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Author Topic: DOLBY SERVERS, setting TIME Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-12-2014 02:15 PM                     Hmm, yes. I meant to adjust show manager clock during runtime. If you adjust the secure clock manually (within DCI limits), this will not have an impact on show manager clock until reboot? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-12-2014 03:01 PM                     Correct. There is only one way I can thing of to adjust the show clock during run-time but you need ROOT privileges and that could certainly cause issues if the logging were to suddenly go backwards.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-12-2014 03:08 PM                     I guess the standard console logins do not allow to execute set date/time commands, as they are limited to certain Dolby blessed maintenance actions? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-12-2014 03:23 PM                     Not that I've found.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-12-2014 03:55 PM                     Carsten, the solution is an NTP, either internal or external even though you have to consider two things: 1. Dolby NTP support is flawed 2. NTP protocol won't trust an unreliable source. So if you are thinking of having as your internal NTP a random windows PC, you can basically forget about that, NTP won't possibly trust a Windows NTP server for a long time. Best solution is to set a proper NTP server. The Dolby should stay synced with it, if it doesn't rebooting will reset the clock to the actual time.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-12-2014 04:32 PM                     There are always GPS locked NTP servers available on the cheap on Epay. Just be sure you get the correct antenna for the one you use if you go this route. I have used these in several areas where internet is very unreliable. They vary in price so if you think this may be a solution for you then you might want to "watch" these items and grab one on the cheap. I think I got the ones I installed (Symetricom Units) for 250 to 300 USD with antenna, they go for 2k+ USD new. They display time that is accurate to 12 digits if you are able to lock on to 3 or more satellites. If you can get away with a unit that is non rack mount and no display then this one is decent and very inexpensive. TMS-1000A GPS Locked NTP Server  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-13-2014 08:16 AM                     You can set up a PC to be your NTP source pretty easily, actually. Out of the box, no but add a suitable registry file and a couple of configurations and the Dolby (or any other server for that matter) will lock to it so long as it is reporting a good lock to an NTP source.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-13-2014 08:21 AM                     You can sure set it up but Linux NTP protocol is very fussy and if it thinks the source is not reliable, it will drop the server very soon. And Windows NTP is not known to be the best. If Internet is available, just use an external one. If it's not, the NTP protocol will not sync on a local NTP server which is not synced to anything else. The Dolby will reset the clock at boot (it's a ntpdate command, which sync the clock regardless) but it will then refuse to sync to a non synced clock.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-13-2014 10:02 AM                     But in most cases a one-time sync to a local NTP source would be sufficient to solve the issue in non-networked scenarios. The problem is - if you let the secure clock drift too much, then it grows beyond the DCI imposed adjustment limit. If you don't take care, it could easily walk off 10min during the first year. Then what do you do? Even a 'good' ongoing NTP source will not be able to bring it down from there. Unless Dolby implements an 'as much as we can' approach and at least adjust the 6min max, even if it is far more off. How would the Dolby decide wether a local NTP source is better than another? If you are running your own local NTP source, you should be able to tweak it's reports as you like. E.g. it would always be a Stratum1 clock. Another option without a network would be a local standalone 3G router that allows a temporal internet connection at boot time. Let the Dolby sync to it every couple of weeks or whatever is necessary. You could carry that around as needed. Of course, a full networked system with TMS would be the best solution, but not every location has that or allows it. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-13-2014 10:04 AM                     Marco...I've have ALL of my sites using a Windows based machine as an NTP server and without exception, non of the Linux based machines have had an issue syncing to them. Every Cinedigm system in the world is likely using the Windows based server as their NTP time source and doing so without issue. All of our GDC based TMSes are running on Windows machines (either Server 2008 or Win 7 Pro) and are being used as NTP time sources and none of the linux based servers are complaining one bit. Since the secure clock doesn't sync to NTP...and since they tend not to drift much at all (except for the CAT745)...getting 10 minutes off in a year would be essentially impossible (except for CAT745).  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 07-13-2014 10:19 AM                     Then again - what do the Dolby do during boot time? - try to sync system clock/show manager clock to NTP (BIOS/hardware clock will follow) - if no NTP available, sync system cock/show manager clock to secure clock In that case, a temporal NTP sync would have little benefit, because during the next boot without NTP, the system clock would again be synced with the (potentially offroading) secure clock. The CAT862 secure clock can be adjusted manually - what about the 745? My... has Dolby ever issued a tech bulletin dealing with these issues? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-13-2014 10:56 AM                     The CAT745 sets identical to the CAT862. Your show clock setting seems correct to me. So only those with a CAT745 have to worry about the reboot not getting the show clock back on time. There is a CLI command ( I believe it was discussed in the System 4.7.0 release notes) that will allow one to move the range on the CAT745 a bit. There are other bulletins about setting the BIOS clock and I believe the secure clock though they don't tend to put them up on the portal, for some reason...they do supply them when asked. This includes POS integration and setting up a "Key Drop" for FTPing keys from the manager's computer.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-13-2014 11:00 AM                     Steve, good to know, my little experience with Windows NTP shows really poor results. I thought the secure clock would only sync on the server itself IF the NTP proved to be synced and reliable. Otherwise, all 745 in the world would require attention every few months! I've just checked a system where the NTP works flawlessly (on 4.6) and both 745 and 862 are synced down to the second, and I haven't touched those servers for about 6 months. The NTP protocol is very complex. You may have a synced system but the NTP may have to struggle to keep it synced. A NTP client would be aware of this issue and wouldn't trust that NTP server because of that - even though the NTP server is perfectly synced. Carsten, both 862 and 745 can be adjusted by GUI.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-13-2014 12:00 PM                     Wait...you are telling me that when you check your CAT745 time via the Auditorium UI and adjust secure clock that it is correct to the second after ANY length of time? I'm gong to call BS on that one. The Secure clock never sets to NTP so its quality should not be affected by NTP at all.  |  IP: Logged Marco Giustini Film God Posts: 2713 From: Reading, UK Registered: Nov 2007 posted 07-13-2014 12:11 PM                     I respect your opinion but I politely disagree. As I said, NTP is very fussy and WILL NOT trust a server which is struggling to sync - even though it's synced. NTP have lots of tools but they are not very user friendly. It took quite a lot of time to understand it a little. If the NTP works well on the server, the 745/862 will trust it and will sync to it. I can confirm I have just checked three systems I set up in the past. I had to adjust the 745 during installation time (one was beyond the 6 minutes out of the box!) but as today the two 745 and one 862 are synced down to the second when checking on the GUI.  |  IP: Logged

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