 Reference Time Source This option allows you to specify how PresenTense Time Server obtains accurate time. Possible options are : a) SNTP Time Source : Obtain accurate time from another time server on your local area network or the public internet from servers supporting common time protocols. Selecting this option will enable the SNTP Time Source tab . b) Local System Clock : Assume that the local system clock reflects accurate time. Most computer clocks are subject to a drift and thus do not remain synchronized to accurate time. However, some GPS clocks provide their own software to synchronize the local system to their GPS hardware. If you have one of these units and wish to use PresenTense Time Server to distribute time to clients on your network, use the Local BIOS clock option. As of version 4.0, this option is available using the "Undisciplined local clock" driver via the NTP4 plug-in in the GPS Clock tab. c) NTP Time Source : Use the free NTP4 plug-in DLL. The NTP4 plug-in is shipped with all versions of PresenTense Time Server and supports NTP network time servers. This will activate the NTP Time Source tab. See NTP4 Plug-In. d) Local GPS Clock : Using the NTP4 plug-in DLL. The NTP4 plug-in is shipped with all versions of PresenTense Time Server and supports many GPS clocks. An option to use the local bios clock is also provided. See GPS Clock. Alarm Notification If you wish to be notified via email if PresenTense Time Server is unable to contact the time source, set the parameters as follows: To E-Mail address - the email address to which the messages should be sent. From Address - the email address for sending the messages. SMTP User Name - user name if SMTP Auth is required. On many servers, this is your email address. SMTP Password - password for the above user name. SMTP Server - IP address, NetBIOS or DNS name of the mail server. Event Logging Use this option to enable/disable event logging the Windows NT application event log and to specify what message types qualify for logging SysLog Click the SysLog button to configure SysLog event logging and line printer support. See also SysLog Configuration. Maximum Clock Correction This option limits the number of seconds by which PresenTense Server will adjust its own system clock. This prevents serious time server errors from propagating across the network. It is recommended to override this option for initial clock adjustment to allow PresenTense to make adjustments as necessary on system startup. Desktop Settings The desktop settings comprise the following sub-options: Load skin at startup : Activate application theme when starting GUI Show taskbar at login : Activate system tray icon when logging on Advanced Settings The advanced settings comprise the following sub-options : Excluded interfaces : Control which interfaces are bound to when the service starts Advanced logging: Some of the engines support advanced logging and it can be turned on here COM port retry: If the COM port is not available when the service starts, it can be polled at configurable intervals. This setting also controls how the service behaves when a USB disconnect message is received. Special options Serve local time instead of UTC/GMT: Serve the local time (corrected for offset from UTC/GMT and DST if applicable). Local Clock Stratum: Fudging the local clock stratum can be necessary if you are using the undiscipined local BIOS clock as a true time source. Many devices will not accept a time server which has a stratum which is too high. Raise Service Priority: On a busy server which has many processes running, PresenTense Time Server's priority can be raised give better performance and accuracy. No Default NTP Server: By default if you choose NTP Time Source or GPS Clock without setting a Fallback, PresenTense Time Server will enter a default server for you. Sometimes this is not desirable and can cause alarm messages when operated behind a firewall. Choose this option to stop a default server being entered. Update CMOS clock every: The CMOS/BIOS clocks on many motherboards can drift while Windows is in operating. This causes a problem when the operating system is rebooted as it uses the drifted time until synchronization is achieved. To minimize the drift, PresenTense Time Server can update the CMOS/BIOS clock at regular intervals. See Advanced Settings for more information on how to configure these options. NOTE : Making configuration changes through the control panel applet requires administrator privileges. |