[ntp:questions] Win2k3 Server as NTP server?

David Woolley david at ex.djwhome.demon.invalid
Thu Dec 3 21:38:57 UTC 2009


Richard B. Gilbert wrote:

> 
> Running NTPD on Windows *as* *a* *server* would be most people's LAST 
> choice unless there is no other!  Windows "Vista" may have changed this 
> but, the last time I looked, Windows' clock "ticks" every 17 
> milliseconds.  Using this as a server is like "measure with micrometer, 
> mark with chalk, cut with axe"!

Windows ticks at a variable rate, down to 500 microseconds, on recent 
systems, when they have multimedia timers enabled.

ntpd interpolates using the TSC counter, however this interpolation is 
vulnerable to scheduling delays.  I don't know how well current versions 
behave, but earlier versions performed poorly when the system was 100% 
CPU, due to SETI at Home, but quite good when the load was lower.




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