From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from lists.gentoo.org (pigeon.gentoo.org [208.92.234.80]) by finch.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B6AD31381F3 for ; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:28:38 +0000 (UTC) Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 58CCEE0CFD; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:28:25 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-la0-f49.google.com (mail-la0-f49.google.com [209.85.215.49]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id DDB18E0B78 for ; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:28:23 +0000 (UTC) Received: by mail-la0-f49.google.com with SMTP id fp13so1703150lab.22 for ; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:28:22 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:x-received:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id :subject:from:to:content-type; bh=QisKJHyYShrYKNNCLWSYpwqmSwRlVuEK113MikMxN8k=; b=U5VttHmfo2LADWrYV9uKpWmlc0bzQeCBka06vyt0p48WaKemiUDvucgom928l7HwmZ jbQQBJg+lVsZN+mYiB0/bIO+KEW7fGBGXa6RvM2aCMl5uNxArMtS53rTR2CODygAJ9bq +ACM/YWf64EkzltZK3WygRDlHBl+xyr3wuzNXRqrnmUzneKEvS1ugloR1MjVNryWBFdh nNYVqOG6shDc+Ev0S8SmlOwiqsucebi0EJGhzysR668kBPIIgO5V1I53oI2DwofhoAVO SZx4BaCNNsVW8SJpA2m2WsSbChL+1m23HvC3i0K2+ONBgHOInTBI5KPlOXaybCYycrqD wShg== Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.112.160.105 with SMTP id xj9mr22524057lbb.87.1367011702026; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:28:22 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.114.48.40 with HTTP; Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:28:21 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <517AE48C.8070600@gmail.com> References: <20130426141011.GH24932@syscon7.inet> <517A949D.6030800@gmail.com> <517AA020.2070805@gmail.com> <517AAEF4.1090108@gmail.com> <517AE48C.8070600@gmail.com> Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:28:21 -0400 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Server system date synchronizaion From: Nick Khamis To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-Archives-Salt: 427f5200-5601-4dbf-9f6a-f480bb8fe757 X-Archives-Hash: d3a38939295217cba2a0ed656e2abcb6 On 4/26/13, Alan McKinnon wrote: > On 26/04/2013 19:11, Nick Khamis wrote: >>>> >> Thank you so much for your response, and I totally understand the >>>> >> effort vs. benefit challenge. However, is it really that much >>>> >> trouble/unstable to setup our own ntp >>>> >> server that syncs with our local isp, and have our internal network >>>> >> sync >>>> >> on it? >>> > >>> > >>> > No, it's not THAT much effort. You can get by with installing ntpd on >>> > a >>> > single machine, pointing it at the upstream time server and pointing >>> > all >>> > your clients to it. It's clearly recorded in the config file, you >>> > can't >>> > go wrong. >>> > >>> > It's understanding how this weird thing called time works that is the >>> > issue. Take for example leap seconds..... urggggggggggg... >>> > >>> > The basic question I suppose is why do you want to do it this way? >>> > What >>> > do you feel you will gain by doing it yourself? >>> > >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Alan McKinnon >>> > alan.mckinnon@gmail.com >>> > >>> > >>> > >> Hello Alan, >> >> Thank you so much for your time. Our voip cluster time always vary for >> some reason.... >> And with long distance, that could mean upwards to a dollar a call. > > > Ah, OK. That changes things quite a bit. I have a little bit of > experience with that - I work for a large ISP, we have a large VOIP > department and we run a stratum 2 time server that serves most of the > country. > > First things first: you can't just stick any old upstream ntp server in > your config and walk away. You are then reliant on the quality of that > upstream, and far too often other time servers operate on a "good > enough" policy - if it's accurate to about a second, it's good enough > (and for desktop users i.e. most ISP clients, it is good enough). > > I don't know how big your operation is, if you have budget I suggest you > invest in a proper master time source that is GPS-driven. We have a > Symmetricom (http://www.symmetricom.com) but it's a mature market with > several vendors. Shop around, prices are less than you'd expect (about > the same as a decent mid-range server and much less than Cisco's > routers...) > > Weather can get in the way, so back up the device with a decent second > upstream. I have a good one available run by the Science and Technology > Research part of the Dept of Trade and Industry and the third option is > all the other big ISPs around. > > Depending on your accuracy needs you could get away without the GPS unit > and just use a good upstream, but I'd fight for the budget for it - tell > management it puts control of billing back in your hands, they always > fall for that one :-) > > So the summary would be that I reckon ntpd will do what you want as long > as you chose good reliable time sources. With that in hand, the config > is easy as rather well documented. Shout here ont he list if you need a > hand with this when you come to deployment time > > > > > -- > Alan McKinnon > alan.mckinnon@gmail.com > > > Any suggestions for a "reliable", use that word cautiously ntp server. Requests are coming from canada. Was there not a project that dealt with setting up a network across the globe just for serving up NTP services? Did that marvelous idea die out? N.