Management Center failing to sync with NTP after upgrading to version to 2.3.3.1

Products

• Management Center

Issue/Introduction

Management Center  failing to sync with NTP after upgrading to version to 2.3.3.1, you are getting  "Failed to update system date and time"  when running CLI command "ntp update-now" . 

MC# ntp update-now
% Failed to update system date and time.

Running CLI command "show running-config ntp" shows:

MC#show running-config ntp
ntp
  enable
 server ntp-am1.net.symantec.com
 server ntp1.net.symantec.com
!

Environment

You are using default NTP servers configured NTP server on your Management Center.

Cause

MC 2.3.3.1  default NTP server has been changed to "symantec domains" NTP servers that may no longer reachable.      Running  windows or linux "Nslookup" command for these said NTP server may show  "Non-existent domain"

 Symantec/Broadcom  will address this starting from the next GA release (3.0) .

Resolution

Remove "symantec NTP domain servers" and readd "Bluecoat NTP Domain servers":

CLI commands example: 

MC# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
MC(config)# no ntp server 
MC(config)# ntp server ntp.bluecoat.com
MC(config)# ntp server ntp2.bluecoat.com
MC(config)# ntp enable
MC(config)# exit

MC# show running-config ntp
ntp
  enable
server ntp.bluecoat.com
server ntp2.bluecoat.com
!
MC# ntp update-now
System date and time successfully updated.

Additional Information

Important Notes:

- As of May 2020, IP redirection was implemented when resolving ntp.bluecoat.com and ntp2.bluecoat.com.  You may want to run nslookup within your network premise and allow communication (udp port 123) on  your firewall to NTP server IP addresses:

ntp.bluecoat.com        canonical name = time.google.com.
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 216.239.35.8
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 216.239.35.0
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 216.239.35.4
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 216.239.35.12
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 2001:4860:4806:8::
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 2001:4860:4806:4::
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 2001:4860:4806::
Name:   time.google.com
Address: 2001:4860:4806:c::

- This article may not apply to you if you are using your own internal servers and already validated NTP communication works within your network premise.