[ntp:questions] What exactly does "Maximum Distance Exceded" mean?
Danny Mayer
mayer at ntp.org
Mon Mar 16 02:47:49 UTC 2009
Joseph Gwinn wrote:
> Hmm. OK, but I think that we've kind of run off the rails. Let me
> summarize:
>
> 1. Sun Microsystems' current behavior is not the issue, as I'm loading
> old software from an old CD onto old computer hardware, hardware that
> cannot support a newer version of Solaris than v9.
>
> One of these old Solaris boxes did work with NTPv3 running an even older
> version of Solaris, with no 5914 codes, deepening the mystery.
>
The trouble here is that those codes are *very likely* likely to have
changed between V3 and V4 since there was a large rewrite between the
two. That's why looking at the source code is necessary to get you the
help you need.
> The fact that this obsolete system can most likely support NTPv4 is
> worth investigation, though.
>
> 2. I think that what's happening is that I'm doing something dumb, and
> I bet that there is no real difference in how NTPv3 or NTPv4 would react
> to this faux pas, whatever it turns out to be. Nor is source code
> research needed or requested.
>
> 3. The original question was how to interpret a specific status code,
> 9514. I read the explanation in the documentation, but became no wiser
> for it. Thus my question.
Which is why you need to look at the source code. Documentation isn't
always clear or definitive but the source code will tell you.
>
> If there isn't a NTP FAQ entry on this, there probably should be. Our
> sysadmins were flummoxed by the cloud of 5914 codes, and they are far
> too busy to undertake a research project. (The deeper problem is that
> some managers believe that NTP is plug and play, which isn't quite true.)
>
Mostly it is, but there are always mysteries like this.
Danny
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