Atomic lcoks precision
What is a network time server?
A network time server is a hardware device that utilises a single time source and distributes it amongst a network to ensure all computers and devices are telling the same time.
What is NTP?
Network Time Protocol is a protocol designed to distribute time across computers. NTP uses an algorithm to work out drift and inaccuracies and compensates for them ensuring all devices on a network are synchronised.
What is UTC?
This article explains the benefits of a dedicated NTP server
Just as your computer is only as good as the software it is running, a time server is only as useful as the timing source it uses. Time servers are similar to other servers in that they are located on a network but the primary function of a time server is to supply timing information rather than storing or routing data.
For computers a time stamp is the only point of a reference a computer can use to establish a sequence of events. Timestamps are used in everything from sending an email to debugging a system and ensuring your network is secure.
This article explains the benefits of a dedicated NTP server
Just as your computer is only as good as the software it is running, a time server is only as useful as the timing source it uses. Time servers are similar to other servers in that they are located on a network but the primary function of a time server is to supply timing information rather than storing or routing data.
For computers a time stamp is the only point of a reference a computer can use to establish a sequence of events. Timestamps are used in everything from sending an email to debugging a system and ensuring your network is secure.
This article explains the basics of NTP servers
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:”";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
NTP servers or Network Time Protocol are devices that
connect to a computer network and synchronise all machines to a single time source. Of course most
Windows operating systems have an
inbuilt NTP program called Windows Time that can synchronise to an Internet time
source; however, these can not be authenticated and can leave a computer
network open to abuse.
This
article describes how to configure Windows to act as an authoritative time
server using NTP (Network Time Protocol).
Computer time synchronisation is highly
important in modern computer networks, precision and time synchronization is
critical in many applications, particularly time sensitive transactions. Just
imagine buying an airline seat only to be told at the airport that the ticket
was sold twice because it was purchased afterwards on a computer that had a
slower clock!
This article explores the way computers all
over the world can communicate with each other using NTP and UTC time.
The world
is becoming an ever smaller place. Modern technology means that it is just as
easy to make a purchase from the other side of the world as it is buy something
from our local high street.
Everything
from hotels and airline tickets to jewellery and clothes can now be bought from
the other side of the world with just a click of mouse.
This article attempts to explain NTP (Network Time Protocol) and how it is utilised in time servers to synchronise computer networks.
A Guide to NTP and Computer Network Time Synchronisation
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is one of the Internet’s
oldest protocols. In use for over 25 years, NTP is still under development
with version 4 currently in progress. Put simply, NTP is a computer
protocol that is used to
synchronise the clocks of computer systems; usually to an
authoritative time reference such as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time or Temps Universel Coordonné)
which became the international standard of time after the development of
atomic clocks.
Thi article explains the importance of using an authenticated timing reference when using a NTP time server (Network Time Protocol)
NTP
(Network Time Protocol) synchronises networks to a single time source using
timestamps to represent the current time of the day, this is essential for time
sensitive transactions and many system applications such as email.
NTP is
therefore vulnerable to security threats, whether from a malicious hacker who
wants to alter the timestamp to commit fraud or a DDoS attack (Distributed
Denial of Service - normally caused by malicious malware that floods a server
with traffic) that blocks server access.