchronized to 64.202.112.75, stratum 1
Sep  4 16:42:04 Server1 ntpd[23946]: time correction of 17985 seconds exceeds sanity limit (1000); set clock manually to the correct UTC time.

Please help if you have ANY info...

Cheers,

~Mike

Hi Mike,

That's certainly an odd problem... Let's compare the output of these commands:

$ date "+%a %d %b %Y %X %Z"; hwclock; ntpdate pool.ntp.org

That'll tell us if there are any differences between the system clock and the hardware clock, and give us a baseline from ntp. Do you know if the hardware clock is set to local time or UTC?

I think I might have an idea what the prob is, but here is my output of your commands:


Ran this command at 10:58pm

date "+%a %d %b %Y %X %Z"

got:

Fri 05 Sep 2008 17:58:52 PDT

ran: hwclock

Cannot access the Hardware Clock via any known method.
Use the --debug option to see the details of our search for an access method.

ran at 11:02pm: ntpdate pool.ntp.org

5 Sep 18:02:50 ntpdate[22338]: step time server 66.187.233.4 offset 17982.912856 sec

(note the offset is exactly 5 hours off)

Ok, now for my hypothesis. The machine that has this problem is running as a virtual machine on a xen hypervisor... The problem is I can't log into the hypervisor. I'm guessing the hypervisors hardware clock is 5 hours off of normal. But I won't know until I am able to log into that machine. (which i should be able to do sometime this next week). If you can see some other obvious problem then please let me know, otherwise I will give you more feedback when I log into the hypervisor... :)

Thanks so much for your help,

~Mike

Yeah, haven't worked with Xen much myself. That could be it! Let us know what you find :)

-G

Have you tried setting the time zone to one that is 5 hours ahead of Los Angeles? Does the time change then?

Nah that wont work. Dont UNIX machines operate using UTC offsets so that it doesnt cause problems with timestamps on WANs?

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread... I solved the problem and forgot to update. Yes the problem was that the hypervisor hardware clock was 5 hours off.

Cheers,'

~Mike

marked as solved

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