3Com WX3000 operation manual NTP Configuration, Introduction to NTP, Applications of NTP

1 NTP Configuration

When configuring NTP, go to these sections for information you are interested in:

z z z z z z z z

Introduction to NTP

NTP Configuration Task List Configuring NTP Implementation Modes Configuring Access Control Right Configuring NTP Authentication Configuring Optional NTP Parameters Displaying and Maintaining NTP Configuration NTP Configuration Examples

z

z

The term switch used throughout this document refers to a switching device in a generic sense or the switching engine of a WX3000 series.

The sample output information in this manual was created on the WX3024. The output information on your device may vary.

Introduction to NTP

Network time protocol (NTP) is a time synchronization protocol defined in RFC 1305. It is used for time synchronization between a set of distributed time servers and clients. Carried over UDP, NTP transmits packets through UDP port 123.

NTP is intended for time synchronization between all devices that have clocks in a network so that the clocks of all devices can keep consistent. Thus, the devices can provide multiple unified-time-based applications (See Applications of NTP).

A local system running NTP can not only be synchronized by other clock sources, but also serve as a clock source to synchronize other clocks. Besides, it can synchronize, or be synchronized by other systems by exchanging NTP messages.

Applications of NTP

As setting the system time manually in a network with many devices leads to a lot of workload and cannot ensure accuracy, it is unfeasible for an administrator to perform the operation. However, an administrator can synchronize the clocks of devices in a network with required accuracy by performing NTP configuration.

NTP is mainly applied to synchronizing the clocks of all devices in a network. For example:

1-1