omp.os.os2.announce,comp.protocols.time.ntp,comp.os.os2.misc,c..
omp.o..
* Copied (from: COMP.OS.OS2.ANNOUNCE) by David Calafrancesco using timEd/2 
1.01.
From: bpenrod@nbn.com
Subject: WARNING: To Users of OS2_NTPD, Network Time Protocol Client for OS/2
Organization: North Bay Network, Inc. news server - not responsible for 
content
Reply-to:     bpenrod@truetime.com
[Followups directed to comp.protocols.time.ntp]
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WARNING:  To Users of OS2_NTPD, Network Time Protocol Client for OS/2
This announcement has been made necessary due to changes in the operation of
the base clock drivers for OS/2:  clock01.sys and clock02.sys.  Coincidental
to the final release of Netscape for OS/2 back in October of last year, these
new drivers first appeared in the multimedia plug-in pak for Netscape which
was available for download along with the final version of Netscape.
Since then, these new drivers have been incorporated into the Fixpaks for 
oth
Warp V3 and V4, starting with FP26 for Warp V3 and FP1 for Warp V4.  These 
ew
drivers have seriously affected the operation of the timekeeping functions
used by OS2_NTPD for timetagging NTP packet requests and replies as well as
for performing sub-second level adjustments to the Real Time Clock.  While
running with these drivers, OS2_NTPD is able to maintain the system clock
accuracy only to the one-half second level.  For users who are unsure about
the Corrective Service Level of their systems, the symptom of the problem
caused by the new clock drivers is the repeated display of this message in 
he
status area of the OS2_NTPD window:
"Unable to perform Clock Adjustment now, interrupted--Sleep Error = xx"
where 'xx' is some number of milliseconds.
The purpose of this announcement is to warn users who are operating with the
new, problematic clock drivers that a side effect of the decreased 
erformance
is a dramatic INCREASE in the normal polling rate of the NTP servers.  This 
s
a result of the inability of the program to pull the system clock close 
nough
to allow the polling interval to be extended.  As a result, the program
continues to poll at the initial interval (default is 16 seconds)
indefinitely. This has caused some concern at some of the more well known
public NTP servers like those at the US Naval Observatory, tick and tock.
These servers must process thousands of NTP packet requests per day.  I have
been informed by the operator of those servers that "NTP hogs" will be
selectively filtered from access to these servers.
I recommend either of two strategies for fixing this problem:
1.  Replace the clock01.sys and clock02.sys files in your os2\boot directory
    with the originals from your distribution disks or CD.  Unless you are
    using multimedia, I believe there are no benefits to the new drivers.
2.  If you must operate with the new drivers, edit the cfgdata file in the
    os2_ntpd directory so that the initial polling interval is greater than 
r
    equal to 64 seconds.  The default in the distribution zipfile is set to 
6
    seconds.
In the meantime, work is being done to modify OS2_NTPD so that it will work
with the new clock drivers, however the project is still in its infancy.
Users should not procrastinate on implementing my suggested courses of action
in the belief that a new version release is eminent.
Bruce M. Penrod
TrueTime Inc
2835 Duke Court
Santa Rosa, CA  95407
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