[ntp:questions] Meinberg NTP monitor, silly question

unruh unruh at wormhole.physics.ubc.ca
Tue Dec 22 21:59:15 UTC 2009


On 2009-12-22, Richard B. Gilbert <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
> unruh wrote:
>> On 2009-12-22, Richard B. Gilbert <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> unruh wrote:
>>>> On 2009-12-22, Richard B. Gilbert <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>> David J Taylor wrote:
>>>>>> "G8KBV" <g8kbv at nospam-uko2.co.uk> wrote in message 
>>>>>> news:MPG.2599f4f8b90958d1989692 at news.demon.co.uk...
...

>> 
>>> Keeping an NTPD server up and synched is not all that difficult.  A UPS 
>>> will keep you alive for three to fifteen minutes if power fails.  The 
>>> longer the UPS run time, the more it costs.  Any longer than fifteen 
>>> minutes and you will need a generator fueled by either gasoline or 
>>> natural gas.  You will either need a human being to start it and set it 
>>> for the right speed or a device that will do this automagically.
>> 
>> Lets see, Pay a few $100 for a UPS (and many more for a generator) ,
>>  run the machine 24/7 with the associated energy costs, or load a free 
>> program. Hmm.
>> 
>
> Most computers that need accurate time live in a data center somewhere 
> and shut down maybe as often as once every six months!  I've had a few 
> machines that ran continuously for a year or more!  It's not impossible; 
> it just requires a lot of luck OR heavy expenditures for a UPS, a backup 
> generator, N+1 redundant air conditioners, etc, etc.  Some enterprises 
> require this sort of uptime and are prepared to pay the bills.

Most computers running ntp do not fall under that description. 
And now adays, with the emphasis on conservation, that applies to fewer
and fewer computers. 




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