Enterprise Time Service: Accurate time; better results

Did you know that time is a crucial component in ensuring that our everyday Internet-based services, such as e-commerce, health care, education and banking, run securely and effectively?

Fortunately, the Network Time Protocol (NTP) is designed to synchronize network computer clocks to a common time standard. NTP is provided by time servers connected to a certified time source.

In Canada, the National Research Council (NRC) provides the official time source from an atomic clock service called NRC TimeLink^TM that is carefully synchronized with official time sources from around the world. This is an essential service for the Government of Canada (GC) to synchronize security and emergency response, service delivery and efficiency, data processing and decision making, collaboration and communication, as well as compliance and governance.

To ensure that infrastructure and services provided to federal organizations by Shared Services Canada (SSC) have a reliable and trusted source of time, SSC is implementing the Enterprise Time Service (ETS), which relies on NRC TimeLink^TM services.

By using NRC TimeLink^TM remote managed service as the preferred time source for ETS, SSC can provide the most accurate, reliable and secure time possible. NRC TimeLink^TM is based on the deployment of atomic clocks in each SSC enterprise data centre that are synchronized to Canada’s official time signal and constantly monitored by NRC.

Before ETS, departments used a variety of time sources, which was problematic for providing enterprise services. ETS provides a standard way of obtaining time across the entire infrastructure.

The level of synchronization provided by ETS using UTC is crucial to the oversight of GC networks, protecting sensitive data on GC IT infrastructure and supporting the provision of essential services to Canadians. It also improves reliability, monitoring and accuracy.

For example, in some cases, the RCMP uses radio logs and other time-stamped documents as evidence in court. If the time isn’t accurate, the evidence could be ruled out. Another example can be found in astronomy. If your time isn’t accurate, then your telescope won’t be pointing in the right direction to find a specific star. Additionally, time-stamping of financial transactions is critical to determine when payments are made for goods or services.

With SSC’s ETS, being on time has never been easier!