Can a Cat6500 be configured to be a ntp server?

[mnace]

Looking for documentation to setup Cat6500 switches running Version 12.1(19)E1 as a NTP Servers. I'm thinking of seting up local ip gateways on the L3 Switch to be the ntp server for each subnet. Your input is appreciated.

Background: I'm installing three cdma time servers on my campus as stratum1 servers. See: EndRun Technologies. I have five Cat6509's that I'd like to use as get time from the cdma servers using MD5 authentication. Then the Cat6509's would serve time to unauthenticated clients on the campus net.

I am working with someone who has experience with Marconi Routers that do work to serve ntp in this type of setup. TIA.

[Prashanth Krishnappa]

Sure. The following page should help

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/473/83.html

[Richard Burts]

I think the URL provided is an excellent resource for configuring NTP on the 6500 switch.

Just a couple of points I would add:

- as long as the 6500 is learning NTP from an authoritative source and can successfully sync to that source then the 6500 will offer time to other devices in your network.

- when a device like the 6500 is going to provide NTP to other devices, there are two modes it can operate in. It can operate in poll mode where the other device is configured with the 6500 as an NTP sorce and the remote device querries the 6500 for time and the 6500 responds to the specific querry. The other mode is broadcast mode. In this mode, which is especially suited when the devices needing time are PCs and workstations on VLANs connected to the switch, the switch does not wait for querries, instead it periodically sends out NTP packets on the VLAN to the broadcast address. This means that the PCs and workstations do not need to be configured with addresses of an NTP server. To do this your would configure on the VLAN interfaces "ntp broadcast".