[NBLUG/talk] Re: time servers Part II

[E Frank Ball]

Once your machine is setup with ntp and it has been running
for 10 minutes or so (it takes a while to sync up).  You can
check on how it's doing with "ntpq -p":

enigma:/home/frankb 21% ntpq -p
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset jitter
==============================================================================
-clock3.redhat.c .CDMA.           1 u  108  128  377   54.595    7.242 2.305
 LOCAL(0)        LOCAL(0)        10 l    8   64  377    0.000    0.000 0.001
+time.sr.sonic.n 204.34.198.40    2 u   35  128  377    1.611   -2.481 0.819
-zouave.sonic.ne 192.6.38.127     2 u   34  128  377    9.029   -6.564 0.850
*clock.fmt.he.ne .GPS.            1 u  113  128  377   10.972   -2.885 7.265
+Gabe.KJSL.COM   204.123.2.72     2 u  106  128  377   15.171   -2.349 2.349

(enigma is the nblug server).

The "*" in the first column is the server that ntp is
currently syncronized to.  A "+" shows other "good" servers.
"-" shows servers that aren't as good.  "x" means the server
is foobar.  Good/bad changes over time with varying network
conditions.  ntp is always comparing and looking for the
"best" server available.  It compensates for network delays
automatically.

The "st" column is the "stratum".  A 1 means it's a GPS,
WWV, or atomic clock.  State of the art cesium beam atomic
clocks are accurate to 1 second in 162,000 years and every
GPS satellite has one.  Machines synced to 1s are 2s.
Machines synced to 2s are 3s, etc.

When is when last reached in seconds.  
Poll is how often it's checking the time in seconds, 

   E Frank Ball                efball at efball.com