The management of computer networks is one of the most difficult aspects of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The logistics of terminals, routers, printers and other devices may leave many administrators with a constant headache. One of the most important aspects that are often overlooked and can have a disastrous is the time synchronization. It is imperative that all devices on a network are the same time indicating how timestamps, the format in which a computer transmits the time between the two, is the only form of reference that a computer can use to establish a sequence of events. If different machines on a network are showing different times then happen unintended consequences, such as email arriving before that technically have been sent and other anomalies that make the headache worse manager. Moreover, a network computer that is not synchronized is open to security threats, and even fraud.
Fortunately, the NTP time server has been for many years and can help relieve the headache of time synchronization. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is one of the oldest protocols used by computer networks. Developed for nearly three decades NTP is a protocol that checks the time on all network devices and add or subtract time to make sure everyone is synchronized. NTP reference time required to synchronize the clocks of the network. While NTP can synchronize a network at any time, an authoritative source of time is obviously the best solution. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is a calendar used worldwide based on the time of the atomic clocks.
As atomic clocks lose less than a second time in over a thousand years, UTC is undoubtedly the best time source to synchronize to a network. Not only will your network be perfectly synchronized, but also be synchronized at the same time that millions of computer networks worldwide. A NTP server can receive a UTC time reference from various sources. The Internet is the most obvious source, however the synchronization of Internet sources are notoriously inaccurate and which are not can be relatively useless if the distance is too far. In addition, having placed her safely NTP server behind the firewall would be in vain to have to keep open a hole in it to allow the probe NTPA server (poll) the number of synchronization across the web and let the entire network vulnerable particularly when NTP authentication (security measure itself NTP) is not possible over the Internet. Two methods are much safer and accurate to receive a UTC timing reference. The first is to use the national time and frequency transmissions broadcast by several countries since its national physics laboratories. These are usually distributed through that long wave has the advantage that it can be collected within a server room even though many countries do not have that signal. However, many NTP servers can use the time signal transmitted by the atomic clocks aboard the GPS satellites (Global Positioning System.) This signal is available everywhere, but it takes a GPS antenna that can get a clear view of the sky. Using a UTC time source either through the GPS network of radio transmissions or computer network can be synchronized within a few milliseconds of UTC time. Cecilia Chavez is a technical author and specialist in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronization to help develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information and other related solutions