Network Time Protocol (NTP)

The NTP (Network Time Protocol) project aims to integrate the current NTPv4
daemon and utilities into Solaris and improve Solaris timekeeping support including in the  areas of NTP kernel
and PPS API (RFC
2783) support and to restore it as a primary deployment platform for NTP.

Work items include the following:

 Integrate current ntp 4.2.5 into Solaris, via the SFW Nevada project. *Done!

• Add suspend and resume capabilities to NTP.

• Make the kernel leap second handling seamless.

• Identify Solaris changes to xntpd3 5.93e and assess their necessity, proposing them to the upstream NTP project if desirable.

• Integrate current NTP nanokernel code into Solaris.

• Make NTP Solaris privilege aware, dropping unused privileges when not needed.

• Convert the NTP service to run as a new ntp user.

• Make NTP Solaris auth aware, so that no keys are needed for local authorized admins.

• Implement the PPS API (RFC 2783).  Initially, this might be a libc-only implementation leveraging the timepps-Solaris.h header file from the ntp 4.2.2 distribution.  In a second step, it is desirable to have a common kernel implementation of the PPS API that can be used by serial drivers instead of duplicating the code in every driver that supports a PPS signal.  Change current drivers to use that and extend it to new drivers that don't currently support PPS signals. Publish the API as part of the offcial public DDI.

• Integrate the parse STREAMS module into Solaris.

• Implement a low-delay mode for serial interfaces which use large FIFOs by default.

• Investigate and fix the TOD synchronization model in Solaris.