Chapter66 – SNTP ServerSynchronizing the time….fter discussing how to setup an SNTP client in an earlier chapter, it is important to figure outwhere the synchronizing server or the clock synchronization information comes from. Thischapter discusses the details on how a Magnum switch can be setup as a SNTP server.A SNTP - prerequisitesItishis assumed here that the user is familiar with issues on why time synchronizationneeded between systems on a network. If not, sooner or later the importance ofaving the same time for logs, software updates, synchronized or scheduledrestarts etc. will be realized by the system administrator as well as the networkadministrator. If the user is not familiar with the importance of time synchronization it isstrongly recommended to read up various articles available on the Internet on this topic.jSNTP Server is available only on MNS-6K-SECURENot all models of the GarrettCom 6K family of switches support SNTP serveras this functionality requires a clock that needs to be accurate. While all devicescan be SNTP clients, a select set of devices can be SNTP servers.BackgroundThe standard timescale used by most nations of the world is Coordinated Universal Time(UTC), which is based on the Earth's rotation about its axis. Time Zone offsets are typicallyset to the UTC, including GMT, which is an approximation of UTC.International Atomic Time (TAI, from the French name Temps Atomique International) is ahigh-precision atomic time standard that tracks proper time on Earth's period. TAI is theprincipal realization of Terrestrial Time, and the basis for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)which is used for civil timekeeping all over the Earth's surface. The Gregorian calendar, which isbased on the Earth's rotation about the Sun, uses the UTC to designate things such as time,date, month, year etc. The UTC timescale is modified with respect to International Atomic84
