NTP: ntpdate: Server dropped: strata too high

[Felipe Alfaro Solana]

On Fri, 2003-08-01 at 18:07, Tom Diehl wrote:

> > I have just set up an NTP server on a Taroon Beta 1 machine. The NTP
> > server seems to be running, but when trying to do an "ntpdate" against
> > it, the client receives the following error:
> > 
> 
> Have a look at the server with ntpq. Once you start ntpq run the pe, as,
> and rv commands and you should get an idea what is going on. It sounds
> to me like your server is not synced. AN unsynced server is normally
> strat 16.

The server should be synched, since upon starting "ntpd", the "ntpdate"
command is invoked and the time is synched. At least, that's what is
seems from looking at "/var/log/messages" and invoking "ntpdate"
manually.

NOTE: I have had to modify "/etc/init.d/ntpd" because my firewall is
preventing any UDP traffic from privileged (<1023) ports from passing
through it. Thus, I've had to add the "-u" option to "ntpdate". Could
this be affecting the NTP server? Is there any ntpd option to force
usage of non-privileged source UDP ports?

I must say that I have no idea about NTP, so all of this is completely
new to me. Here are is the output of "ntpq":

ntpq> pe
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay  
offset    disp
==============================================================================
 woon.curie.fr   0.0.0.0         16 u    -   64    0     0.00    0.000
16000.0
 xoon.curie.fr   0.0.0.0         16 u    -   64    0     0.00    0.000
16000.0
 lip.curie.fr    0.0.0.0         16 u    -   64    0     0.00    0.000
16000.0
 time.nist.gov   0.0.0.0         16 u    -   64    0     0.00    0.000
16000.0
 clock.redhat.co 0.0.0.0         16 u    -   64    0     0.00    0.000
16000.0
ntpq> as
ind assID status  conf reach auth condition  last_event cnt
===========================================================
  1 44140  8000   yes    no
  2 44141  8000   yes    no
  3 44142  8000   yes    no
  4 44143  8000   yes    no
  5 44144  8000   yes    no
ntpq> rv
status=c011 sync_alarm, sync_unspec, 1 event, event_restart
system="Linux", leap=11, stratum=16, rootdelay=0.00,
rootdispersion=0.00, peer=0, refid=0.0.0.0,
reftime=00000000.00000000  Thu, Feb  7 2036  7:28:16.000, poll=4,
clock=c2d51d07.8b3aa000  Fri, Aug  1 2003 19:08:23.543, phase=0.000,
freq=0.00, error=0.00

What's really strange is how all the NTP servers from which time is
synched are set an stratum of 16. For example, "woon.curie.fr" is really
an stratum 1 server:

# ntptrace woon.curie.fr
woon.curie.fr: stratum 1, offset 0.211136, synch distance 0.00000, refid
'GPS'

What's going on here? Any ideas?
Thanks!