[ntp:questions] 1 Machine, 2 NICs, 2 Instances of ntpd; Possible?

Maarten Wiltink maarten at kittensandcats.net
Tue Mar 11 16:15:24 UTC 2008


"Steve Kostecke" <kostecke at ntp.org> wrote in message
news:slrnftd13r.l44.kostecke at stasis.kostecke.net...
> On 2008-03-11, Maarten Wiltink <maarten at kittensandcats.net> wrote:

>> As a software guy, I've wondered before about the monolithic nature of
>> the NTP package. Splitting it into a client and server part might make
>> some people (think OpenBSD) very happy.
>
> There is considerable overlap between an "NTP Client" and an "NTP
> Server".
>
> "NTP Clients" and "NTP Servers" both:
>
> 1. Poll time sources (e.g. "NTP Servers", ref-clocks)
> 2. Discipline the system clock

This _is_ what I'd call the 'client part'. The server part would
assume or require that the clock is being disciplined by a client
implementation.


> 3. Utilize NTP Authentication

You may have a point there. But I have a feeling that they use it
differently, one as a client and one as a server. (No surprise there.)


[...]
>> The objection when raised earlier was that the server may be asked for
>> statistics about things that happen in the client; ISTM this could be
>> solved.
>
> By adding another layer of complexity ...

Yes. Decoupling always adds complexity at the interface. But as a software
guy I appreciate the focus it adds to the decoupled modules.


>> Also, the much-sought feature of re-resolving dried up associations
>> could be done from a cron job with ntpq/ntpdc. Determining for certain
>> what configuration to use might be a problem.
>
> A 're-resolve' command in ntpq would be useful.

I don't have the details handy, but aren't there already commands to
remove and create associations? Probably only in ntpdc, though.

Groetjes,
Maarten Wiltink





More information about the questions mailing list