CAST releases new Tech Bulletin on NTP monitoring solutions

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ORNL’s CAST team has published Tech Bulletin #005 on the subject of Network Time Protocol (NTP) monitoring. NTP is an established internet protocol that has been widely used for clock synchronization between computers and time-critical devices over packet-switched networks. It is a bidirectional protocol that allows network nodes to send timing information in a hierarchical structure. In the US Department of Energy’s national energy delivery mission, NTP has been widely deployed for keeping the power grid devices in sync for safe and efficient electricity delivery. ORNL’s Center for Alternative Synchronization and Timing (CAST) aims to provide a terrestrial timing infrastructure alternative for next-generation power delivery by using an effective combination of NTP with high-precision Precision Time Protocol (PTP). In CAST, whereas PTP carries the bulk of long-distance terrestrial synchronization transmission, both NTP and PTP can be effective means for enterprise internal time synchronization subscriptions. This bulletin examines various tools and methods that can be used to monitor multiple aspects of NTP operation and its performance. Download here: CAST Tech Bulletin 005