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From: tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA
Newsgroups: fa.tcp-ip
Subject: time servers
Message-ID: <8459@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 25-Jun-85 01:07:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8459
Posted: Tue Jun 25 01:07:55 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Jun-85 05:12:32 EDT
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Organization: University of California at Berkeley
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From: ulysses!smb@BERKELEY (Steven Bellovin)

I'm implementing some network-based time stuff, and I find I need more
precision (in two senses of the word) than RFC868 provides.

First, what do folks think of allowing an (optional) second "word", giving
the time in microseconds.  (Yes, that's what Berkeley UNIX gives; no, that's
not why I'm using those units.)  As long as clients check the received
length on a message, the current behavior would still work.

Second, given the current standard, how should a system with a more precise
idea of the time round its response?  Truncate?  Round?  The current RFC
is silent.


		--Steve Bellovin
		AT&T Bell Laboratories
		ulysses!smb@berkeley.arpa
		smb.ulysses.btl@csnet-relay