NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

PUBLICATIONS

Time Synchronized Measurements in Cluster Computing Systems

Published

Author(s)

Alan Mink, Robert J. Carpenter, M M. Courson

Abstract

We describe hardware time synchronization instrumentation that we have developed which achieves time synchronization of better than one microsecond. The purpose of this instrumentation is for Quality of Service characterization of parallel and distributed computing and of network communications. Using this instrumentation we measure the accuracy achieved by the NIST Autolock time synchronization algorithm, built upon the well-known Network Time Protocol (NTP) time exchange, and the various factors contributing to its performance for both local and remote computing clusters. We show that such software algorithms, once their parameters are tuned for the expected delays, can achieve accuracy close to single digit microseconds.
Conference Dates
August 1, 2000
Conference Title
International Society for Computers and Their Applications
Pub Type
Conferences

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

autolock cluster computing, GPS, multikron, NTP, time synchronization

Citation

Mink, A. , Carpenter, R. and Courson, M. (2000), Time Synchronized Measurements in Cluster Computing Systems, International Society for Computers and Their Applications, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=151472 (Accessed October 9, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created August 1, 2000, Updated February 17, 2017
Was this page helpful?