UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi all,

The server seems to be losing time, not a lot, but enough to be noticed.

UNIX
AIX 4.3.3

Any ideas,
Kathy

you may want to look into sync'ing your clock with a NTP server.

first you will need to find an NTP client to run on your system. second you will need to find an actual NTP server. id contact your ISP and ask them, otherwise you will have to search the net for ntp servers serving your timezone.

I will look into NTP.

Can you tell me why I am losing time though. Seems like it should keep time without additional configuration, software, etc.

Thx

once you start looking into NTP you will see why it is needed.

not all machines have identical times they are off by just a hair here and there. over time that amounts to seconds and so on. NTP just keeps it in sync w/ the NTP server.


IE: my watch is a great time piece but on a yearly basis it is off by i think 2-3 minutes.

Only a Caesium atomic clock is the most accurate timing one can ever have. Of course, nobody has the money to get an atomic clock for oneself. So the best is to locate a public NTP server in your region that is driven by an atomic clock. Your system time is synced with the server in regular intervals, which keeps your system clock reasonably close to that of the NTP server most of the time.

Your government or a university is likely to run a public NTP server, by the way. You can also find some NTP server lists by doing a google search, like this page:

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~mills/ntp/clock1a.html

Good news! Agilent's having a SALE on atomic clocks! Tell 'em Perderabo sent you.

Cool news Perderabo!

However, I have a cheaper solution. Try www.atomictime.com. They sell radio receiving clocks and watches that sync with the government atomic clocks - the same ones astronomical observatories and government labs use. I got one and it is sweet, you never have to set it, just put in a new battery when the old one runs low and watch it sync itself back up. I think you can get them at stores like Target now too, but online there are lots more styles and price ranges available.

Kinda like NTP for your house or wrist instead of your computer.