9
If the devices in a network cannot synchronize to an authoritative time source, you can select a
device that has a relatively accurate clock from the network, and use the local clock of the device as
the reference clock to synchronize other devices in the network.
Association modes
NTP supports the following association modes:
• Client/server mode
• Symmetric active/passive mode
• Broadcast mode
• Multicast mode
Table 1 NTP association modes
Client/server
On the client
address of the NTP server.
A
synchronization message to the
NTP servers. Upon receiving the
message, the servers
automatically operate in server
mode and send a reply.
If the client can be synchronized
to multiple time servers, it selects
an optimal clock and
synchronizes its local clock to the
optimal reference source after
receiving the replies from the
servers.
A
client can be
synchronized to a
server, but
cannot be synchronized
to a client.
As Figure 6
shows, this
mode is intended for
configurations where
devices of a higher
stratum are synchronized
stratum.
Symmetric
active/passive
On the
specify the IP address of the
symmetric passive peer.
A symmetric active peer
periodically sends clock
synchronization messages
symmetric passive peer. The
symmetric passive peer
automatically operates in
symmetric passive mode and
sends a reply.
If the symmetric active peer can
be synchronized to multiple time
servers, it
clock and synchronizes its local
clock to the optimal reference
source after receiving the replies
from the servers.
A symmetric active peer
and a symmetric
passive peer can be
synchronized to each
other. If both of them are
synchronized, the peer
with a higher stratum is
synchronized to the
peer with a lower
stratum.
As Figure 6
mode is most often used
servers
stratum to operate
backup for one another. If
a server fail
communicate with all the
stratum, the server can be
servers of the same
stratum.
Broadcast
A server periodically sends clock
synchronization messages to the
broadcast address
255.255.255.255. Clients listen
to the broadcast messages from
the servers to synchronize to the
server according to the
broadcast messages.
When a client receives the first
A broadcast
client can
be synchronized to a
broadcast server, but a
broadcast server cannot
broadcast client.
A broadcast server sends
messages to synchronize
clients in the same
subnet. As
Figure 6
shows, broadcast mode is
intended for
configurations involving
one or a few servers and a