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Cisco Small Business 200 1.1 Series Smart Switch Administration Guide  34
 
System Time
Network time synchronization is critical because every aspect of managing, 
securing, planning, and debugging a network involves determining when events 
occur. Time provides a frame of reference between all devices on the network.
Without synchronized time, accurately correlating log files between devices, for 
instance when tracking security breaches or network usage, is not possible. 
Problems affecting a large number of components can be nearly impossible to 
track if timestamps in logs are inaccurate. 
Time also reduces confusion in shared file systems, as it is important for the 
modification times to be consistent, regardless of the machine on which the files 
systems reside. 
For these reasons, it is important that the time configured on the all devices on the 
network be accurate.
NOTE The switch supports Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) and when enabled, the 
switch dynamically synchronizes the switch time with the SNTP server time. The 
switch operates only as an SNTP client, and cannot provide time services to other 
devices. 
This section describes the options for configuring system time, time zone, and 
Daylight Savings Time (DST). It includes the following topics: 
• System Time Options
• Configuring System Time
• Adding an SNTP Server
• Defining SNTP Authentication