Many administrators assume that synchronization between computer networks is a given. Time servers for network networks can receive time sources and distribute them amongst the network accurately, securely, and precisely.
But precise time synchronization can only be achieved with the NTP time protocol - Network Time Protocol. NTP was created in the early days of the internet. Professor David Mills from Delaware University was trying to coordinate the time using a small network of machines. The very first version of NTP was created by them. It has been developed almost thirty years later.
NTP was not the only time-synchronization software. There are many other programs and protocols that can do the same task, but NTP is the most popular (with over 98% of time sync applications using it). It comes with the most recent operating systems that have a version of NTP (usually SNTP – a simplified version). This version is installed on Windows 7.
NTP played a significant role in the creation of the internet we love and know today. Without accurate time synchronization, many online tasks and applications would not be possible. Time synchronisation is essential for online trading, internet auctions and banking, as well as Fortinet panama debugging networks. Even sending emails requires time synchronization with the email server. Otherwise, computers wouldn't be able handle emails from unsynchronized machines, which may mean that they might arrive before they are sent.
NTP is a freely available software protocol. It can be downloaded online at NTP.org. However, most computer networks that need accurate and secure time use NTP servers that are outside the network. They obtain the time from atomic clock signals and ensure millisecond accuracy.
