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I need to build an NTP server within my network on Windows Server 2012. This server must be dedicated only for NTP. I am using the W32tm service to configure my NTP to resynchronise its time from "Time.windows.com"..

The configuration is perfect, but how can I break hierarchy of time within network?

Usually clients take their time from the Domain controller. I need to make all clients resynchronise their time from my NTP server instead.

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It's actually more important, in terms of the domain continuing to work properly, that your clients and member servers use Domain Controllers for their time source than it is that your clients have the correct time. I know this sounds odd, but it's true. Clients on a domain need their clocks to be similar within a certain degree of accuracy in order for clients and servers to trust one another for authentication, etc.

Therefore, my suggestion is that you leave the clients and member servers syncing time with the domain, and configure the DC holding the PDC emulator role to be the one that uses the external time source.

There's a possibility here to save the licence you're using for the dedicated ntp server and have the PDC emulator sync directly to time.windows.com itself, by the way. The "local dedicated ntp server" scenario is more common when your local ntp server is a stratum 1 time server connecting directly to a reference clock - for example I use two of these.

Anyway, to configure any system to use an external time source, try something like the w32tm.exe command:

w32tm.exe /config /manualpeerlist:”your.ntp.server.fqdn” /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:YES /update

To force a manual update from your newly configured time source, to check it's working and make the initial changeover:

w32tm.exe /config /update

Restart the time service for the change to take effect:

From the command line / batch script:

net stop w32time
net start w32time

Or if you've been using the powershell environment:

restart-service w32time
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    It's actually more important, in terms of the domain continuing to work properly, that your clients and member servers use Domain Controllers for their time source than it is that your clients have the correct time. I know this sounds odd, but it's true. - As funny as that statement does sound, it's true and I agree. Time is relative. It's crucial that time between and amongst the domain members be in sync relative to the domain hierarchy (in so far as the Windows Time service is meant to be accurate) than it is that they be in sync relative to some arbitrary external system.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 12, 2016 at 7:09
  • Thanks @joeqwerty - the correct time is important enough to my organisation that we operate two stratum-1 ntp servers on our network, but we still have them connected to just the DCs in terms of how they distribute the correct time to clients and servers on our main lan.
    – Rob Moir
    Mar 12, 2016 at 7:24
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    Gotcha. There's always a case here and there for needing more accurate domain time relative to the "outside world" than the Windows Time service was designed for or can provide on it's own, but in most cases most of us ought to not muck about with it. Solid answer on your part.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 12, 2016 at 7:28
  • Guys.. thanks for your response, it was helpful>> I faced another issue.. When I set my time on PDC to (9.36 PM e.g) other clients change their time to one hour more(10.36 PM)>> Could you please help??
    – Mr. Ali
    Mar 12, 2016 at 15:03
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    @PeterCordes fair point. To say that this would be a classic example of something a raspberry pi with linux on would be good at would be to undersell the potential of the pi + linux.
    – Rob Moir
    Mar 12, 2016 at 19:10

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