After the time zone string, the next three lines displayed on the server console define the daylight-savings time configuration. The fifth and sixth lines indicate whether or not time synchronization is active on this server and whether or not the server's time is synchronized with the reference servers in your company's network. Finally, the seventh and eighth lines display the current date and time both in UTC and in the server's time zone. Synthetic time allows NDS to continue providing time stamps to NDS and the server even if the date and time have been set into the future. For example, if you add a User object to a server whose time has been set into the future, the User object can be replicated because of synthetic time.
Synthetic time allows a valid time stamp to be created for an object.
The time stamp created is not based on the future date and time but instead on the last time stamp known on the server. Without synthetic time, the object cannot be replicated across the network because NDS does not recognize time stamps in the future. According to Novell, synthetic time will not damage the NDS tree or its objects if time synchronization on the server with the future date and time is reset. Ensure that you have configured each NetWare server as the appropriate type of time server. Another common cause of NDS problems is not properly configuring the time servers on your company's network.