Computer Network Time Synchronization: The Network Time Protocol

What started with the sundial has, thus far, been refined to a level of precision based on atomic resonance: Time. Our obsession with time is evident in this continued scaling down to nanosecond resolution and beyond. But this obsession is not without warrant. Precision and time synchronization are critical in many applications, such as air traffic control and stock trading, and pose complex and important challenges in modern information networks.

Penned by David L. Mills, the original developer of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), Computer Network Time Synchronization: The Network Time Protocol takes a broad look at the architecture, protocols, and algorithms involved in time dissemination, distribution, and synchronization. Focused on the fourth generation of NTP, Mills' magnum opus gives an in-depth configuration and performance analysis of typical deployed NTP networks as well as a detailed error budget showing the influence of network and computer delay variations on accuracy. Mills demonstrates the algorithms used to select measurements accessed via diverse pathways to achieve the best accuracy, addresses security issues in depth, and describes the engineering principles underlying NTP architecture and timestamping exchange procedures.

Opening the door to highly precise time synchronization in both public and private networks, Computer Network Time Synchronization offers in-depth analysis, theory, and practical concerns in a unified and authoritative reference.