Time synchronization among computing devices is an important criteria for many computing systems. In a simple case, time synchronization across devices may allow a network to enhance the security and fault detection services of the network. For example, a central networking device may receive notifications/alerts that include timestamps indicating when certain network conditions or events were detected by devices in the network (e.g., when an error occurred at a device, when a potential security breach was detected, etc.). If the reported timestamps are based on synchronized clocks across the devices, the central networking device can then draw parallels between reported events or alerts. For example, assume that a first device is dependent on a second device and that errors are detected at both devices. If the timestamps of the corresponding alerts are within a certain time period of one another, the central device may determine that failure at the second device is also causing the failure at the first device.
Another potential application for time synchronization is in computerized control systems. In such systems, a controller may receive sensor measurements regarding a controlled process and adjust the process, accordingly. The timing of when these operations occur (e.g., when the measurements are sent, when the control command is sent, etc.), as well as any potential communication delays in the network, thus require a uniform time base across the devices.
Despite the widespread applicability of time synchronization in computing systems, the precise control of timing mechanisms across computing devices remains challenging. In particular, effects such as frequency drift in the devices' clocks/oscillators may limit the degree of precision afforded by a time synchronization mechanism.