This is a practical demonstration on configuring an NTP server and effectively synchronizing it with ICX switches.
In this particular case, we will be using the meinbergglobal application, but feel free to choose any other NTP server or Windows server as per your preference.
1-Download the app, proceed with the installation, and then open it.
https://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/sw/ntp.htm
2-Proceed by clicking "Next" until you get to the configuration section.
3-In the configuration state, you have the flexibility to employ multiple NTP server domains or IP addresses. For this particular scenario, will use the IP address of a local machine directly connected to the ICX-8200, simulating an air-gapped NTP server.
4- After clicking "Next," a configuration file in Notepad will open, displaying the current settings, which can be customized according to your preferences.
To ensure compatibility with certain devices that do not support it, we need to remove the "iburst" option from the configuration file. Once the modification is made, save the file.
Note:The remaining options will be left at their default settings but feel free to edit them as per your preferences.
5- After selecting "Next," the NTP server will start automatically, requiring no further action. Simply proceed by clicking "Finish" to complete the process.
6-To check the status of the NTP server, you can navigate to the installation directory where it is located.
In this case is located in C:\Program Files (x86)\NTP\bin
7-To ensure the air-gapped functionality of this NTP server, it is crucial to verify that the PC is not synchronized with any external NTP server. It is recommended to disable any automatic synchronization processes or settings that could potentially establish a connection with external NTP servers.
8-In the configuration of the Switch it is the following:
Global configuration mode
ICX8200-48PF2 Router(config)#ntp
ICX8200-48PF2 Router(config-ntp)#server <NTP_server_address>ICX8200-48PF2 Router(config)#ntp
ICX8200-48PF2 Router(config-ntp)#server 192.168.0.50
After a brief synchronization period, we can confirm the status by executing the command:
show ntp status - show ntp associations
Note: Make sure your Switch is on the correct time zone
