1

Hello,

Its possible to use Linux Redhat or CentOS as a time source for Windows Clients ?

I have created a linux machine with Chronyd services, configured the chrony.conf file to allow the local network and then created a group policy on Windows domain. Date and time is manually configured on the Linux server because there is no internet.

Linux Server IP is added in the policy with NT5DS settings, the policy is applied on the windows clients but still they are synching time from the DC.

Kindly also advise what to do if the Internet is not allowed in network and we need one NTP server for all local windows clients.

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2

Yes.

If you’re setting time manually, why not do this on the DC and avoid another box to manage?

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3

Active directory clients should get their time from the domain controllers. You can set up Chrony on a machine, but you would not point the clients to it. You would point the domain controller holding the PDCe FSMO role to it. It will sync time from Linux server, and then the clients will sync time from the domain controllers.

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4

You might consider configuring the PDC to use only your Linux device as its authoritative time source. Then, your clients get time from the domain. That should keep everything in sync, and would require no configuration on the endpoints.

With some work on reviewing other non-windows systems, printers, appliances, and servers, you could block all NTP inquiries outbound to the Internet except from the Linux system. Setup a firewall rule to log any NTP requests going to outside systems and review occasionally to understand what other devices may need their NTP server adjusted.

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