The,Basics,NTP,Server,Normal,f computer The Basics of an NTP Server
Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a
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 thatconnect to a computer network and synchronise all machines to a single time source. Of course mostWindows operating systems have aninbuilt NTP program called Windows Time that can synchronise to an Internet timesource; however, these can not be authenticated and can leave a computernetwork open to abuse.NTP servers are normally rack mountable and take up 1U ofspace but some are built smaller for networks without a dedicated server room.NTP is based on UDP and requires TCP/IP.The timing source for an NTP server can either be taken froma specialist radio transmission that are broadcast from national physicslaboratories or from the GPS network.Radio time references are only broadcast by a few countries,in particular the US (WWVB), the UK (MSF), Germany (DCF), Japan (JJY), France(TDF), Switzerland (HBG) and China (BPM). However, depending on the distancefrom these transmissions it is possible to receive the signals in neighbouringcountries although being mainly long wave these signals are easily blocked bymountains, buildings and bad weather.If a NTP Server is in a location with a clear radio signal itis possible to receive the transmission indoors which has an advantage over theGPS system which requires and antenna with a clear view of the sky (although itis possible to receive a transmission near a window).GPS is however more accurate thanradio transmission and can provide accuracy to within a hundred nanoseconds (a nanosecondis 1 billionth of a second). They can also receive a signal from literallyanywhere in the world (as long as the antenna can get a clear view of the sky).NTP servers are extremely easy toinstall and just need to be provided with a static IP address and have itsinternal time synchronized with the external timing reference. Once synchronised(which can take up to an hour) the NTP server will continually ensure all theclocks on the network are running the correct time.Heightened security options such as authentication can alsobe used to ensure the NTP Server and network is secure from abuse.
The,Basics,NTP,Server,Normal,f