[ntp:questions] Re: Help with NTP setup

Richard B. Gilbert rgilbert88 at comcast.net
Mon Jun 12 11:54:26 UTC 2006


James Ray wrote:
> All,
> Here is what we are after doing. Our networks team provides us with a
> stratum 2 NTP server to use as well as our ISP providing us with 3 stratum
> 1 NTP servers. Ideally I would like a set of 4 peers run by me syncing
> from the stratum 2 server provided on-site (since that gets it data from
> the stratum 1 provided by the ISP) to reduce the load on the stratum 1
> servers. Unfortunately there are times when the on-site NTP server goes a
> bit askew and steps out by up to 120ms (which isn't too good for our
> uses). 

I would choose to find out why the on-site server "goes a bit askew". 
  Machines running Linux or Windows have been known to lose clock 
interrupts when busy.  If your stratum two server is always slow when 
it's off and "steps ahead" and is running Linux or Windows that is 
probably the cause of your problem.

If that is the case, I would consider installing a better operating 
system on the server; say Solaris 10 X86 or ever replacing the server 
entirely.  I've used Sun Ultra 10 boxes with Solaris 8 and Solaris 9 and 
find them very well behaved.  I've also had good experience with Solaris 
  8 and 9 (X86 edition) on PCs.




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