Time Synchronization using an NTP Server

Time synchronization is very crucial when we talk about modern day computers. This is so because if you have one computer that is working slower than the other machines will pose a big problem. These problems can vary from trivial ones of arrival of emails before they are sent to more serious problems like the inability to debug the computer. It can also result in making the machine more vulnerable to hackers. These problems can pose a big threat to the computer users. So, it neither is nor wise to ignore the problem of time slow down. Steps should be taken quickly if your computer clock shows slow timings.

A computer has two types of clocks. One clock is the software clock that is run in the background when the computer runs. The other clock is one which runs when the machine is not working. It is backed by battery and it gives reference to the inbuilt software clock. When the machine is switched off, the software clock stops working while the battery operated clock runs and when the machine is switched on, this clock give time reference to the software clock.

The bad news is that none of the two watches are accurate and that is where UTC comes into play. Many administrators cannot cope with this inaccuracy of clocks. To avoid this problem, they use atomic clock for time synchronization. They just have to synchronize their network with the atomic clock. This atomic clock is sourced from the ‘global Coordinated Universal Time which is also known as UTC. It gives the administrators various advantages. First of all this source gives the most accurate time synchronization. It also makes sure that the network is also synchronized. The best point is that it synchronizes the network with itself as well as with other networks all over the world. These advantages save the day for millions of administrators and helps in maintaining the accurate time of the computer clocks.

Windows, like any other operating systems, makes use of Network Time Protocol or commonly known as NTP. This helps in dealing with the issues of time synchronization. It is a Protocol that is used in transferring all the information about time across the internet. It can also be used for transferring time information across Local Area Network or LAN. This information is transferred in packets. These packets allow time synchronization in the computer clocks.