[ntp:questions] Best practice: re-resolve server IP address before each poll/query

Bruce Thompson drllama at otherother.com
Sat Jun 23 00:57:22 UTC 2007


Rod Dorman wrote:
> In article <obbtk4-h18.ln1 at www.otherother.com>,
> Bruce Thompson  <drllama at otherother.com> wrote:
>>  ...
>> There is definitely a problem with the DNS lookup, and with the issue of 
>> "load balancing" and statistics management, what about servers that are 
>> sitting on dynamic IP addresses?
> 
> A server with a dynamic IP address is an oxymoron.
> 

While true, there are an awful lot of systems out there with a permanent 
"presence" due to DynamicDNS and the like. Many of these machines are 
being run by technically savvy individuals who host their own domains 
but are unable to have a static address or colo due to either financial 
constraints, or availability of reasonably priced static ISP service.

To turn one's nose up at these systems is to ignore a community that 
could be tapped to help spread the load.

I'm a perfect case in point. I could colo my server, but it's not worth 
the additional expense. If I did not have a static address available to 
me I'd be using one of the DynamicDNS services. I'm hardly a neophyte, 
having been running Linux since the early 0.99 days and making my living 
doing development on FreeBSD based systems. I find it gratifying to know 
that it is still feasible for motivated and savvy individuals to provide 
network services that help the Internet as a whole, that the net hasn't 
been completely taken over by the Big Boys(tm).

I think the net as a whole benefits from every time we come up with a 
way to reduce the barrier to entry rather than increasing it. If there's 
a feasible way for hosts with dynamic IP addresses to act as NTP servers 
then why not encourage that?

Cheers,
Bruce.




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