Coping with Overload on the NTP Public Servers
In his paper Coping with Overload on the NTP Public Servers, David L. Mills proposes mechanisms to alleviate the load on the public time servers operated by USNO and NIST.
From the abstract:
The public time servers operated by USNO and NIST provide time synchronization, directly or indirectly, to millions of Internet computers today. The load in the form of processor cycles and network traffic has doubled in the last two years and could eventually overwhelm the servers and the network infrastructure unless something is done about it. While both USNO and NIST operate multiple servers across the US, the aggregate load is highly unbalanced and the flagship servers at headquarters are nearing capacity. This paper discusses the current conditions at USNO and NIST and suggests technical defenses designed to protect their resources.