basic NTP configuration on Huawei devices

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is one of the oldest Internet protocols. It is used for clock
synchronization between computer systems over packet-switched data networks. Because it
was designed to operate in variable-latency environment, NTP can achieve up to 1
millisecond accuracy in local area networks and tens of milliseconds when running over the
Internet. NTP can be a very useful tool especially, when we want to correlate issues during
network failures.
It is important to remember that NTP uses hierarchical system of levels of clock sources,
which is called a stratum.
At the top of this hierarchy we have a stratum-0 devices, which act as a reference clocks.
These are usually atomic clocks which has little or no delay associated with it. The reference
clock typically synchronizes to the correct time (UTC) using GPS, Irig-B, etc.
Devices which are directly connected (usually via RS-232, not over a network path) to the
stratum-0 servers are called stratum-1 servers. Stratum-2 server is connected to the stratum-1
server over a network path. Thus, a stratum-2 server gets its time via NTP protocol from a
stratum-1 server. A stratum-3 server gets its time via NTP from stratum-2 server, and so on.
So the stratum level simply defines its distance from the reference clock.
How to configure NTP on Huawei devices?
Look at the lab topology:

We want to configure our devices:

Labnario1 router to be the NTP Server with the stratum being 2.

Labnario2 router to be the NTP Client of labnario1.
Labnario3 router to be the NTP Client of labnario1. In case of the serial link failure,
Labnario3 should synchronize its clock with labnario2.

Lets start with labnario1:

[labnario1]display ntp-service status
clock status: synchronized
clock stratum: 2
reference clock ID: LOCAL(0)
nominal frequency: 64.0000 Hz
actual frequency: 64.0000 Hz
clock precision: 2^7
clock offset: 0.0000 ms
root delay: 0.00 ms
root dispersion: 26.49 ms
peer dispersion: 10.00 ms
reference time: 19:09:07.422 UTC Nov 11 2012(D44A7653.6C189374)
synchronization state: clock synchronized

Now we can configure labnario2 to be the NTP client of labnario1:

[labnario2]ntp-service unicast-server 192.168.0.1
[labnario2]display ntp-service status
clock status: synchronized
clock stratum: 3
reference clock ID: 192.168.0.1
nominal frequency: 64.0000 Hz
actual frequency: 64.0000 Hz
clock precision: 2^7
clock offset: 7.6511 ms
root delay: 15.63 ms
root dispersion: 75.03 ms
peer dispersion: 34.30 ms
reference time: 19:11:28.156 UTC Nov 11 2012(D44A76E0.28189374)
synchronization state: clock synchronized

As you can see, labnario2 treats labnario1 as a reference clock and has a clock stratum of 3.
This means that it is one level below labnario1 in the NTP hierarchy. Lets look how this
association works.

This type of association is created upon arrival of a client request message and exists only in
order to reply to the request, after which the association is dissolved. Labnario2 is in client
mode in its association with labnario1.
Lets configure labnario3:
[labnario3]ntp-service unicast-server 150.100.0.1
[labnario3]ntp-service unicast-peer 172.16.0.2

[labnario3]display ntp-service status

clock status: synchronized
clock stratum: 3
reference clock ID: 150.100.0.1
nominal frequency: 64.0000 Hz
actual frequency: 64.0000 Hz
clock precision: 2^7
clock offset: 6.8659 ms
root delay: 15.63 ms
root dispersion: 62.00 ms
peer dispersion: 34.29 ms
reference time: 19:16:58.312 UTC Nov 11 2012(D44A782A.50189374)
synchronization state: clock synchronized

Labnario3 is now synchronized with labnario1. Lets check what happens when labnario3
looses its connectivity with labnario1. To do this, I want to remove IP address configuration
from serial interface of labnario1.
[labnario1]int s0/0/0
[labnario1-Serial0/0/0]undo ip address
[labnario1-Serial0/0/0]

Lets check clock synchronization on labnario3 again:

Nov 11 2012 20:28:42-08:00 labnario3 %%01NTP/4/SOURCE_LOST(l)[0]:System
synchronization
source
lost.
(SourceAddress=150.100.0.1,
Reason=Clock
selection failed - no selectable clock)
Nov 11 2012 20:29:27-08:00 labnario3
selected by the system is 172.16.0.2.

%%01NTP/4/PEER_SELE(l)[1]:The

peer

Nov 11 2012 20:29:27-08:00 labnario3 %%01NTP/4/STRATUM_CHANGE(l)[3]:System

stratum changes from 16 to 4. (SourceAddress=172.16.0.2)
[labnario3]display ntp-service status
clock status: synchronized
clock stratum: 4
reference clock ID: 172.16.0.2
nominal frequency: 64.0000 Hz
actual frequency: 64.0000 Hz
clock precision: 2^7
clock offset: 0.0000 ms
root delay: 15.63 ms
root dispersion: 107.43 ms
peer dispersion: 80.96 ms
reference time: 19:34:48.922 UTC Nov 11 2012(D44A7C58.EC189374)
synchronization state: clock synchronized

Now labnario3 takes its time from labnario2. As a result, clock stratum has changed to 4. This
is because now we have one hop count more to labnario1 after topology change.
Lets look at the association between labnario3 and labnario2 a little bit closer. Labnario3 is
now configured in symmetric active mode and labnario2 acts as a symmetric passive.
Command ntp-service unicast-peer can be entered on either side of this association (but not
on both sides). This is because Huawei devices are in NTP symmetric passive mode by
default. Look at the packet capture how labnario3 exchanges NTP packets with labnario2:

Lets bring serial connectivity between labnario1 and labnario3 back up and check labnario3
again:
Nov 11 2012 20:43:52-08:00 labnario3 %%01NTP/4/PEER_SELE(l)[4]:The peer
selected by the system is 150.100.0.1.
Nov 11 2012 20:43:52-08:00 labnario3 %%01NTP/4/STRATUM_CHANGE(l)[5]:System
stratum changes from 4 to 3. (SourceAddress=150.100.0.1)
[labnario3]display ntp-service status
clock status: synchronized
clock stratum: 3
reference clock ID: 150.100.0.1
nominal frequency: 64.0000 Hz
actual frequency: 64.0000 Hz
clock precision: 2^7
clock offset: 7.7026 ms
root delay: 15.63 ms
root dispersion: 55.84 ms
peer dispersion: 34.30 ms
reference time: 19:44:58.859 UTC Nov 11 2012(D44A7EBA.DC189374)
synchronization state: clock synchronized

Labnario3 now synchronizes its clock with labnario1 again with a clock stratum of 3.
For NTP troubleshooting use the following commands:
debugging ntp-service ?
access
Access control debugging functions
adjustment
Clock adjustment debugging functions
all
All debugging functions
authentication
Identity authentication debugging functions
event
Event debugging functions
filter
Loop filtering information debugging functions
packet
Packet debugging functions
parameter
Clock parameter debugging functions
refclock
Reference clock debugging functions
selection
Clock selection information debugging functions
synchronization Clock synchronization information debugging functions
validity
Validity test debugging functions