This test periodically checks the accessibility and responsiveness of the NTP server from an external location, and also indicates how different the client's time is from the server's time. In the process, the test not only points to a time non-sync, but also reveals the probable reasons for the same - is it because the NTP server is down? Is it because the NTP server is slow in processing client requests? Or is it because the gap between the server's time and the client's time is very high?

The default parameters associated with this test are as follows:

• The TEST PERIOD list box helps the user to decide how often this test needs to be executed.

• In the HOST text box, specify the host for which this test is to be configured.

• Specify the port at which the specified HOST listens to in the PORT text box.

• By default, this test reports the time difference between the NTP client and the server (the Offset measure) and also indicates whether the client's time is ahead or behind the server's (the Time_direction measure). This is why, the REPORT CLOCK OFFSET flag is set to Yes by default. However, the measures mentioned above are of significance only to an NTP client, which has to sync time with the monitored NTP server - say, a member server of a Windows domain that needs to sync time with its domain controller. On the contrary, for a host that does not seek to sync time with the NTP server, these two measures are meaningless! Such a situation may arise, if, owing to security constraints, an administrator prefers to deploy the external agent (that executes this test) on some remote host that need not sync time with the NTP server that is being monitored. Under such circumstances, the administrator may just want the test to report whether the NTP server is up and running or not, and if running, how responsive it is to requests. In this case, its best to turn off the REPORT CLOCK OFFSET flag by setting it to No, so that the Offset measure and the Time_direction measure are no longer reported by the test.

• If multiple components of the same component type are awaiting configuration, then an APPLY TO OTHER COMPONENTS check box will appear in this page. Clicking on this check box will allow you to apply the configuration to all/selected components of that type.

• Once the necessary values have been provided, clicking on the UPDATE button will register the changes made.

When changing the configuration for specific servers, a “*” beside the text box corresponding to the parameter signifies that these values have to be manually configured by the user. The parameter values that require to be configured will typically be prefixed with a “$” or contain a series of “*”. A value of "none" in the parameter value indicates that the corresponding parameter value can be changed if required.