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NTP add support for pool configuration
Closed, ResolvedPublicFEATURE REQUEST

Description

Requesting to Include the keyword 'pool' in the ntp.conf file.

At present, the vyos router can configure NTP with the following lines

set system ntp listen-address '192.168.1.1'
set system ntp server 0.us.pool.ntp.org
set system ntp server 1.us.pool.ntp.org
set system ntp server 2.us.pool.ntp.org
set system ntp server 3.us.pool.ntp.org

Each NTP server must be listed individually.

an option is to configure using a line like

set system ntp pool 0.us.pool.ntp.org

the NTP client will resolve all IP from that hostname and used then as NTP sources.
This would be in addition to using the server keyword.

In a sense one could mixed both like:

set system ntp pool    us.pool.ntp.org
set system ntp server 3.us.pool.ntp.org prefer

Saludos,
Orlando Amador

Details

Difficulty level
Easy (less than an hour)
Version
-
Why the issue appeared?
Will be filled on close
Is it a breaking change?
Perfectly compatible
Issue type
Feature (new functionality)

Event Timeline

What if we render pool instead of server to ntp.conf for all servers?

That would do a 2 for 1 solution.

if the admin intended to use server 8.8.8.8 it would render pool 8.8.8.8 and have the same event. If the admin would configure server 2.us.pool.ntp.org it would receive all IP under that DNS and achieve the same as multiple server lines.

The admin would not know of the different rendering unless it verifies the ntp.conf file.

Another idea would be to introduce a new option „pool“ for any specified server to use the pool keyword over server. But I see no downside of always using pool, do you?

I believe we should stick to the same format as ntp.conf.

If the admin used DNS like "server ntp.company.com" and we render "pool ntp.company.com". If the admin only wanted one IP from that NTP server but received 3 from DNS and because we used pool then NTP grabs all 3, the admin will receive an unexpected result.

So if we render both options "server " and pool" admin can adjust what it is needed.

set system ntp pool us.pool.ntp.org
set system ntp server 3.us.pool.ntp.org prefer

Do not intent to make more work to maintain vyos. One can always just edit the ntp.conf and replace server for pool. At least in 1.2 it works.
The only problem is on upgrade it will wipe the changed to the ntp.conf file.

Why not introduce a new pool option like: set system ntp server <server> pool ?

So if one uses

set system ntp server <server>

it will render on ntp.conf

server <server> iburst

but if one use

set system ntp server <server> pool

it will render in ntp.conf

pool <server>
c-po renamed this task from ntp configuration to NTP add support for pool configuration.Nov 29 2020, 12:31 PM
c-po closed this task as Resolved.
c-po claimed this task.
c-po triaged this task as Normal priority.
c-po changed Difficulty level from Unknown (require assessment) to Easy (less than an hour).

See documentation https://docs.vyos.io/en/latest/system/ntp.html, support will be in next rolling release

erkin set Issue type to Feature (new functionality).Aug 30 2021, 7:03 AM
erkin removed a subscriber: Active contributors.