[ntp:questions] Unexplained steps

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Tue Sep 4 21:29:56 UTC 2007


Pierre Dubuc wrote:
> Hi guys,
> 
> I'm totally confused by this series of snapshots below. Running 4.2.4p3 
> under NetBSD-3.1/patch, I started seeing some strange steps this 
> morning. I added some logging instructions in ntp.conf and restarted the 
> daemon, and the steps keep happening.
> 
> First, here are some billboards, showing things progressively getting 
> out of hands. I snipped the refid column to avoid wrapping.
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
>  bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u    1   64    1    8.071    1.161   0.002
>  menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u    -   64    1    7.487   -1.571   0.002
>  ecmail1.cmc.ec. .INIT.      16 u    -   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.002
>  time.nrc.ca     .INIT.      16 u    -   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.002
>  time1.chu.nrc.c .INIT.      16 u    -   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.002
>  sylvester.sraq. .INIT.      16 u    -   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.002
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u  100  128  377    6.343    2.477   2.026
> -menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  102  128  377    7.382    1.237   0.961
> -ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  106  128  377   10.624   -4.249   0.521
> *time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u   32  128  377   11.493    1.803   9.186
> +time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u   93  128  377   17.017    2.217   2.699
> -sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u   98  128  377   13.797   10.346   0.756
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u   85  256  377    6.331   -0.059   0.849
> +menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  212  256  377    8.284   -1.072   1.284
> -ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u   84  256  377    9.417   -7.653   0.451
> *time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u   21  256  377   11.581   -1.017  11.508
> +time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  203  256  377   16.252   -1.095   2.190
> -sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u  213  256  377   14.138    7.534   6.051
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u  438  512  377    9.630    0.052   1.002
> -menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  312  512  377    8.179   -4.392   2.506
> -ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  439  512  377    9.728   -8.261   0.517
> +time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u  378  512  377   12.012   -1.898  81.356
> *time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  302  512  377   17.256   -1.348   1.120
> -sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u   49  512  377   14.387    7.392   0.855
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u  518 1024  377    7.226   -1.739   2.720
> -menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  391 1024  377    9.156   -4.652   2.368
> -ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  516 1024  377    9.730   -8.009   1.276
> +time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u  457 1024  377   14.625    0.161  20.431
> *time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  891 1024  377   16.050   -1.957   0.468
> -sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u  637 1024  377   15.021    7.470   4.345
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 132.205.122. 3 u  827 1024  377    7.226   -1.739 499.407
> +menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  697 1024  377   10.374   -3.187 498.440
> +ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  822 1024  377   10.529   -7.725 499.646
> +time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u  766 1024  377   14.625    0.161  27.797
> *time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  172 1024  377  1014.49  496.743   0.644
> +sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u  945 1024  377   31.021   13.483 495.250
> 
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 132.205.122. 3 u  909 1024  377    7.226   -1.739 499.407
> +menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u  779 1024  377   10.374   -3.187 498.440
> +ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  904 1024  377   10.529   -7.725 499.646
> +time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u  848 1024  377   14.625    0.161  27.797
> *time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  254 1024  377  1014.49  496.743   0.644
> +sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u    4 1024  377  1016.93  508.733   2.030
> 
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
> +bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u  168 1024  377  1005.70  497.668   0.963
> -menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u   37 1024  377  1006.76  495.253   9.821
> +ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u  163 1024  377  1009.81  491.921   1.155
>  time.nrc.ca     132.246.168. 2 u  105 1024  377  1013.70  499.745 499.585
> *time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u  537 1024  377  1014.49  496.743   0.644
> -sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u  287 1024  377  1016.93  508.733   2.030
> 
>      remote           refid  st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
> ==========================================================================
>  bonnie.Concordi 128.233.154. 2 u   57   64    1   10.538   -0.289   0.002
> *menthe.telecom. 204.123.2.5  2 u    5   64    3    6.850   21.024   1.812
>  ecmail1.cmc.ec. 18.26.4.105  2 u   57   64    1    9.517   -7.730   0.002
>  time.nrc.ca     .STEP.      16 u  243   64    0    0.000    0.000   0.000
>  time1.chu.nrc.c 209.87.233.5 2 u    9   64    3   17.562   -4.540   5.335
>  sylvester.sraq. 18.26.4.105  2 u   52   64    1   14.955    7.050   0.002
> 
> 
> Here is /var/log/messages.
> 
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: precision = 2.000 usec
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #0 wildcard, 
> 0.0.0.0#123 Disabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #1 wildcard, 
> ::#123 Disabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #2 bm0, 
> fe80::205:2ff:fefd:5ac3#123 Enabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #3 bm0, 
> 192.168.2.14#123 Enabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #4 lo0, ::1#123 
> Enabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #5 lo0, 
> fe80::1#123 Enabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on interface #6 lo0, 
> 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: Listening on routing socket on fd #27 
> for interface updates
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: kernel time sync status 0040
> Sep  4 10:26:35 mac ntpd[7566]: frequency initialized -147.904 PPM from 
> /etc/ntp.drift
> Sep  4 10:26:44 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.205.7.81, stratum 2
> Sep  4 10:26:44 mac ntpd[7566]: kernel time sync status change 0001
> Sep  4 10:30:59 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.208.250.3, stratum 2
> Sep  4 10:36:17 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.246.168.148, stratum 2
> Sep  4 10:42:54 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 209.87.233.53, stratum 2
> Sep  4 10:57:39 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.246.168.148, stratum 2
> Sep  4 11:06:21 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 209.87.233.53, stratum 2
> Sep  4 11:12:42 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.246.168.148, stratum 2
> Sep  4 11:35:11 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 209.87.233.53, stratum 2
> Sep  4 11:40:41 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.246.168.148, stratum 2
> Sep  4 11:53:19 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 209.87.233.53, stratum 2
> Sep  4 13:57:16 mac ntpd[7566]: time reset +0.496903 s
> Sep  4 13:57:49 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 199.212.17.21, stratum 2
> Sep  4 13:57:50 mac ntpd[7566]: time reset -0.505313 s
> Sep  4 13:58:08 mac ntpd[7566]: synchronized to 132.208.250.3, stratum 2
> 
> 
> Finally, here is ntp.conf. Let me know if I should change to improve 
> logging and give you guys some information to understand what's going on?
> 
> 
> pidfile         /var/run/ntpd.pid
> driftfile       /etc/ntp.drift
> keys            /etc/ntp.keys
> statsdir        /var/NTP
> 
> logconfig       =allsys =allpeer =allsync
> 
> trustedkey      1
> controlkey      1
> requestkey      1
> 
> server          bonnie.concordia.ca     iburst
> server          ntp.uqam.ca             iburst
> server          ntp1.cmc.ec.gc.ca       iburst
> server          time.nrc.ca
> server          time.chu.nrc.ca
> server          sylvester.sraq.qc.ca
> 
> statistics      loopstats peerstats sysstats
> enable          stats
> 
> restrict        localhost
> restrict        192.168.2.0 mask 255.255.255.0
> restrict        default nomodify
> 
> 
> Other than the logconfig and statistics parameters I adjusted this 
> morning, I've been running this configuration for months now without a 
> single step happening. The network configuration hasn't changed either 
> (same router and firewall rules as before).
> 
> Any ideas?
> 

What all of this suggests to me is that something horrible happened to 
the internet in your area!  Some of those delay and jitter values are 
insane!

If this sort of thing happens very often, you might consider getting a 
GPS receiver or some other kind of hardware reference clock.

If it's important enough to spend big bucks, a second internet 
connection through a different ISP might help.




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