Date & Time

Accurate timekeeping is essential for effective server management. When the BMC's time is correct, it ensures that all system logs, event timestamps, and certificates are valid and can be correlated accurately across your entire network.

This chapter shows you how to set the BMC's clock manually and how to configure it to synchronize automatically with a time server.

Setting the date and time manually

You can set the time directly if the server is in an isolated network without access to an NTP server.

1. In the sidebar menu, navigate to Settings > Date and time.

2. Select the Manual configuration option.

3. Enter the current Date in YYYY-MM-DD format.

4. Enter the current Time in HH:MM format (24-hour clock).

5. Select the correct Timezone from the dropdown list.

6. Click Save settings.

[Image, EXISTING, Source: 7.2: Screenshot of the Date and time page showing both Manual and NTP configuration options.]

Synchronizing time with an NTP server

Using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) is the recommended method for all production servers. It ensures the BMC's clock is always accurate and synchronized with a reliable source.

1. On the Date and time page, select the NTP configuration option.

2. Enter the IP address or hostname of your primary NTP server in the Server 1 field (e.g., pool.ntp.org).

3. (Optional) You can enter backup NTP servers in the Server 2 and Server 3 fields for redundancy.

4. Click Save settings.

Best Practice: Use NTP for consistency

Always use NTP to synchronize time across all your servers and network devices. This practice is critical for troubleshooting, as it allows you to build an accurate timeline of events when investigating an issue that involves multiple systems.