Looking at the logs on my Sun Blade 2000 running Solaris 10, I see
numerous occasions on which the time has been stepped. Looking at the
few only (today, 1/5/2008), I see it was stepped around +0.3 sec at 3
AM, then -0.4 at 4:30 am, then half an hour later at 5am it was moved
-0.6 sec, then 40 minutes later it is moved another -0.6 sec. Since then
(its now 1:30 pm), it has not changed.

Is this excessive? I cant believe the clock is that unstable. Its not in
an air-condition room, but the machine has an uptime of a few weeks, so
it must be reasonably temperature stable now.

Apr 27 14:08:07 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.228893 s
Apr 28 06:35:55 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.177999 s
Apr 28 06:59:39 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.338394 s
Apr 28 21:22:22 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.270417 s
Apr 29 02:52:35 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.250878 s
Apr 29 07:09:23 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.129417 s
Apr 29 07:36:45 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.331172 s
Apr 29 21:08:29 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.220048 s
Apr 29 23:09:43 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.261370 s
Apr 30 00:00:50 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.386788 s
Apr 30 17:23:40 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.188325 s
May 1 03:01:27 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) 0.296458 s
May 1 04:29:22 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.444097 s
May 1 05:00:18 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.635503 s
May 1 05:39:13 kestrel xntpd[245]: [ID 774427 daemon.notice] time reset
(step) -0.665786 s


My config file is below. I'm not sure if I would be better picking time
servers close to me.


# ident "@(#)ntp.server 1.6 00/07/17 SMI"
#
# /etc/inet/ntp.server
#
# An example file that could be copied over to /etc/inet/ntp.conf and
# edited; it provides a configuration template for a server that
# listens to an external hardware clock, synchronizes the local clock,
# and announces itself on the NTP multicast net.
#

# This is the external clock device. The following devices are
# recognized by xntpd 3-5.93e:
#
# XType Device RefID Description
# -------------------------------------------------------
# 1 local LCL Undisciplined Local Clock
# 2 trak GPS TRAK 8820 GPS Receiver
# 3 pst WWV PSTI/Traconex WWV/WWVH Receiver
# 4 wwvb WWVB Spectracom WWVB Receiver
# 5 true TRUE TrueTime GPS/GOES Receivers
# 6 irig IRIG IRIG Audio Decoder
# 7 chu CHU Scratchbuilt CHU Receiver
# 8 parse ---- Generic Reference Clock Driver
# 9 mx4200 GPS Magnavox MX4200 GPS Receiver
# 10 as2201 GPS Austron 2201A GPS Receiver
# 11 arbiter GPS Arbiter 1088A/B GPS Receiver
# 12 tpro IRIG KSI/Odetics TPRO/S IRIG Interface
# 13 leitch ATOM Leitch CSD 5300 Master Clock Controller
# 15 * * TrueTime GPS/TM-TMD Receiver
# 17 datum DATM Datum Precision Time System
# 18 acts ACTS NIST Automated Computer Time Service
# 19 heath WWV Heath WWV/WWVH Receiver
# 20 nmea GPS Generic NMEA GPS Receiver
# 22 atom PPS PPS Clock Discipline
# 23 ptb TPTB PTB Automated Computer Time Service
# 24 usno USNO USNO Modem Time Service
# 25 * * TrueTime generic receivers
# 26 hpgps GPS Hewlett Packard 58503A GPS Receiver
# 27 arc MSFa Arcron MSF Receiver
#
# * All TrueTime receivers are now supported by one driver, type 5.
# Types 15 and 25 will be retained only for a limited time and may
# be reassigned in future.
#
# Some of the devices benefit from "fudge" factors. See the xntpd
# documentation.

# Either a peer or server. Replace "XType" with a value from the
# table above.
#server navobs1.oar.net 127.127.8.0 mode 5
#server gnomon.cc.columbia.edu 127.127.8.1 mode 5
#server ntp.colby.edu 127.127.8.2 mode 5
#server clepsydra.dec.com 127.127.8.3 mode 5
#server chronos.cru.fr 127.127.8.4 mode 5

server navobs1.oar.net
server utcnist.colorado.edu
server gnomon.cc.columbia.edu
server ntp.colby.edu
server clepsydra.dec.com
server chronos.cru.fr
server ptbtime1.ptb.de
server ntp.metas.ch

#server 127.127.XType.0 prefer
#server 127.127.8.0 prefer
#fudge 127.127.XType.0 stratum 0

### uncommenting bradcost
#broadcast 224.0.1.1 ttl 4
broadcast 224.0.1.1 ttl 0

#enable auth monitor

driftfile /var/ntp/ntp.drift
statsdir /var/ntp/ntpstats/
logconfig =all

#filegen peerstats file peerstats type day enable
#filegen loopstats file loopstats type day enable
#filegen clockstats file clockstats type day enable

#keys /etc/inet/ntp.keys
#trustedkey 0
#requestkey 0
#controlkey 0