OSF DCE Administration Guide--Core Components

Planning Your DTS Implementation
information about the Time-Provider Interface that you can use to integrate these devices
in your network. See Appendix C of this guide for a list of time sources.)
If you plan to use time-providers in your network, you can use one of the sample time-
provider programs that are supplied with the DTS software in
dcelocal/usr/examples/dts. If you plan to use a time-provider that does not have a
sample program available, or you have special requirements, you can write a time-
provider program to match the time-provider interface. After you select your time-
provider device and program, plan where to install the device in your network.
It is relatively simple to locate time-providers to your best advantage. To do so, observe
the following guidelines:
• Always locate a time-provider at a server; if possible, locate the time-provider at a
server that is routinely accessed by the majority of servers in your network.
• Regardless of your network configuration, place the time-providers where they will
have the highest availability and use.
• If you have several segments to your network, and if you are using global servers to
maintain synchronization across the network, locate the time-providers on the global
server systems.
Note: You cannot configure a server connected to a time-provider as a courier. A
server connected to a time-provider never assumes the courier role because
the server process only solicits time values from the time-provider. (See
Chapter 23 for additional information about courier servers.)
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