NTP Time Server and Time Services Overview

When configuring the Network Time Protocol (NTP), you can specify which system on the network is the authoritative time source, or time server, and how time is synchronized between systems on the network. To do this, you configure the router or switch to operate in one of the following modes:

• Client mode—In this mode, the local router or switch can be synchronized with the remote system, but the remote system can never be synchronized with the local router or switch.
• Symmetric active mode—In this mode, the local router or switch and the remote system can synchronize with each other. You use this mode in a network in which either the local router or switch or the remote system might be a better source of time.

  Note: Symmetric active mode can be initiated by either the local or the remote system. Only one system needs to be configured to do so. This means that the local system can synchronize with any system that offers symmetric active mode without any configuration whatsoever. However, we strongly encourage you to configure authentication to ensure that the local system synchronizes only with known time servers.

• Broadcast mode—In this mode, the local router or switch sends periodic broadcast messages to a client population at the specified broadcast or multicast address. Normally, you include this statement only when the local router or switch is operating as a transmitter.
• Server mode—In this mode, the local router or switch operates as an NTP server.

  Note: In NTP server mode, the Junos OS does not support authentication.

Related Topics

• Configuring the NTP Time Server and Time Services
• Example: Configuring NTP as a Single Time Source for Router Clock Synchronization