[ntp:questions] Acceptance of a server that is stepping

Jörg Neulist joerg.neulist at gmail.com
Wed Nov 16 15:49:15 UTC 2011


Hello all,

in all my delving into the NTP documentation I have not been able to
find out how the following setup would behave:

Suppose I have one machine getting time from a GPS receiver, declaring
itself stratum 3 (not 1, because the actual data transport is rather
unconventional, and PPS is not used). It serves several other
machines, which also serve each other to maintain a common time base.
Now, if GPS reception goes away for a length of time, the server will
declare itself stratum 13. The system clock drift cannot be estimated
well (because it is outside, and subject to temperature changes).
Therefore, when GPS comes on again, a hefty difference is likely.
Will the former clients accept the server again, when it is stepping?
Will they accept it, if it is only slewing, but for a long time?

If they don't, is there any way to make them do so again?

I am greatly looking forward to any insight you can give me!

Bye,
Jörg



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