This short article provides a summary of what an internet time server is. How it functions and also answers some of the most frequently asked questions about time servers.
The key function of an internet time server or service is to provide accurate time to other computers on the internet. The time serving computer allows other computers to synchronise their clocks using a time signal that is carried across the internet. One example of an internet time service is NIST Internet Time Service which allows the synchronisation of computer clocks via the internet. Time servers read the current time from a reference clock and provides this information to all of the computers that use the service.
Network Time Protocol (npt) is the most commonly used protocol for synchronising time between multiple computers on a network. The actual time reference source is an atomic clock or GPS master clock.
Time servers are classified as being in a stratum on a scale fro 0 up to 14. The stratum refers to a hierarchy of time servers so the most accurate server will be on stratum 0, the next most accurate will be on stratum 1 and so on. The stratum 0 server will be highly specilaised uin order to provide as accurate as possible a time.
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