Changes to the W32Time and TimeServ Utilities

The information in this article applies to all supplements of Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Resource Kit. This article describes some of the changes that were made to updated versions of the following Windows NT Resource Kit utilities:

• The Win32 Network Time Synchronization Service (W32Time.exe)
• The Time Synchronization Service Utility (TimeServ.exe)

Posted Product Build Versions:

• W32Time.exe: 5.0.2092.1
• TimeServ.exe: 5.0.1738.1

These utilities for both Intel and Alpha platforms are available for download from the Microsoft File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site at the following location:

W32Time is the year 2000-compliant Time Synchronization service that takes the place of the earlier version of the TimeServ utility. The functionality is similar, however, all noncompliant functions have been removed. W32Time does not allow a Master Time Server to use any special hardware to access an Original Time Source. If your network requires a dial-up connection to a Time Source, by using a modem or through an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) board in your computer, continue using the earlier version of TimeServ.exe.

The following Type= option changes were made to this version of the W32Time.ini file:

• Only Type=NTP (Network Time Protocol) worked in the first released version for Windows NT 4.0. If you chose any other types, the service would not start correctly. Fixes were implemented for Type=Primary and Type=Secondary so that the service starts as expected.
• When the Type= option was changed, the change was not updated correctly in the registry. The registry included the new Type= key but did not remove the old key. This error was fixed. When Type= is updated, the registry is properly updated.
• An Uninstall option was added to the command line.

The following Type= option changes were made to this version of the TimeServ.ini file:

• The Type=Internet setting no longer uses the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) server as the default server for the Internet. Due to hardware changes at the USNO server, all non-NTP services are unavailable. In the earlier version, this could cause the system resources to be used up because the program would not detect a service on the USNO server.
• In the earlier version, the program halted future synchronization attempts if it received the following message when it tried to retrieve the time:
  gethostbyname() WSATRY_AGAIN
  The new version of the program continues future synchronization attempts.
• In the earlier version, there was a delay in insertion of a leap second through a multi-tiered environment, although this delay did not occur in every instance. The TimeServ utility currently does not schedule the insertion for the exact moment at midnight. Instead, TimeServ inserts the second at the first synchronization after the source time has adjusted, and then logs the event.
  
  In a tiered environment, the leap second may be inserted in the following order:
  
  
  1. On the master server.
  2. When any primary machines request the time from the master.
  3. When any secondary machines request the time from a primary.
  For types that warn of a coming leap second, the TimeServ utility optimizes the synchronization time to be shortly after the moment of leap second insertion.
  
  The synchronization occurs with certain allowances for randomization in order to spread potential overloading at individual servers, and delays due to tiered structure. The TimeServ utility tries to resynchronize all machines within 15 minutes of the leap second.
• The updated version of the TimeServ utility has a new, automatic speed detect feature. Type=TrueTime specifies to use the TrueTime Serial input/output (I/O) format as found on the TrueTime Mark units. The later units from TrueTime, such as the XL-DC Model, can typically use Emulation mode for compatibility, or can use the default output format to keep continuous time once per second. By using either of these methods, a computer can set its internal clock to within 1 millisecond of the national time scale by direct telephone connection.

For additional information about TrueTime products and services, go to the following address for the TrueTime Web site: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

Additional documentation about Win32 Network Time Synchronization Service is available from the Microsoft FTP site at: Additional documentation about the Time Synchronization Service Utility is available from the Microsoft FTP site at: To learn more about other utilities included in the Resource Kit, refer to any of the following Microsoft Press books: NOTE: This article provides information about Resource Kit utilities that are not supported by Microsoft. All Resource Kits utilities are provided AS-IS unless specifically noted otherwise. This article is provided for informational purposes only; Microsoft makes no guarantee that these utilities function properly. In addition, the Timeserv utility that was included on the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit has been discontinued, and Microsoft will not make any further fixes to this utility or release it in the future.