How to configure NTP server on ASA using hostname

[zheka_pefti]

Is this forum alive? I'd rather say all real network pros abandoned it.

Can someone please tell me how to configure the ASA with NTP server hostnames. I want to explicitly use hostnames as a particular NTP hostname is actually a pool of hosts with different IP addresses. One of them goes down the other one takes over.

ASA(config)# ntp server ?

configure mode commands/options:

Hostname or A.B.C.D IP address of peer

I'm trying to use Hostname and fail.

ASA(config)# ntp server 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

^

ERROR: % Invalid Hostname

DNS is enabled and I can resolve this hostname into the IP address:

ASA(config)# ping inside 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

Type escape sequence to abort.

Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 216.194.70.2, timeout is 2 seconds:

[Collin Clark]

Unfortunately the lookup is done locally and not via DNS.

fw-1(config)# ntp server 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

^

ERROR: % Invalid Hostname

But once you add the hostname locally, it works. Also note that the hostname must start with a letter!

fw-1(config)# name 1.1.1.1 ca.pool.ntp.org

fw-1(config)# ntp server ca.pool.ntp.org

Hope that helps.

[zheka_pefti]

Thanks, Collin. It would work like a charm but the original idea was to use a hostname for a pool of NTP servers and this pool consists of a number of hosts that could be changed without a notice.

[mclean.danny]

Is this still not possible in the newer versions of code?

[Peter Zsiros]

Nope, this is still missing.

I could not even find an enhancement bug.

Sad.

[kameronr.chan1]

So even if DNS servers are configured in the ASA you still cannot use hostnames in place of NTP servers? 

[Peter Zsiros]

Yes, that is the case.

Or at least it was a year ago. I have not tested since my comment.