NOTE:
For successful time protocol setup and specific configuration details, you may need to contact your
system administrator regarding your local configuration.
General steps for running a time protocol on the switch
Using time synchronization ensures a uniform time among interoperating devices. This helps you to manage and
troubleshoot switch operation by attaching meaningful time data to event and error messages.
The switch offers TimeP, SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol), NTP, and a
timesync
command for changing
the time protocol selection (or turning off time protocol operation).
NOTE:
Although you can create and save configurations for all time protocols without conflicts, the
switch allows only one active time protocol at any time.
In the factory-default configuration, time synchronization is disabled by default.
NOTE:
Because the Aruba 2930F Switch does not contain an RTC (real time clock) chip, Hewlett
Packard Enterprise recommends configuring one of the time synchronization protocols supported.
Failure to do so could result in the switch time being reset to the factory default of 01/01/1990
00:00:00 in the case of a switch reload, software upgrade, or power cycle.
TimeP time synchronization
You can either manually assign the switch to use a TimeP server or use DHCP to assign the TimeP server. In
either case, the switch can get its time synchronization updates from only one designated TimeP server. This
option enhances security by specifying which time server to use.
SNTP time synchronization
SNTP provides three operating modes:
•
Broadcast mode
The switch acquires time updates by accepting the time value from the first SNTP time broadcast detected. (In
this case, the SNTP server must be configured to broadcast time updates to the network broadcast address;
see the documentation provided with your SNTP server application.) Once the switch detects a particular
server, it ignores time broadcasts from other SNTP servers unless the configurable Poll Interval expires three
consecutive times without an update received from the first-detected server.
NOTE:
To use Broadcast mode, the switch and the SNTP server must be in the same subnet.
•
DHCP mode
DHCP mode is enabled by default. In DHCP mode, the SNTP server address and the timezone are provided in
the DHCP address reply.
•
Unicast mode
The switch requests a time update from the configured SNTP server. (You can configure one server using the
menu interface, or up to three servers using the CLI sntp server command.) This option provides increased
Chapter 2
Time Protocols
Chapter 2 Time Protocols
27
