[ntp:questions] Re: How to handle leap second condition correctly?

Harlan Stenn stenn at ntp.isc.org
Sat Jun 11 19:47:15 UTC 2005


Lemme try part of this again.

> Are you possibly trying to say that an SNTP client should not also act
> as a server?

Yes, and I will change that to MUST NOT.

> Whilst true, this is only a SHOULD NOT, not a MUST NOT,
> and Windows violates this rule anyway, which means it has become 
> unenforceable (ignoring that Windows has more serious protocol
> violations).

By my read of the spec, SNTP is allowed 2 modes of operation:

- at the "leaf" level with no direct refclock connection
- at stratum 1 with a direct refclock connection

sntp is incredibly lightweight and will believe the first answer it
receives.

The spec also says that one "side" cannot (is unable to) determine if
the other side is SNTP or NTP.

Therefore, if one has an sntp leaf node, I believe that leaf node should?
must? advertise itself at stratum 15.

I also believe that the SNTP (draft) RFCs need some work in this area, as
we are having this discussion.

H



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