[time-nuts] Gnu C Time Libraries LeapSecond support

Poul-Henning Kamp phk at phk.freebsd.dk
Fri Jul 22 15:31:09 EDT 2005


In message <002c01c58ef2$567d28c0$5e12f204 at computer>, "Tom Van Baak" writes:

>This meant that Windows
>timekeeping worked pretty much the same as any
>BIOS, PDA, wristwatch, wall clock, desk clock,
>car clock, thermostat, or VCR; namely, it keeps
>adequate time and you re-set it when it's off by
>too much. Windows does have timezone and
>programmed DST support for the functions that
>report local time.

There is an open issue according to M$:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;246145

	In the earlier version, there was a delay in insertion of
	a leap second through a multi-tiered environment, although
	this delay did not occur in every instance. The TimeServ
	utility currently does not schedule the insertion for the
	exact moment at midnight. Instead, TimeServ inserts the
	second at the first synchronization after the source time
	has adjusted, and then logs the event.

	In a tiered environment, the leap second may be inserted
	in the following order:

	1.	On the master server.
	2.	When any primary machines request the time from the master.
	3.	When any secondary machines request the time from a primary.

	For types that warn of a coming leap second, the TimeServ
	utility
	optimizes the synchronization time to be shortly after the moment
	of leap second insertion.

	The synchronization occurs with certain allowances for
	randomization
	in order to spread potential overloading at individual servers, and
	delays due to tiered structure. The TimeServ utility tries to
	resynchronize all machines within 15 minutes of the leap second.


As I read this, leapseconds sort of trickle out from the timeservers
to the client in whatever time it takes.

-- 
Poul-Henning Kamp       | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk at FreeBSD.ORG         | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer       | BSD since 4.3-tahoe    
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.




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