[time-nuts] Beaglebone NTP server

[Jim Lux]

On 12/10/14, 9:45 PM, Mike Cook wrote:
>
>> Le 11 déc. 2014 à 05:47, Brian Lloyd <brian at lloyd.aero> a écrit :
>>
>> On Wed, Dec 10, 2014 at 10:15 PM, Chris Albertson
>> <albertson.chris at gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>
>>> Those sub 1 u-second numbers are very good.  They argue for using
>>> the BBB as an NTP server but I wonder if it really is the best.
>>> I think the numbers that matter are measures of the close on the
>>> computers who use your BBB as a server.  In other words the goal
>>> is to synchronize a set of computers.  Can The little BBB push
>>> accurate time out to a set of user computers and keep then in
>>> sync better then some other NTP server platform?
>>>
>>
>> When I think of what we have been using to run NTP down through the
>> years, this is almost funny. The BBB is little in physical package
>> size only. Its processing power is not inconsequential.
>
> The question for anyone using them for other than personal use may be
> long term reliability. My three Soekris 4501s all died from power
> supply failiurs after 5 years contnuous use, while the 4801s have 6
> years under the belt and still going strong. Will the RPIs and BBBs
> systematic issues or still be running after the same time? Of course
> 5 years is not that bad when S1 NTP servers are dedicated to that.
> Also the cost is so low that replacement isn’t a problem. A no
> brainer really.
>

Ah, but will the exact same single board computer be available for 
replacement in 5 years?  Or will it be Rev F instead of Rev B, with 
"just a few tweaks to improve performance", but also enough that it's 
not "drop the image on it and run"

What about 10 years?
15?

Philosophically it might be a straightforward thing, but it might not be 
as easy as one might hope.

Legacy support with processor boards is a real challenge.