jkrey@ISI.EDU (Joyce K. Reynolds) (10/25/89)
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RFC 1129:
Title: Internet Time Synchronization:
the Network Time Protocol
Author: D. Mills
Mailbox: Mills@UDEL.EDU
Pages: 29
Characters: 551,697
pathname: RFC:RFC1129.PS
This memo describes the Network Time Protocol (NTP) designed to
distribute time information in a large, diverse internet system
operating at speeds from mundane to lightwave. It uses a
returnable-time architecture in which a distributed subnet of time
servers operating in a self-organizing, hierarchical, master-slave
configuration synchronizes local clocks within the subnet and to
national time standards via wire or radio. The servers can also
redistribute time information within a network via local routing
algorithms and time daemons.
The architectures, algorithms and protocols which have evolved to NTP
over several years of implementation and refinement are described
in this paper. The synchronization subnet which has been in regular
operation in the Internet for the last several years is described along
with performance data which shows that timekeeping accuracy throughout
most portions of the Internet can be ordinarily maintained to within a
few tens of milliseconds, even in cases of failure or disruption of
clocks, time servers or networks.
This memo describes the Network Time Protocol, which is specified as
an Internet Standard in RFC-1119. Distribution of this memo is
unlimited.
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Joyce K. Reynolds