Kipton Moravec wrote:
> I have two Ubuntu computers. A server (Blue) and a workstation (red).
> 
> I thought I would set up Blue as a NTP server, and have red get time
> from it and the pool.  
> 
> Blue says its time is good, but red says blue is an outlier.
> 
> Blue is a 3.0 GHz Pentium, with 512M RAM and not doing anything else at
> the moment (not even file serving). They are connected together with an
> 8 port switch. So there is no distance between them.
> 
> Here is Blue:
> 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ ntpq -p 
>      remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
> jitter
> ==============================================================================
> +europium.canoni 192.36.133.17    2 u  507 1024  377  116.412    3.837
> 1.207
> -server1-a.your. 64.202.112.75    2 u  526 1024  377   32.929    6.629
> 0.734
> +ntp1.us.grundcl 164.67.62.212    2 u  443 1024  377   46.272    3.858
> 0.653
> -ntp.LogicX.net  18.103.0.198     2 u  266 1024  375   55.304   -1.035
> 0.644
> *time.nist.gov   .ACTS.           1 u  478 1024  377   32.773    2.198
> 0.201
> -ntp3.tamu.edu   128.194.254.7    3 u  414 1024  377   46.361   13.276
> 1.496
> 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ ntptrace 
> localhost: stratum 2, offset 0.002716, synch distance 0.041578
> time.nist.gov: stratum 1, offset 0.000000, synch distance 0.002650,
> refid 'ACTS'
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ 
> 
> Here is red:
> 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~ $ ntpq -p
>      remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset
> jitter
> ==============================================================================
> +europium.canoni 192.36.133.17    2 u   91 1024  377  116.228    3.783
> 0.903
> -Blue            192.43.244.18    2 u   72 1024  377    0.144   -0.415
> 2.072
> *darkcity.cerias .GPS.            1 u  315 1024  377   56.111    3.591
> 11.436
> -tesla.fireduck. 198.82.1.201     3 u  122 1024  377   53.209   -2.050
> 0.208
> -clock.trit.net  192.12.19.20     2 u  108 1024  377   43.304  -10.235
> 0.827
> +server.donkeyfl 18.26.4.105      2 u  125 1024  377   56.097    5.461
> 0.514
> 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~ $ ntptrace
> localhost: stratum 2, offset 0.002221, synch distance 0.062901
> 128.10.252.7: timed out, nothing received
> ***Request timed out
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~ $ 
> 
> Why does red not use the data from Blue? 

If you look at the offset readings, blue is among those that disagree more 
on the time, relative to the ones that disagree less. Blue is at -0.415, 
tesla is at -2.050, and clock is at -10.235. That's a wide variation 
compared to europium at 3.783, darkcity at 3.591, and server at 5.461. They 
agree much more closely, therefore they were chosen as the peer and candidates.

If you want red to use blue exclusively, then add the 'prefer' option in 
red's ntp.conf. Example:

server blues.ip iburst prefer

> What would cause Blue to have so much jitter when they are so close
> together? Do I have something set wrong?

I get similar jitter (2.072) over Ethernet and through a router at maxpoll 
10 (1024 sec. poll), it's just the nature of the beast. If you want red to 
follow blue closer, set the maxpoll lower. Since you're on a private 
network, minpoll 4 maxpoll 4 won't be a problem. For example, in red's ntp.conf:

server blues.ip minpoll 4 maxpoll 4 iburst prefer

This will clamp red's poll of blue at 16 sec. Red will follow blue as close 
as possible with this configuration. Let it run for a while a notice how low 
the offset and jitter gets.

Whatever you do, don't use minpoll 4 maxpoll 4 on any public servers (this 
includes the pool), unless you've OKed it with the admin FIRST.

> Kip

Hope that helps,

Dennis

-- 
Dennis Hilberg, Jr.     \  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
NTP Server Information:  \  http://saturn.dennishilberg.com/ntp.php
_______________________________________________
timekeepers mailing list
[email protected]
https://fortytwo.ch/mailman/cgi-bin/listinfo/timekeepers

Reply via email to