How do Network Time Servers Work?

A network time server is important because as more applications for internet use and storage are found, it becomes more and more critical to have the most reliable and accurate time keeping methods possible. Some industries can not exist without this high-level and new technology. Oil and gas companies, government agencies, and financial institutions are only a few of the industries that must have safe and accurate timekeeping within their firewalls.

No device in a system can be more accurate than the server it is on. All clients receive their time information by being synchronized with the network time server. For this reason, the most advanced timekeeping methods, such as atomic clocks, also known as cesium clocks, are used. These clocks are so accurate that once they are set, the do not need to be calibrated again.

With complicated, high-processing systems, more than one server is needed. The first tier has the highest level of security and keeps the time for all secondary servers underneath it. The secondary time servers are the ones with more accessibility, keeping the primary ones safe from hacking and viruses. This provides a layered system that has both access to important areas of storage and server space, but also the highest level of security to protect the timekeeping of the network time server.

When a device is networked, it sends a package of information to the time server asking for the correct time. The time server answers back with its time, along with a time stamp. The secondary device can adjust the accurate time to the fraction of a second it took for the reply message to return to it. When a client is networked through a line of multiple devices and servers, the calculations can get more complicated, but the underlying method is still the same. Each client in the system is able to receive the time server’s time and adjust it according to how long it took to return.

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5 Important Military Applications for Chip Scale Atomic Clocks

The chip scale atomic clock is one of the most precise timekeeping methods on the planet. It is a new technology in a tiny, light-weight package that needs very little energy to operate and has revolutionized many industries. The military is one of them.

1. Synchronization of servers

Security is a big priority for the military. With the use of highly protected timekeeping servers that operate with their own chip scale atomic clock within the firewall, the system is not only maintained with the most accurate time possible, but also adds a level of security protection by not relying on outside sources for time.

2. Unmanned aerial vehicles

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs, have increased over the past several years. Often, UAVs lose contact with radio frequencies while flying, due to environmental issues. However, with their own light-weight chip scale atomic clock on board, the computing systems can stay accurate.

3. Jammers for explosive devices

One method of providing safety for troops is jamming devices. Some work with GPS to emit jamming signals to keep explosive devices from detonating. Sometimes, while moving into buildings or land structures, or due to weather, the GPS signal can be lost. The chip scale atomic clock has allowed the timekeeper to exist in a portable pack with the jammer, so signal is never lost.

4. Global positioning devices

GPS devices are now essential to many operations. The chip scale atomic clock keeps the time accurate, through cesium atoms. All things synchronizing to the GPS system can then also benefit from the same time accuracy.

5. Sensor devices

The exploration of the planet is still necessary for military applications. Deep underwater terrain must be navigated. Sensors used for seismology are fitted with a chip scale atomic clock to record and send the most accurate information possible.

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