NTP

[Sentosa]

Hi

2 Aug 16:46:36 ntp[284]: offset: 0.000000 sec freq: 0.000 ppm poll: 64 sec e
rror: 0.000691

Could anyone help to explain the message's meaning?

Regards,
Sentosa

[spex]

Hi,

offset: 0.000000 - Your system time is in perfect sync with its peer (the NTP server).

sec freq: 0.000 ppm - No error in the intrinsic freq. of the system clock.

poll: 64 sec - 64 second minimum polling interval.

error: 0.000691 - Minimal network jitter.

PCS

[Marvin Strong]

This document might help you.

http://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/NTP-a-faq.htm

[Matti_Kurkela]

I assume this message is from HP-UX. Which version?

It appears to be a statistics report message from a NTP time synchronization program (ntpd or xntpd). As the "offset" and "freq" are zeroes, it means that the known difference between your computer's clock and the real time is zero at this moment, and your computer's clock is running at exactly the right frequency to stay on time, not too fast nor too slow. The "freq" value actually tells the known frequency _error_ in Parts Per Million.

The "poll" value tells that the program is going to check with other time servers (if any are configured) in 64 second intervals.

The "error" value is the estimated accuracy. If I interpret this correctly, this means the program estimates your clock to be accurate to within 0.691 milliseconds - this is very good, maybe too good to be true.

Check your /etc/ntp.conf (or run "ntpq -p") to see what servers (if any) you're synchronizing your time with.

The fact that your offset and freq are both exactly zeros suggest that your computer may be synchronizing its clock only with itself. Or you just have an unusually good clock in your computer...

A normal NTP configuration is to use the local clock only as a back-up: if your connection to more reliable time servers is lost, the local clock can be used until the connection starts working again.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Sentosa,

I see nothing wrong with the output.

What is the output of the date command? Is it accurate?

SEP

[Sentosa]

thanks