Network Time Protocol or NTP servers are systems dedicated to providing accurate time synchronization across a network. They enable computers in a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to agree upon a standard time value even if their individual clocks may differ slightly.
How NTP Works
NTP uses the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to transmit time requests and responses between servers and clients. An NTP client queries official network time protocol servers for the official time and sets its own clock accordingly. Network time protocol servers synchronize by communicating with upstream servers in a hierarchy with the ultimate reference being atomic clocks maintained by national measurement laboratories.
Importance of NTP Server
Operating systems and computer applications rely on coordinated timekeeping to function correctly. Tasks like log entries, scheduling, authentication, billing, and monitoring all require synchronized timestamps across networked devices. Without NTP Server, internal clocks can drift out of sync by seconds per day or more leading to errors, failures, and security vulnerabilities. Some key reasons why NTP is important:
- Consistent Logging - System logs, audit trails, and diagnostic data need aligned timestamps to trace events, detect anomalies and assess security incidents accurately.
- Scheduled Tasks - Jobs like backups, updates and alerts rely on coordinated scheduling to run as intended across endpoints. Drifting clocks undermine automation.
- Authentication - Many authentication protocols like Kerberos validate access requests based on timestamp checks. Unsynchronized devices cannot verify identities reliably.
- Billing and Usage Tracking - Applications measuring service usage, call detail records, and license compliance need synchronized clocks for reporting aggregates and charges correctly.
- Monitoring and Alerting - Network monitoring tools correlating logs, metrics and alerts from distributed sensors need common time context for root cause analysis.
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