[c-nsp] NTP Servers

[Mack McBride]

It doesn't take much know how to run a linux server for ntp.  Most of the dedicated ntp appliances are just linux boxes with cmda or gps hardware.  You can probably get an appliance that doesn't have the hardware but then it is just a linux box.  We have multiple cdma boxes and they still require basic linux knowledge.  This isn't rocket science though.  Create account set password use vi and copy. Also change permissions those kinds of things.  You could manage it via the web interface but if you do put a firewall between it and the world.  The firewall will interfer with accuracy.

Mack

----- Original Message -----
From: Nick Hilliard [mailto:nick at foobar.org]
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2012 06:55 AM
To: Andrew Miehs <andrew at 2sheds.de>
Cc: Mack McBride; cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net <cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net>
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] NTP Servers

On 23/06/2012 06:38, Andrew Miehs wrote:
> Agreed - If it were only me, I too would run a couple of boxes, but this
> is an enterprise site.
> 
> Unfortunately the team here has little unix know how which is why I am
> looking for appliances. The plan is that all the network infracture and
> wireless gear - mostly cisco would use these servers - so no more than
> 10000 devices - would like something with a stable clock however. We
> have already had some authentication issues due to times being in the
> future.

On the face of it, I'd say that appliances with a support contract were by
far the most appropriate tools for this sort of application.  If you're
having authentication issues (presumably with OTP systems), then this will
have a direct financial implication to the company.

If you have 10k networking device client devices, then the annualised 5Y
TCO (or whatever your depreciation period) of a distributed cluster of
several accurate NTP servers will be relatively very small.

Nick