[ntp:questions] NTP configuration for a two node cluster

[Brad Knowles]

At 10:27 AM -0300 2004-10-05, Enrique Siepe wrote:

>              I have a two node cluster configured as peer to peer for
>  NTP. These Sun/Solaris  machines are NTP servers for a set of clients
>  machines. Now is required to synchronize the cluster to the stratum-1
>  NTP server of the company network. Does anybody knows which is the
>  better configuration  to do this ? Should I keep the peer to peer
>  synchronization and add the two nodes as client of the stratum-1 server
>  ?

	You should take a look at 
<http://ntp.isc.org/bin/view/Support/SelectingOffsiteNTPServers>.  In 
the general case, having just two upstream time servers is the worst 
possible configuration, but I don't know how that issue plays in a 
peer/peer environment versus server/client.  Generally speaking, you 
really want at least four upstream time servers, for the reasons 
explained on this page.

	That said, if you have existing peer/peer servers and you now 
want to sync them to a given Stratum-1 upstream server, it is best to 
keep the peer/peer relationship and add the server/client 
relationship with the Stratum-1 upstream time server.  The peer/peer 
and server/client issues are also dealt with at 
<http://ntp.isc.org/bin/view/Support/DesigningYourNTPNetwork>.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org>

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

     -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), reply of the Pennsylvania
     Assembly to the Governor, November 11, 1755

   SAGE member since 1995.  See <http://www.sage.org/> for more info.