On Tuesday 25 November 2008 20:40:52 Dirk Heinrichs wrote: > So yes, there is a difference. With htpdate, you synchronize against a > _web_ server. How do you know it has a stable time source? OTOH, with ntp > you synchronize against a specialized network _time_ server which is > usually equiped with an accurate time souce*), using a protocol that was > specifically desigend for that purpose (for example the time is adjusted > without jumps), see http://www.ntp.org/ for all the details.
> *) As an example ptbtime1.ptb.de, hosted by the "Physikalisch-Technische > Bundesanstalt" in germany is a so called stratum1 time server which is > connected to the most accurate clock on earth, which provides the official > time for germany. An interesting sidenote on this. I work for a tier 1 carrier in my country and right now we are replacing our ntp server. I don't work with this stuff every day so I was most surprised to find that the new unit is actually a GPS device and will no longer sync to the stratum 1 server run by our Scientific Research Council. Apparently, this is good enough for ISP/internet purposes for all practical intents and purposes. -- alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com
