TIA,

If the interval between packets from a particular client is less than 2
seconds of if the average interval is less than 16 seconds, the server
returns a kiss-o'-death (KoD) packet and drops the client packet. This
causes a compliant ntpd client to disable the association and show an
appropriate kiss code. KoD packets can be sent for other reasons as
well. Kiss codes are documented in the somftware distribution.

Dave

Evandro Menezes wrote:
> What exactly does the preempt option do?
>
> TIA
>

Dave,

Thanks for the reply, but I am confused by this:

> If the interval between packets from a particular client is less than 2
> seconds of if the average interval is less than 16 seconds...

I should have been clear that my question is about the preempt option
to the server configuration command. In your explanation, however, you
refer to event in relation to the server, when this option configures a
client.

TIA

TIA,

No; the options is configured for the server, not the client.

Dave

evandro@mailandnews.com wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Thanks for the reply, but I am confused by this:
>
>
>>If the interval between packets from a particular client is less than 2
>>seconds of if the average interval is less than 16 seconds...
>
>
> I should have been clear that my question is about the preempt option
> to the server configuration command. In your explanation, however, you
> refer to event in relation to the server, when this option configures a
> client.
>
> TIA
>

Dave,

Here's what I see:

I configure a server to have a preempt association. Instead of showing
in the servers list with a KOD as you said, it doesn't show up at all.
Will this preemptable server ever be contacted again?

I came up the preempt server option because I wanted to have a backup
server in case of failure of the main ones. But because this server
runs Windows XP, it's pretty jittery, and because it was close and was
of a higher stratum than other more consistent servers, it ended up
being picked as the sync server. But in spite of NTP's decision, it's
still a poor time reference.

Or perhaps would letting the client do its best on its own be better
than using a poor backup server?

TIA

TIA,

I may have misread your original question. The preempt option is
intended for the pool scheme and may not work as you expect. A
preemptable association is expendable and presumed to exist only as the
survivor of the selection algorithm which acts to cast off outlyers
until a minimum number of survivors remain. Unless you really know what
you are doing, it is probably best that you avoid this option.

Dave

evandro@mailandnews.com wrote:

> Dave,
>
> Here's what I see:
>
> I configure a server to have a preempt association. Instead of showing
> in the servers list with a KOD as you said, it doesn't show up at all.
> Will this preemptable server ever be contacted again?
>
> I came up the preempt server option because I wanted to have a backup
> server in case of failure of the main ones. But because this server
> runs Windows XP, it's pretty jittery, and because it was close and was
> of a higher stratum than other more consistent servers, it ended up
> being picked as the sync server. But in spite of NTP's decision, it's
> still a poor time reference.
>
> Or perhaps would letting the client do its best on its own be better
> than using a poor backup server?
>
> TIA
>