Learn How to Check Server Time with Linux Command

Introduction

In the world of server administration, it is crucial to be able to check the server time accurately. This information helps in troubleshooting issues, calculating system performance, and ensuring synchronization with other servers. In this article, we will learn how to check the server time using Linux commands.

1. Checking the Server Time

Linux provides several commands to check the server time. Two commonly used commands are:

1.1. Date Command

The date command in Linux displays the current date and time according to the system's configured time zone.?

date

The output will display the current date and time in the following format:

Wed Sep 29 15:26:34 UTC 2021

Here, the date and time are displayed in the format: Weekday Month Day-of-month HH:MM:SS Timezone Year.

1.2. Timedatectl Command

The timedatectl command allows system administrators to view and modify the system clock and time zone settings on a Linux system.

timedatectl

The output will display information about the system clock, including the current time and date, time zone, and whether the system clock is synchronized with NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers.

2. Setting the Server Time

If you need to set the server time, you can use the date command with the appropriate options and format to set the date and time in Linux.

sudo date --set="2021-09-30 10:30:00"

This command sets the server time to September 30, 2021, 10:30 AM.

2.1. Synchronizing Time with NTP

To ensure accurate timekeeping, it is recommended to synchronize the server time with NTP servers. Linux provides the ntpdate command for this purpose.

sudo ntpdate pool.ntp.org

This command synchronizes the server time with the NTP server "pool.ntp.org".

3. Checking the Hardware Clock

In addition to the system clock, Linux also maintains a hardware clock (also known as the Real-Time Clock or RTC) that keeps track of time when the system is powered off. You can check the hardware clock using the following command:

sudo hwclock

The output will display the current hardware clock time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, accurately checking the server time is essential for server administration tasks. Linux provides several commands, such as the date and timedatectl commands, for checking the system time and date. Additionally, it is advised to synchronize the server time with NTP servers using the ntpdate command for reliable timekeeping. Remember to also check the hardware clock for accurate timekeeping when the system is powered off. Having precise server time ensures system performance, troubleshooting accuracy, and synchronization with other systems.