https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Time_serverTime server - Revision history2026-04-24T16:21:46ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.44.2https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Time_server&diff=437987&oldid=previmported>GünniX: Reflist2025-09-17T04:36:35Z<p>Reflist</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Server that reads time information and distributes it}}<br />
[[File:Time_server_Elproma-front_panel.jpg | thumb|right | alt=Black box with green screen and buttons | A typical commercial time server in rackmount form factor. (Elproma front panel).]]<br />
A '''time server''' is a [[server (computing)|server]] [[computer]] that reads the actual time from a [[time signal|reference clock]] and distributes this information to its clients using a [[computer network]]. The time server may be a local network time server or an internet time server.<br />
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The most important and widely used protocol for distributing and synchronising time over the Internet is the [[Network Time Protocol]] (NTP), though other less-popular or outdated time protocols continue in use. A variety of protocols are in common use for sending time signals over radio links and serial connections.<br />
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The time reference used by a time server could be another time server on the network or the Internet, a connected radio clock or an [[atomic clock]]. The most common true time source is a [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] or [[Radio clock#GPS clocks|GPS master clock]]. Time servers are sometimes multi-purpose [[network server]]s, dedicated network servers, or dedicated devices. All a dedicated time server does is provide accurate time.<br />
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An existing network server (e.g. a file server) can become a time server with additional software. The NTP homepage provides a free and widely used reference implementation of the NTP server and client for many popular [[operating system]]s. The other choice is a dedicated time server device.<br />
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The term "stratum" is used to label the closeness to a central or high quality time server. The stratum indicates the place of a particular time server in a hierarchy of servers. The scale is 1 to 15 where 1 is the most accurate and likely a highly specialized physical hardware device. Some time clients will reject a time update from a server whose stratum is too high, and most will prefer low strata time sources to higher ones. This can be a pitfall for administrators setting up an in-house time server with no true time source.<br />
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Commercial implementations of stratum-1 and stratum-2 servers are available from various manufacturers, including Microsemi, Oscilloquartz, Meinberg, Orolia, and ALBEDO Telecom.<ref>{{cite web <br />
|url=https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/euspa_market_report_2024.pdf <br />
|title=EUSPA GNSS Market Report 2024 <br />
|publisher=European Union Agency for the Space Programme <br />
|access-date=8 September 2025}}</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
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* [[Network Time Protocol]]<br />
* [[Inter-range instrumentation group time codes]] (IRIG)<br />
* [[IEEE 1344]]<br />
* [[IEEE 1588]]<br />
* [[NMEA 0183]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
* [https://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/ NTP FAQ] for detailed descriptions of reference clocks used by a [[computer]] timeserver.<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* [https://www.ntp.org/ Official site of the Network Time Protocol (NTP)]<br />
* [https://www.ntppool.org/en/ Pool of public NTP Time Servers]<br />
* [https://support.ntp.org/Servers ntp.org list of NTP Servers]<br />
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[[Category:Network time-related software]]<br />
[[Category:Servers (computing)]]<br />
[[Category:Time measurement systems]]</div>imported>GünniX