Set NTP Server information using powerCLI

[TheVMinator]

How can I set NTP server settings on a group of ESXi hosts using powerCLI?  I want to set my primary and secondary NTP server names, and configure them all to have the NTP server service start with the host.

Thanks!

[LucD]

Like this

Get-VMHost | Add-VMHostNtpServer -NtpServer myntpserver

[TheVMinator]

great thanks.  Is it also possible to set the value for making the ntp client service start automatically with the host as opposed to having to be manually started when the host restarts?

[Josh26]

This set of commands is aprt of our standard build process.

#Configure NTP server

Add-VmHostNtpServer -VMHost $esx -NtpServer servername

#Allow NTP queries outbound through the firewall

Get-VMHostFirewallException -VMHost $esx | where {$_.Name -eq "NTP client"} | Set-VMHostFirewallException -Enabled:$true

#Start NTP client service and set to automatic

Get-VmHostService -VMHost $esx | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Start-VMHostService

Get-VmHostService -VMHost $esx | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Set-VMHostService -policy "automatic"

[RAJ_RAJ]

Hi  ,

use these commands

Check and COnfigure NTP on all ESXI hosts

> Get-VMHost | Get-VmHostService | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"}

Key       Label         Policy     Running  Required

---       -----         ------     -------  --------

ntpd     NTP Daemon       on         True     False

ntpd     NTP Daemon       on         True     False

ntpd     NTP Daemon       off        False    False

ntpd     NTP Daemon       off        False    False

> Get-VMHost | Get-VMHostFirewallException | where {$_.Name -eq "NTP client"}

Name         Enabled  OutgoingPorts  Protocols  ServiceRunning

----         -------  -------------  ---------  --------------

NTP Client   True        123            UDP        True

NTP Client   True        123            UDP        True

NTP Client   False       123            UDP        False

NTP Client   False       123            UDP        False

NTP Client   False       123            UDP        False

>Get-VMHost | Add-VMHostNtpServer 192.168.1.1

> Get-VMHost | Get-VMHostFirewallException | where {$_.Name -eq "NTP client"} |Set-VMHostFirewallException -Enabled:$true

Name                 Enabled  OutgoingPorts  Protocols  ServiceRunning

----                 -------  -------------  ---------  --------------

NTP Client           True      123            UDP        True

NTP Client           True      123            UDP        True

NTP Client           True      123            UDP        False

NTP Client           True      123            UDP        False

> Get-VMHost | Get-VmHostService | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Start-VMHostService

Key    Label         Policy     Running  Required

---    -----         ------     -------  --------

ntpd  NTP Daemon     on         True     False

ntpd  NTP Daemon     on         True     False

ntpd  NTP Daemon     off        True     False

ntpd  NTP Daemon     off        True     False

> Get-VMhost | Get-VmHostService | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Set-VMHostService -policy "automatic"

Key    Label         Policy     Running  Required

---    -----         ------     -------  --------

ntpd   NTP Daemon   automatic  True     False

ntpd   NTP Daemon   automatic  True     False

ntpd   NTP Daemon   automatic  True     False

Note:- Get-VMhost  "ESXIHOSTNAME"  , if you use this you can apply these setting only to that HOST .

visit for more :-  vSphere Advanced Technics: Work With vSphere Power CLI

[jroseli1]

Thanks Raj, 

can you please explain what is that value "False" in heading "Required" means ?

 

Key       Label         Policy     Running  Required

---       -----         ------     -------  --------

ntpd     NTP Daemon       on         True     False

[TheVMinator]

Great thanks!

[mfunk]

Thanks all!

Here's a slight modification which will show the respective VMhost:

> Get-VMHost  |  Get-VmHostService | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | select vmhost, key, label, policy, running, required | Format-Table

VMHost            Key       Label             Policy   Running     Required

------            ---       -----             ------   -------     --------

10.10.10.139      ntpd      NTP Daemon        on       True        True

10.10.10.147      ntpd      NTP Daemon        on       True        True

10.10.10.140      ntpd      NTP Daemon        on       True        True

10.10.10.141      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

10.10.10.146      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

10.10.10.142      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

10.10.10.145      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

10.10.10.143      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

10.10.10.144      ntpd      NTP Daemon        off      False       False

[NelsonCandela]

To those of you who are looking for a way of scripting this please review the following information.

Firstly you create a new file called Set-NTP_ESXi-Hosts.csv.
In this file you place all of the ESXi hosts you want this NTP settings to be applied to.

hostname
host-name-001.DOMAIN.TLD
host-name-002.DOMAIN.TLD
host-name-003.DOMAIN.TLD
host-name-004.DOMAIN.TLD
host-name-005.DOMAIN.TLD
...

Secondly you save the following script as Set-NTP.ps1.

Clear-Host
$FilePath = "C:\your\path\to\the\PowerCLI-Script\Set-NTP_ESXi-Hosts.csv"
$FileContent = Import-CSV $FilePath
Foreach ($CsvLine in $FileContent)
{
    $esx = $CsvLine.hostname
    # Add NTP servers separately
    Add-VmHostNtpServer -VMHost $esx -NtpServer ntpserver1.ntpserver.com
    Add-VmHostNtpServer -VMHost $esx -NtpServer ntpserver2.ntpserver.com
    Add-VmHostNtpServer -VMHost $esx -NtpServer ntpserver3.ntpserver.com
    # Set the firewall regulation to allow traffic for NTP lookup
    Get-VMHostFirewallException -VMHost $esx | where {$_.Name -eq "NTP client"} | Set-VMHostFirewallException -Enabled:$true
    
    # Start NTP daemon and make it start automatically when needed
    Get-VmHostService -VMHost $esx | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Start-VMHostService
    Get-VmHostService -VMHost $esx | Where-Object {$_.key -eq "ntpd"} | Set-VMHostService -policy "automatic"
}

As you can see from line 11 on you specify the NTP servers to be passed on to each ESXi host given in the .csv file.

The rest is a combination of what's above: read the .csv file, loop through its entries, sets the NTP settings per host for as long as it find lines (and the servers of course) and that's it.

Of course you need to be connected to your vCenter first. This is done by the Connect-VIServer command, as you all know.

Maybe this is of help when you have a list of many servers (as I had, app. 80) where these settings should be applied.