ESX and ESXi host time keeping best practices

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This VMware Best Practices Guide addresses configuring ESX/ESXi hosts to update their time from an Network Time Protocol (NTP) server.

ESX/ESXi hosts utilize NTPv4 clients to update time from an authoritative time server within the local environment or from an internet time server.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0

VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable

VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable

Resolution

VMware considers it best practice to have your ESX/ESXi hosts configured to use an authoritative time (NTP) server.

The authoritative time server could be a Microsoft Active Directory Server or Internet time server.

To configure your ESX/ESXi host to a Microsoft Active Directory Server for NTP, see Synchronizing ESXi/ESX time with a Microsoft Domain Controller (1035833).

To configure your ESX/ESXi host for an Internet time server for NTP, see Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) on ESX/ESXi hosts using the vSphere Client (2012069).

 

For the list of NTP Pool Servers, visit one of the following web sites:

• NTP Pool Project
• Network Time Protocol.org

Additional Information

For more information, see:

• Synchronizing ESX/ESXi time with a Microsoft Domain Controller
• Troubleshooting NTP on ESX and ESXi
• Synchronizing ESXi/ESX time with a Microsoft Domain Controller
• Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) on ESX/ESXi hosts using the vSphere Client