So we had a user complain about the clocks being a minute out on her desktop and how she always misses her train as a result. Despite my incredulous reaction to such a thing it did prompt me to investigate the time sync in our domain and it has highlight a lack of understanding on my part I think.
At present the results of my "w32tm /monitor" command produces this:
C:\Users\TAlexander>w32tm /monitor
NCCDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx[10.168.50.32:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: +2.4042293s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: firewall.xxxxxx.xx.xx [10.168.xxx.xxx]
Stratum: 4
NCCDC3.xxxxxx.xx.xx[10.168.50.36:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: +2.4122098s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: firewall.xxxxxx.xx.xx [10.168.xxx.xxx]
Stratum: 4
NCCDC.xxxxxx.xx.xx[[fe80::d1e0:8675:36c1:acba%14]:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: -0.0916479s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx [10.168.50.35]
Stratum: 2
RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx *** PDC ***[10.168.50.35:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: +0.0000000s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: 'LOCL' [0x4C434F4C]
Stratum: 1
ICMDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx[10.168.50.31:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: +2.4229719s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: wwwco1test12.microsoft.com [65.55.21.20]
Stratum: 3
ICMDC2.xxxxxx.xx.xx[10.168.50.33:123]:
ICMP: 0ms delay
NTP: +0.1387203s offset from RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx
RefID: RHDC1.xxxxxx.xx.xx [10.168.50.35]
Stratum: 2
RHDC1 is our PDC so my thinking from what I have read is that RHDC1 should have RefID of a different time source (in this case it would be our firewall) and that other DCs should then look to the PDC for their time and as a result show RHDC1 in the RefID. The clients (servers and workstations) should then sync at the running of the NETLOGON process.
As it is we have a bit of a mishmash of different sources and configs. Am I correct in my assumption that our DCs are not syncing in the traditional Domain Hierarchy fashion? And if so is there a GP or command that can force them to return to this state?