Configuration Guide for Cisco Optical Site Manager, IOS XR Release 26.x.x

Configure NTP servers for node time synchronization

Updated: October 14, 2026

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Learn how to configure primary and backup Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers to ensure accurate date and time synchronization for a NCS 2000 node. Synchronization is critical for alarms, log generation, and coordination with other network elements.

Set up primary and secondary NTP servers so the node always maintains the correct time.

Accurate time synchronization ensures reliable alarm reporting, generates log entries, and supports coordination across network devices. If the primary NTP server is unreachable, the node switches to the backup server. If neither server is available, the system raises an alarm.

Before you begin

Log into Cisco Optical Site Manager

Follow these steps to configure NTP servers for the node:

Procedure

Click Settings.
Click the NTP tab.
Click Edit.

The NTP fields become editable.

Enter the Server Address and Backup Server Address.

Server Address—Enter the IP address of the primary NTP server.
Backup Server Address—Enter the IP address of the secondary NTP server.

The node checks the availability of the primary NTP server first. If it is unavailable, the node checks the secondary NTP server.

Table 1. NTP Server Behavior
If...	Then...
The primary NTP server is reachable	The node synchronizes its date and time with the primary server.
The primary NTP server fails or is unreachable	The node uses the secondary NTP server to synchronize date and time.
Both NTP servers are unreachable	The SNTP-FAIL alarm is raised until synchronization is restored.

The node retries synchronization at regular intervals and synchronizes its date and time every hour. The system clears the SNTP-FAIL alarm upon successful synchronization.

Click Apply.

A confirmation message appears.
Click Yes to confirm the update to initiate synchronization.

The node synchronizes its date and time with the configured NTP server.

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