The Dell VSI dashboard displays a time drift against vCenter server appliance (VCSA).

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

 Troubleshoot time synchronization failures on the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA). This article helps determine if time drift is caused by internal vCenter configurations or external environmental factors.

Dell VSI shows a time drift of  more than 10 mins compared to the VCSA, and the time on VCSA shows correct.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 8.x

Cause

Time synchronization issues typically arise from:

1. VMware Tools Conflict: The "Synchronize guest time with host" setting overriding the VCSA NTP configuration.
2. Environmental Drift: External appliances (e.g., Dell VSI, Domain Controllers) having disparate NTP configurations, causing authentication failures with vCenter.

Resolution

1. Verify vCenter Time Status Log in to the VCSA via SSH and run the following commands to assess the current state:

   • date (Check the current time)
   • timedatectl status
   • ntpq -p (Check NTP peer status and offset)

2. Disable Host Time Synchronization To ensure NTP is the sole source of time:

   1. Log in to the vSphere Client.
   2. Select the VCSA Virtual Machine.
   3. Navigate to Actions > Edit Settings > VM Options > VMware Tools.
   4. Uncheck Synchronize guest time with host.
      
      
3. Check External Environmental Factors If the vCenter time status is healthy, verify the NTP configuration on external appliances. Ensure all devices are configured with identical NTP servers to prevent the time drift threshold violations common with integrations like Dell VSI.