NTP Pool Reaches 1000 Servers, Needs More

hgerstung writes "This weekend the NTP Pool Project reached the milestone of 1000 servers in the pool. That means that in less than two years the number of servers has doubled. This is happy news, but the 'time backbone' of the Internet, provided for free by volunteers operating NTP servers, requires still more servers in order to cope with the demand. Millions of users are synchronizing their PC's system clock from the pool and a number of popular Linux distributions are using the NTP pool servers as a time source in their default ntp configuration. If you have a static IP address and your PC is always connected to the Internet, please consider joining the pool. Bandwidth is not an issue and you will barely notice the extra load on your machine."

Comments

Google

[Seumas]

This sounds like a job for Google.

Seriously. They are working to own every other bit of information. Why not "own" the method by which machines maintain time by throwing a thousand machines at it (an insignificant number compared to the 500k or more that make up their own server farm).

huh?

[adamruck]

"Bandwidth is not an issue and you will barely notice the extra load on your machine."

If that is the case, why do they need more servers?

Re:huh?

[ls -la]

There really should be an "Oops" button after you mod something; I've never done this myself but I've seen at least 2 or 3 of this type of message in the last few days.

Better way To Do This

[nuintari]

I think that a better method could be used to encourage diversity. They should take a page from the root DNS servers, or Akamai. Either use BGP anycast, which is what most of the root dns servers do now, which will probably never happen. Or, have a zone that network carriers should use on their local DNS servers, and by way of DNS lookups, encourage their customers to use. ntp.org has a default set of values for say time.overload.ntp.org that reflects the current pool. But I, as an ISP make my DNS servers directly answer queries for overload.ntp.org, and make entires such as:

time IN A 1.2.3.4
time IN A 1.2.3.5

where 1.2.3.4 and 1.2.3.5 are ntp servers on my local network. I don't allow people off my network to query my DNS servers for recursive queries, and the ntp.org DNS servers never tell anyone to use my name servers for this space anyways. This would mean that only my customers that use my DNS servers (about 99%) of them, would ever get answers for my time servers, and they would definitely be close.

And anyone whose network carrier doesn't bother to set this up, still gets generic answers from ntp.org. This works much better than just a big pool full of 1000 servers worldwide, even if you bother to use the country code dns regions, you still aren't always getting an ntp server anywhere near you.

Re:Better way To Do This

[Charles Dodgeson]

You are absolutely correct that if network carriers provided NTP services properly on their nets, then the pool wouldn't be necessary. If you go through Usenet archives you can read the history and discussion behind the creation of the pool. Everyone realizes that the pool is an inferior solution that we are stuck with because the network access service providers won't do their job.

The next time I've got a free two hours for self-torture, I'll call Verizon Business customer support and ask them about NTP service. (It will take that long to be transfered to someone who understands the question.)

atomic clock to PC connection?

[zogger]

Like a lot of guys here, we have an atomic self setting clock that works from radio broadcast. They are cheap now and work very well. What I am wondering is, do they make some sort of attachment clock, so it can set your computer's time that way? Like an atomic clock/usb cable connect thingee? Seems like if they did, we wouldn't need all these NTP servers, the government does the radio broadcasting and it is as accurate as it gets.

Re:Free GPS time equipment!

[EraserMouseMan]

Only if you already have a server in the NTP pool. And even then, they only get freebies to give away every few months. Then they decide from the applicants who gets them. So your chances are probably pretty slim. The long-timers will get them first.