[ntp:questions] Interpretation of frequency error / drift_comp
Daniel Kabs
daniel.kabs at gmx.de
Thu Feb 23 11:51:58 UTC 2006
Hello,
I hope this hasn't been covered here too often before but I could not
research this question as groups.google.com is not responsive currently.
(note how I skillfully shift the blame for asking a dumb question from
my shoulders to google).
Assume ntpd is configured on a system for a stable time server. After
one hour, the drift file is written. I take it, the drift file contains
the *frequency error* of the local clock.
The *frequency error* of the local clock can also be monitored using
"ntpq -c rc". According to the implementation documentation of ntpq
"The status, leap, stratum, precision, rootdelay, rootdispersion, refid,
reftime, poll, offset, and frequency variables are described in RFC-1305
specification." I could find a table listing "the complete set of system
variables" on page 15 of http://www.faqs.org/rfc/rfc1305.pdf but I
failed to find the frequency variable listed there.
I also searched the source code: ntpq links the text "frequency" to the
symbol CS_DRIFT and ntpd links CS_DRIFT to the double precision variable
drift_comp. drift_comp is written to the drift file. I searched the RFC
for "drift" but didn't hit anything relevant.
Is this correct: A positive *frequency error* means that the local clock
runs slower than the reference clock. So the local clock's frequency has
to be increased by the *frequency error* in order to run as fast as the
reference clock. Vice versa for negative values.
Cheers
Daniel
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Refactor, don't archive! - SamHasler - 28 Aug 2004 - twiki.org
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