Comments on: Strange NTP Services http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/ Infrequent updates from a social technologist. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:58:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Benjamin Schweizer: blog » Blog Archive » Cyberfun http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2934 Benjamin Schweizer: blog » Blog Archive » Cyberfun Wed, 07 Sep 2005 01:08:04 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2934 [...] Ya, some sysadmins have a lot of fun. Andrew Wooster has blogged on his analysis of strange http headers, including webservers that send out ascii art! That’s pretty intersting. And of course, you already know the Strange NIST Time Server and Star Wars. [...] […] Ya, some sysadmins have a lot of fun. Andrew Wooster has blogged on his analysis of strange http headers, including webservers that send out ascii art! That’s pretty intersting. And of course, you already know the Strange NIST Time Server and Star Wars. […]

]]> By: AYBp http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2922 AYBp Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:45:50 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2922 Cool. Cool.

]]> By: moongate.org » Blog Archive » Cyberfun http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2911 moongate.org » Blog Archive » Cyberfun Wed, 24 Aug 2005 15:00:41 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-2911 [...] Ya, some sysadmins have a lot of fun. Andrew Wooster has blogged on his analysis of strange http headers, including webservers that send out ascii art! That’s pretty intersting. And of course, you already know the Strange NIST Time Server and Star Wars. [...] […] Ya, some sysadmins have a lot of fun. Andrew Wooster has blogged on his analysis of strange http headers, including webservers that send out ascii art! That’s pretty intersting. And of course, you already know the Strange NIST Time Server and Star Wars. […]

]]> By: Judah Levine http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1810 Judah Levine Tue, 05 Apr 2005 16:56:07 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1810 Let me explain what you are seeing. 1. The first text is a pseudo-random text designed to confuse automated search engines (note the strategic colons). There are 16 poems and they are sent in a random sequence. The text is derived from a jump-rope game and has no special meaning. 2. The remaining digits provide internal information on the operation of the server and are used for automated remote monitoring. All NIST servers do this. 3. Most of the digits relate to complicated internal parameters. However, the first 3 values after the $ sign are easy to expolain the first is the overall state of the server (0=ok,>0=various failures) the second is the time since the server was last calibrated (in sec), and the third is the nominal interval between c alibrations (in sec) the remaining parameters have to do with the internal clock control of the system. Judah Levine Time and Frequency Divison NIST Boulder Let me explain what you are seeing.
1. The first text is a pseudo-random text designed to confuse
automated search engines (note the strategic colons). There are
16 poems and they are sent in a random sequence. The
text is derived from a jump-rope game and has no special meaning.
2. The remaining digits provide internal information on the operation
of the server and are used for automated remote monitoring. All
NIST servers do this.
3. Most of the digits relate to complicated internal parameters.
However, the first 3 values after the $ sign are easy to expolain
the first is the overall state of the server (0=ok,>0=various failures)
the second is the time since the server was last calibrated (in sec),
and the third is the nominal interval between c alibrations (in sec)
the remaining parameters have to do with the internal clock control
of the system.

Judah Levine
Time and Frequency Divison
NIST Boulder

]]> By: Travis http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1809 Travis Tue, 05 Apr 2005 15:52:54 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1809 These secret coded poems are really kids games. My mom and sister used to play this when I was younger. Their versions that I remember are slightly different - but that is all. These secret coded poems are really kids games. My mom and sister used to play this when I was younger. Their versions that I remember are slightly different - but that is all.

]]> By: Gil Bates http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1808 Gil Bates Tue, 05 Apr 2005 15:32:20 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1808 It's just performance data. The NIST cluster in Boulder polls each server periodically. The output contains information about performance of the algorithm as well as the security state of the server. It’s just performance data. The NIST cluster in Boulder polls each server periodically. The output contains information about performance of the algorithm as well as the security state of the server.

]]> By: Ben Hutchings http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1807 Ben Hutchings Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:19:57 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1807 At a guess, time.nist.gov maps to several time servers using load-balancing at the IP level (since it only maps to one IP address). The letter could indicate which one of them you're getting statistics for. At a guess, time.nist.gov maps to several time servers using load-balancing at the IP level (since it only maps to one IP address). The letter could indicate which one of them you’re getting statistics for.

]]> By: lowtax http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1806 lowtax Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:17:22 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1806 http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1517694 http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1517694

]]> By: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1804 Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:32:33 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1804 ooooooooooooooooooo! ooooooooooooooooooo!

]]> By: Lyndon http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1801 Lyndon Tue, 05 Apr 2005 09:37:51 +0000 http://mroth.info/blog/2005/04/04/strange-ntp-services/#comment-1801 You know this is he meaty equivilent of portmapping, which is illegal use of computing machinery, watch out for the spooks! You know this is he meaty equivilent of portmapping, which is illegal use of computing machinery, watch out for the spooks!

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