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The Network Time Protocol (NTP) has long been the king of time-setting software. NTP is used globally due to its unprecedented benefits which are enlisted as below –
- Billing services and supporting applications must know the time accurately to provide the clear-cut charges free from any wrong billing.
- Tracking security breaches, network usage, or problems affecting a large number of components can be nearly impossible if timestamps in logs are inaccurate. Time is often the critical factor that allows an event on one network node to be mapped to a corresponding event on another.
- Financial services like transactions etc. require highly accurate timekeeping which is required to be imperative as per law.
- Investigating incidents that involve multiple computers or network/security devices is much easier when the timestamps on files and in logs are all in sync.
- Authentication systems like Kerberos for example, use dated tickets to control access to systems and resources.
- Stock market Interactions and transactions require careful synchronization of time considering dynamic events in this field.
- Cryptographic key management and secure document transmission may require using accurate, encoded timestamps which match un-encoded timestamps to help assure document authenticity
- Sorting email and other network communications can be difficult if timestamps are incorrect
- Modification times in shared filesystems is very important to reduce confusion regardless of what machine the filesystems are on.
- Distributed procedures depend on coordinated times to ensure proper sequences are followed.
- Network acceleration and network management systems also rely on the accuracy of timestamps to measure performance and troubleshoot problems.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am here to share my knowledge and experience in the field of networking with the goal being – “The more you share, the more you learn.”
I am a biotechnologist by qualification and a Network Enthusiast by interest. I developed interest in networking being in the company of a passionate Network Professional, my husband.
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I am a strong believer of the fact that “learning is a constant process of discovering yourself.”
– Rashmi Bhardwaj (Author/Editor)
