What is an NTP time server?

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used to distribute the current time to other devices within a network. The central, redundant NTP time servers at RWTH receive an accurate time signal via GPS and Galileo.

The IT Center operates three time servers from Meinberg. These are Stratum-0 systems synchronized via GPS (Global Positioning System) and Galileo. The NTP daemon, which uses this GPS/Galileo time directly as a reference, is therefore a Stratum-1 time server.
 

Who can use the NTP time servers?

The NTP time servers are available for synchronization to all IT systems at RWTH Aachen University.
 

How can the NTP servers be used?

In order for a computer to query the time via the RWTH NTP time server, UDP port 123 must allow outbound traffic and the server must be entered as the time server on the respective device.