Description

This article describes the issue of the EX 2200 series switch being unable to automatically update its clock with SSG5 via NTP. However, the clock can be manually updated.

Symptoms

  • SSG5 is working as the NTP server and the EX2200 series switch is working as a NTP client.
  • When the switch tries to manually update its clock with SSG5, it works normally; but does not get automatically updated with SSG 5.
  • If SSG5 is removed, then the switch is automatically updated with another NTP server.

Output of the show ntp association and show ntp status commands on the EX2200 switch, after being automatically updated:

It gets stuck in the following state:
E047NSS-00101> show ntp associations
remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset jitter
========================================================
5.47.223.1 .LOCL. 1 - 957 1024 377 30.181 -493.45 1.331
^
syntax error, expecting <command> .
remote@E047NSS-00101> show ntp status
status=c011 sync_alarm, sync_unspec, 1 event, event_restart,
version="ntpd 4.2.0-a Sat Aug 25 04:35:48 UTC 2012 (1)",
processor="arm", system="JUNOS11.4R5.5", leap=11, stratum=16,
precision=-16, rootdelay=0.000, rootdispersion=921.540, peer=0,
refid=INIT, reftime=00000000.00000000 Thu, Feb 7 2036 6:28:16.000,
poll=4, clock=d41fa0c8.d4366082 Wed, Oct 10 2012 7:22:48.828, state=1,
offset=0.000, frequency=-22.210, jitter=0.015, stability=0.000
remote@E047NSS-00101>
A manual NTP update seems to work normally:

Output of show ntp status after manual sync:
j265790@E047NSS-00101> set date ntp 5.47.223.1
29 Oct 15:57:36 ntpdate[53843]: step time server 5.47.223.1 offset
-3.039872 sec
j265790@E047NSS-00101> show ntp status
status=c011 sync_alarm, sync_unspec, 1 event, event_restart,
version="ntpd 4.2.0-a Sat Aug 25 04:35:48 UTC 2012 (1)",
processor="arm", system="JUNOS11.4R5.5", leap=11, stratum=16,
precision=-16, rootdelay=0.000, rootdispersion=0.240, peer=0,
refid=INIT, reftime=00000000.00000000 Thu, Feb 7 2036 7:28:16.000,
poll=4, clock=d43917f0.e1e0eef1 Mon, Oct 29 2012 15:57:52.882, state=1,
offset=0.000, frequency=-22.210, jitter=0.015, stability=0.000
If a NTP server from the internal network (not SSG) is used, it work normally and the following state is generated:
E047NSS-00101# run show ntp associations
remote refid st t when poll reach delay offset jitter
============================================================
*5.252.47.133 4.247.8.14 3 - 12 64 377 15.253 -3.180 3.628

[edit]
remote@E047NSS-00101# run show ntp status
status=0664 leap_none, sync_ntp, 6 events, event_peer/strat_chg,
version="ntpd 4.2.0-a Sat Aug 25 04:35:48 UTC 2012 (1)",
processor="arm", system="JUNOS11.4R5.5", leap=00, stratum=4,
precision=-16, rootdelay=36.143, rootdispersion=48.451, peer=3724,
refid=5.252.47.133,
reftime=d41eaf78.6066a170 Tue, Oct 9 2012 14:13:12.376, poll=6,
clock=d41eaff2.5cea6e91 Tue, Oct 9 2012 14:15:14.362, state=4,
offset=-3.180, frequency=-22.294, jitter=2.621, stability=0.032

Solution

 

The set date ntp command uses the /usr/sbin/ntpdate application. However, the set system ntp server command uses the /usr/sbin/ntpd daemon. This is why different results occur for the same NTP server (SSG5/SSG20/140/300).

The NTPD in the client decides whether to update its local clock, according to a virtual distance between the NTP server and the local NTP client. The virtual distance can be expressed as vd = fun (precision, packet_delay,?.). The precision is obtained from the NTP server by the NTP response packet. Packet_delay is the roundtrip delay (from NTP request to NTP response).

Increasing the precision can decrease the vd value. Decreasing packet_delay can also decrease the vd value. If the vd value is less than a constant value, NTPD assumes the NTP server as a fit server and updates its local clock; according to the NTP response packet information.

The network-topology and the device performance can impact the packet_delay value. In the same network-topology, SSG500 has less packet_delay value than SSG5/20, due to its high performance.

If you are going to configure the SSG as a NTP server for EX Series, use a higher-precision external NTP source, such as the SSG500, instead of the other SSG platforms.

Modification History

2024-08-26: Updated data category

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