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Windows Time Client

4.2 Clock-Selection Procedure

The clock-selection procedure uses the peer variables THETA, DELTA, EPSILON and tau and is called when these variables change or when the reachability status changes. It consists of two algorithms, the intersection algorithm and the clustering algorithm. The intersection algorithm constructs a list of candidate peers eligible to become the synchronization source, computes a confidence interval for each and casts out falsetickers using a technique adapted from Marzullo and Owicki [MAR85]. The clustering algorithm sorts the list of surviving candidates in order of stratum and synchronization distance and repeatedly casts out outlyers on the basis of select dispersion until only the most accurate, precise and stable survivors are left. A bit is set for each survivor to indicate the outcome of the selection process. The system variable sys.peer is set as a pointer to the most likely
survivor, if there is one, or to the NULL value if not.