The NTP standard specifies a protocol for synchronizing clocks across computer networks. It defines how time servers and clients exchange timestamps and perform adjustments to ensure consistent and accurate timekeeping throughout the network.
NTP is used for synchronizing clocks across computer networks to ensure accurate timestamps for various network activities, such as logging events, coordinating transactions, and maintaining consistency in distributed systems. It helps prevent issues like data inconsistencies due to mismatched timestamps across different devices.
NTP version 4 (NTPv4) introduced several improvements over NTP version 3 (NTPv3). These include enhanced accuracy in timekeeping, better handling of network jitter and delay, improved security features such as cryptographic authentication, and support for IPv6. NTPv4 also standardized the NTP packet format and introduced mechanisms for more robust synchronization in diverse network environments compared to NTPv3.
