Topic
Network Time Protocol
About: Network Time Protocol is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 851 publications have been published within this topic receiving 14339 citations. The topic is also known as: NTP.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
9 Dec 2002
TL;DR: Reference Broadcast Synchronization (RBS) as discussed by the authors is a scheme in which nodes send reference beacons to their neighbors using physical-layer broadcasts, and receivers use their arrival time as a point of reference for comparing their clocks.
Abstract: Recent advances in miniaturization and low-cost, low-power design have led to active research in large-scale networks of small, wireless, low-power sensors and actuators. Time synchronization is critical in sensor networks for diverse purposes including sensor data fusion, coordinated actuation, and power-efficient duty cycling. Though the clock accuracy and precision requirements are often stricter than in traditional distributed systems, strict energy constraints limit the resources available to meet these goals.We present Reference-Broadcast Synchronization, a scheme in which nodes send reference beacons to their neighbors using physical-layer broadcasts. A reference broadcast does not contain an explicit timestamp; instead, receivers use its arrival time as a point of reference for comparing their clocks. In this paper, we use measurements from two wireless implementations to show that removing the sender's nondeterminism from the critical path in this way produces high-precision clock agreement (1.85 ± 1.28μsec, using off-the-shelf 802.11 wireless Ethernet), while using minimal energy. We also describe a novel algorithm that uses this same broadcast property to federate clocks across broadcast domains with a slow decay in precision (3.68 ± 2.57μsec after 4 hops). RBS can be used without external references, forming a precise relative timescale, or can maintain microsecond-level synchronization to an external timescale such as UTC. We show a significant improvement over the Network Time Protocol (NTP) under similar conditions.
2,605 citations
TL;DR: The NTP synchronization system is described, along with performance data which show that timekeeping accuracy throughout most portions of the Internet can be ordinarily maintained to within a few milliseconds, even in cases of failure or disruption of clocks, time servers, or networks.
Abstract: The network time protocol (NTP), which is designed to distribute time information in a large, diverse system, is described. It uses a symmetric architecture in which a distributed subnet of time servers operating in a self-organizing, hierarchical configuration synchronizes local clocks within the subnet and to national time standards via wire, radio, or calibrated atomic clock. The servers can also redistribute time information within a network via local routing algorithms and time daemons. The NTP synchronization system, which has been in regular operation in the Internet for the last several years, is described, along with performance data which show that timekeeping accuracy throughout most portions of the Internet can be ordinarily maintained to within a few milliseconds, even in cases of failure or disruption of clocks, time servers, or networks. >
2,275 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Measurements from two wireless implementations are used to show that removing the sender's nondeterminism from the critical path in this way produces high-precision clock agreement, and a significant improvement over the Network Time Protocol (NTP) under similar conditions.
Abstract: Recent advances in miniaturization and low-cost, low-power design have led to active research in large-scale networks of small, wireless, low-power sensors and actuators. Time synchronization is critical in sensor networks for diverse purposes including sensor data fusion, coordinated actuation, and power-efficient duty cycling. Though the clock accuracy and precision requirements are often stricter than in traditional distributed systems, strict energy constraints limit the resources available to meet these goals.We present Reference-Broadcast Synchronization, a scheme in which nodes send reference beacons to their neighbors using physical-layer broadcasts. A reference broadcast does not contain an explicit timestamp; instead, receivers use its arrival time as a point of reference for comparing their clocks. In this paper, we use measurements from two wireless implementations to show that removing the sender's nondeterminism from the critical path in this way produces high-precision clock agreement (1.85 ± 1.28μsec, using off-the-shelf 802.11 wireless Ethernet), while using minimal energy. We also describe a novel algorithm that uses this same broadcast property to federate clocks across broadcast domains with a slow decay in precision (3.68 ± 2.57μsec after 4 hops). RBS can be used without external references, forming a precise relative timescale, or can maintain microsecond-level synchronization to an external timescale such as UTC. We show a significant improvement over the Network Time Protocol (NTP) under similar conditions.
1,899 citations
1 Mar 1992
TL;DR: The Network Time Protocol provides the mechanisms to synchronize time and coordinate time distribution in a large, diverse internet operating atrates from mundane to lightwave.
Abstract: This document describes the Network Time Protocol (NTP), specifies itsformal structure and summarizes information useful for itsimplementation. NTP provides the mechanisms to synchronize time andcoordinate time distribution in a large, diverse internet operating atrates from mundane to lightwave. It uses a returnable-time design inwhich a distributed subnet of time servers operating in a self-organizing, hierarchical-master-slave configuration synchronizes localclocks within the subnet and to national time standards via wire orradio. The servers can also redistribute reference time via localrouting algorithms and time daemons.
338 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2020 | 50 |