20050831: clock skew on striker2?

>From: Unidata User Support <address@hidden>
>Organization: Unidata Program Center/UCAR
>Keywords: LDM IDD clock skew

David, et. al.,

We have noticed that all sites receiving the NLDN feed from striker2
are showing a latency pattern that varies between 0 and 30 seconds
over a 6 hour period.  Here are three examples:

University of Northern Florida:
http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/rtstats/iddstats_nc?NLDN+crusty.cocse.unf.edu

University of Oklahoma:
http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/rtstats/iddstats_nc?NLDN+stokes.metr.ou.edu

Unidata:
http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/rtstats/iddstats_nc?NLDN+shemp.unidata.ucar.edu

The pattern looks like striker2's clock is drifting by 30 seconds over
a 6 hour period and then being reset.  I, for one, am baffled by this
behavior since I am under the impression that striker2 is a Sun Solaris
SPARC box, and Suns typically have much better clocks than that
(PCs, on the other hand have incredibly bad clocks).

If the time on striker2 is not being set by ntpd, would you consider
changing the configuration so that it is?

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Cheers,

Tom