How to Configure Network Time Protocol (NTP)
Perform this task to create or modify the NTP configuration file after you install Sun Cluster software. You must also modify the NTP configuration file when you add a node to an existing cluster, as well as when you change the private hostname of a node in the cluster.
Note - The primary requirement when you configure NTP, or any time synchronization facility within the cluster, is that all cluster nodes must be synchronized to the same time. Consider accuracy of time on individual nodes to be of secondary importance to the synchronization of time among nodes. You are free to configure NTP as best meets your individual needs if this basic requirement for synchronization is met.
See the Sun Cluster 3.1 10/03 Concepts Guide for further information about cluster time. See the /etc/inet/ntp.cluster template file for additional guidelines on how to configure NTP for a Sun Cluster configuration.
Did you install your own /etc/inet/ntp.conf file before you installed Sun Cluster software?
Become superuser on a cluster node.
Do you have your own /etc/inet/ntp.conf file to install on the cluster nodes?
On one node of the cluster, edit the private hostnames in the /etc/inet/ntp.conf.cluster file.
Sun Cluster software creates the /etc/inet/ntp.conf.cluster file as the NTP configuration file if an /etc/inet/ntp.conf file is not already present on the node.
Note - Do not rename the ntp.conf.cluster file as ntp.conf.
If the /etc/inet/ntp.conf.cluster file does not exist on the node, you might have an /etc/inet/ntp.conf file from an earlier installation of Sun Cluster software. If so, perform the following edits on that ntp.conf file.
Ensure that an entry exists for the private hostname of each cluster node.
Remove any unused private hostnames.
The ntp.conf.cluster file might contain nonexistent private hostnames. When a node is rebooted, the system generates error messages as the node attempts to contact those nonexistent private hostnames.
If you changed any node's private hostname, ensure that the NTP configuration file contains the new private hostname.
If necessary, make other modifications to meet your NTP requirements.
Copy the NTP configuration file to all nodes in the cluster.
The contents of the NTP configuration file must be identical on all cluster nodes.
Stop the NTP daemon on each node.
Wait for the stop command to complete successfully on each node before you proceed to Step 7.
# /etc/init.d/xntpd stop
Restart the NTP daemon on each node.
If you use the ntp.conf.cluster file, run the following command:
# /etc/init.d/xntpd.cluster start
The xntpd.cluster startup script first looks for the /etc/inet/ntp.conf file. If that file exists, the script exits immediately without starting the NTP daemon. If the ntp.conf file does not exist but the ntp.conf.cluster file does exist, the script starts the NTP daemon by using the ntp.conf.cluster file as the NTP configuration file.
If you use the ntp.conf file, run the following command:
# /etc/init.d/xntpd start
Do you intend to use Sun Management Center to monitor the cluster?
If yes, go to Installing the Sun Cluster Module for Sun Management Center.
If no, install third-party applications, register resource types, set up resource groups, and configure data services. See the documentation that is supplied with the application software and the Sun Cluster 3.1 Data Service Planning and Administration Guide.
Installing the Sun Cluster Module for Sun Management Center
The following table lists the tasks to perform to install the Sun Cluster-module software for Sun Management Center.
Table 2-5 Task Map: Installing the Sun Cluster Module for Sun Management Center
Task | Instructions |
|---|---|
Install Sun Management Center server, help-server, agent, and console packages. | Sun Management Center documentation |
Install Sun Cluster-module packages. | How to Install the Sun Cluster Module for Sun Management Center |
Start Sun Management Center server, console, and agent processes. | |
Add each cluster node as a Sun Management Center agent host object. | How to Add a Cluster Node as a Sun Management Center Agent Host Object |
Load the Sun Cluster module to begin to monitor the cluster. |
Installation Requirements for Sun Cluster Monitoring
The Sun Cluster module for Sun Management Center is used to monitor a Sun Cluster configuration. Perform the following tasks before you install the Sun Cluster module packages.
Space requirements - Ensure that 25 Mbytes of space is available on each cluster node for Sun Cluster-module packages.
Sun Management Center packages - You must install the Sun Management Center server, help-server, and console packages on noncluster nodes, and you must install the Sun Management Center agent package on each cluster node.
If you have an administrative console or other dedicated machine, you can realize improved performance. Just run the console process on the administrative console and the server process on a separate machine.
Follow procedures in your Sun Management Center documentation to install the Sun Management Center packages.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) port - When you install Sun Management Center on an agent machine (cluster node), choose whether to use the default of 161 for the agent (SNMP) communication port or another number. This port number enables the server to communicate with this agent. Record the port number that you choose for reference later when you configure the cluster nodes for monitoring.