Behind every system at the University of Michigan is a clock. From the traditional telephone system maintaining its synchronization to the global telephone network to servers, cloud services, and databases that maintain an accurate timestamp for each operation, the University’s core technologies depend on a reliable and precise definition of the time …at least since 2018.
A global network of volunteers, including research and education institutions, maintains a pool of servers using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) that can be queried to ensure accurate local timekeeping – synchronizing the time of systems and services we all rely on. However, this system requires internet connectivity, lacks high precision, cannot provide specialized time and frequency signals, and is increasingly subject to cyberattacks.
High-precision atomic clocks operated by governments around the world serve as the reference sources for these system clocks. Time signals from these clocks are generated and transmitted through the Global Positioning System (GPS), and other satellite navigation systems. While these systems provide essential services, they now face a period of unprecedented risk.
In response, Information and Technology Services (ITS) redesigned an architecture originally created and implemented for the traditional telephone system to meet modern needs and use cases. This effort is aligned with ITS’s strategic goals to develop a transformational network and systems. A large, cross-functional team within ITS Infrastructure worked to design and build this new system, with contributions from the Voice, Cellular, Network, Data Center Engineering, Field Service Unit, and Video teams.
The new architecture, launched in July, provides the university with a robust precision time infrastructure and supports the NTP service for the U-M campuses. This infrastructure references satellite constellations directly and is highly accurate because it minimizes network delays and other sources of clock drift. It also offers a number of high-security and high-reliability operational features, including the ability to detect, mitigate, and withstand disruptions to satellite communications. Additionally, it can deliver Precision Time Protocol (PTP), a critical requirement for cellular 5G networks.
With the new system in place, the university benefits from increased operational resilience and is well-positioned to further evolve its networks and develop its systems in the future.
