Very Computer

I've built and installed xntp3.5f on a Solaris 2.4 platform.  I have three
servers which I will be using a reference stratum to support 300~500 Sun
workstations and Windows PC's.

To get the servers operating, I downloaded the list of Public NTP primary
time servers, and entered all the "open access" sites into my servers
ntp.conf file.

It has been several days now, and being a good net citizen, I'd like to
cull the list to a handfull of servers.  I've got some ideas on how to
do it, but I'd like to hear from some pro's on how they have done it.

--

Unix Systems Administrator        |
BSG Corporation                   |       "Wisconsin Escapee"
Cary, NC 27511, (919) 461-6000    |

        You should be net-conscious in selecting
NTP servers. It is poor form to select ALL open access
servers regardless of net distance. The best strategy
is to get a mix of 3-4 of the nearer servers (max).
You don't gain much with many servers but you do
generate unnecessary net traffic.
        Rich Schmidt, Directorate of Time, USNO

But I am just setting us up, and I am trying very hard not to be rude.

I have a group of 4 H-PUX machines and a Cisco 2514 router that "peer"
each other.  Each also has one stratum 1 and one stratum 2 "server"
selected from the lists--selected to be "open" and some reasonable
distance away and not already on one of my machines and respond to me.

The rest of my world (that is not a router) will look to a particular
one (or more than one as we go on down the road) of the "peer" group
for "server" service.  The routers other than the router in the group
"peer" with the router and the designated server in the group.

I hope that design meets both the letter and the intent of Rich's
(and other's) comments.

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