Network Time Protocol (NTP) is designed to synchronize clocks across different computers, ensuring accurate and consistent timekeeping over the internet and other networks. By checking the time with trusted sources like atomic clocks and adjusting for transmission delays, NTP achieves high precision, often within a few milliseconds. In 2024 the Network Infrastructure team commissioned two new dedicated stratum 1 NTP servers. One at the Point Grey campus and the other at the Okanagan campus. These dedicated NTP servers use a highly precise, multi- constellation GNSS/GPS clock as a timekeeping source.
Features and Benefits
- Capable of delivering Stratum 1 NTP to the end-user/device
- Extremely low latency / localized server
- Supports over 10k queries per second (qps), per server GNSS/GPS clock source with 100ns pulse accuracy
- Advanced clock performance and uptime monitoring
Requirements and Eligibility
NTP servers are available to all UBC users from any UBC wired or wireless network. Access to the NTP servers from outside of UBC is currently not permitted.
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Network Time Protocol (NTP) is designed to synchronize clocks across different computers, ensuring accurate and consistent timekeeping over the internet and other networks. By checking the time with trusted sources like atomic clocks and adjusting for transmission delays, NTP achieves high precision, often within a few milliseconds.
NTP is crucial for applications that require precise timekeeping. For example, financial transactions rely on accurate timestamps to ensure the correct order of trades and prevent fraud. Network management needs synchronized time for consistent event logging, essential for troubleshooting and security analysis. Distributed systems, such as cloud computing, depend on synchronized clocks to coordinate actions and maintain data consistency. Telecommunications also require accurate timing to manage data flow and ensure service quality. Without NTP, these systems would struggle with reliability and efficiency.
A common and reliable time source for NTP is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), including GPS. These systems provide highly accurate time data from onboard atomic clocks. GPS receivers use this precise timing data to serve as primary reference clocks for NTP servers, achieving high accuracy and stability. This is particularly valuable for applications requiring strict timing precision, such as scientific research, telecommunications, and advanced manufacturing. The widespread availability and reliability of GNSS/GPS make them ideal for providing the accurate time references needed for NTP operations.