Echelon i.LON 600 LonWorks/IP Server - Manual (Page 71)

Section 2: Advanced Topics
Using SNTP When Creating L
ON
W
ORKS
/IP Channels
In small IP networks where there is no appreciable latency, it is not necessary to specify
an SNTP server for your L
ON W ORKS /IP channel.
However, when creating L ON W ORKS /IP channels that span large IP networks, like the
Internet, where large network delays may be present, you must specify an SNTP time
server for the L
ON W ORKS /IP channel. Specifying a time server allows each participant in
the channel to synchronize to a common time base. Time synchronization is required to
implement some of the L
ON W ORKS protocol’s messaging services. For example, the
L ON W ORKS protocol’s stale packet detection algorithm requires a common time base to
function properly.
You can specify SNTP servers at three levels: system, channel, and device. Each device
and channel may be configured to synchronize to its own SNTP servers, or default to the
next level up. For example, a device can default to its channel SNTP servers, and a
channel can default to its system SNTP servers.
Specifying System SNTP Servers
To specify the system SNTP servers, follow these steps:
1. In the Configuration Server, select Settings from the Network menu and click on the
SNTP tab as shown in Figure 36 .
Figure 36. Setting the System SNTP Server
2. Enter the IP addresses or host names of the SNTP servers. Note that the SNTP server
IP addresses should be static. Leave the default port numbers of 123. Ensure that the
Use the SNTP server on device and the Run the SNTP client in the
Configuration Server checkboxes are checked. The Use the SNTP server on
device checkbox allows you to specify the default SNTP system server. The Run the
i.LON 600 User’s Guide 63