Selecting NTP time server for Windows

[follower]

Selecting stratum 1 source

After our company decided to maintain UTC (universal coordinated time) synchronised time ourselves, I was selected to prepare foundation of new architecture with some NtpServer products, from which my bosses could choose the best option.

After preparing the core and selecting main computers, which would become stratum 1 servers I was blasted by the amount of companies, which provide time synchronisation services and Time server products.

List of servers worth mentioning

• galleon ntp server
  
• SR Series GPS from timetools
  
• symmetricom syncserver
  
• Rack NtpServer from GpsNtp
  
• Network time server from spectracom
  
• ES-101 found on puregizmo.com
  

Requirements for new time servers

As our company can be labeled as medium-sized, my bosses wanted to buy some high quality server, while keeping cost at minimum

Time server should follow these specifically chosen requirements, which my bosses wanted to embed:

• atomic cesium standards
  
• mountable into racks (as we have some slots open)
  
• as easy as possible, so we don't need huge documentations
  
• external antenna (to have the most exact time source you have to place the antenna outside)
  
• helpful support
  
• 2 year warranty
  
• being able to send SNMP traps (this was optional)]
  
• support for windows (I cannot emphasize this strong enough!)
  

After very long night in front of my computer and reading tons of information about all those servers I was attracted to rack ntpserver from Gps Ntp.

Because of these main factors we decided to go with a server from GpsNtp

1. Their support is wonderful, responded within 1 hour
   
2. all requirements were fulfilled from top to bottom
   
3. sites have no ads, text is readable, which I enjoyed very much
   
4. even the optional requirement was fulfilled (they provide a sheet for all those snmp trap messages)
   
5. no one sells time servers for such a low price
   
6. one of our customers provided very positive feedback for GPS NTP
   
7. all gps ntp servers are fully scaled with Web Server for easy status monitoring
   
8. fully featured stratum source for Windows machines
   

So this is it, i hope this small writeup will be helpful

excerpt from rack ntpserver description:

synchronise network devices local date and time to UTC,

clock time send through NTP,

connected to atomic cesium standard nist.datum.com over GPS satellite system,

rack 19" case is suitable to mount in server rooms,

GPS receiver is placed outdoor in waterproof case