Multipath Time Synchronization
RFC 8039, “Multipath Time Synchronization”, is an Experimental document published in December 2016 by A. Shpiner, R. Tse, C. Schelp, T. Mizrahi. The canonical text is published by the RFC Editor.
Abstract
Clock synchronization protocols are very widely used in IP-based networks. The Network Time Protocol (NTP) has been commonly deployed for many years, and the last few years have seen an increasingly rapid deployment of the Precision Time Protocol (PTP). As time-sensitive applications evolve, clock accuracy requirements are becoming increasingly stringent, requiring the time synchronization protocols to provide high accuracy. This memo describes a multipath approach to PTP and NTP over IP networks, allowing the protocols to run concurrently over multiple communication paths between the master and slave clocks, without modifying these protocols. The multipath approach can significantly contribute to clock accuracy, security, and fault tolerance. The multipath approach that is presented in this document enables backward compatibility with nodes that do not support the multipath functionality.
What “Experimental” means
Describes a specification that is part of a research or development effort, published so the community can gain experience with it.
The canonical text of RFC 8039 is hosted at rfc-editor.org. Available in TXT,HTML.
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