What is the first step in the NTP integration process?

Enabling the Windows Time service and setting it to Automatic (Delayed Start) is a critical first step in the NTP integration process because it ensures that the operating system can properly synchronize its clock with an NTP server. This synchronization is essential for maintaining time consistency across various components of the CyberArk environment, especially since accurate timestamps are crucial for security logs and auditing. If the Windows Time service is not enabled or properly configured, the system may not be able to communicate effectively with the NTP server, leading to time discrepancies that could impact security solutions, user access, and system functionality.

By setting the service to Automatic (Delayed Start), you allow it to start up automatically when the system boots, providing the added benefit of ensuring that it initializes after other services that might depend on it. This approach lays a solid foundation for subsequent steps in the NTP integration process, such as establishing firewall exceptions or addressing time skew, which become necessary only after the service is confirmed to be functioning correctly.