Network Topology

This topic provides an overview of how to configure network connections to support Equinix Precision Time subnets. Your equipment connects to Precision Time through Equinix Fabric.

The following topology discussions show how to configure your network, depending on whether you're using Network Time Protocol (NTP) or Precision Time Protocol (PTP).

Network Configuration for Equinix Precision Time and NTP

Your network configuration depends on the number of NTP subnets in your network. The options are to configure either a single subnet or multiple subnets.

These examples show non-redundant network configurations for an NTP service with a single subnet on your side.

For a non-redundant configuration:

  1. Configure the end device that needs to be synchronized with an IP address that is within the same subnet range as the one configured for the time servers on the Equinix Fabric portal.

    In this example, if you use subnet 192.168.1.0/24, you can use any IP for your end device within that subnet, excluding IP addresses 192.168.1.21/24 and 192.168.1.22/24 (the two IP addresses set on the time servers).

  2. Ping the time server IP (here, either 192.168.1.21 or 192.168.1.22). The response should show the time server is under the same subnet that is configured for the interface of your end device (in this example, 192.168.1.0/24). Continue configuring your NTP client only if you get a successful PING response.
  3. Configure both time server IP addresses (here, 192.168.1.21 and 192.168.1.22) in the server section of the NTP client configuration file.
  4. Start your NTP client.

These examples show non-redundant network configurations for an NTP service with multiple subnets on your side.

For a non-redundant configuration:

Important: When using NTP, Equinix Precision Time supports multiple subnets with only the Enterprise service tier; Precision Time does not support multiple subnets with NTP at the Standard service tier level.

  1. Provide Equinix with the configuration information for your gateway interface so that we can provision a new service connection in Equinix Fabric portal.
    • The gateway interface must be within the subnet directly connected to the Equinix Precision Time service.
    • The gateway interface must be interconnected with other subnets.
  2. Configure the end device that needs to be synchronized with an IP address that is within the same subnet range as one of your configured subnets.

  3. Ping the time server IP (for example: 192.168.1.21 or 192.168.1.22).

    Continue to configure your NTP client only if you get a successful PING response.

  4. Configure both time server IP addresses (here, 192.168.1.21 and 192.168.1.22) in the server section of the NTP client configuration file.
  5. Start your NTP client.

Network Configuration for Equinix Precision Time and PTP

PTP Service requires hardware timestamping on network interfaces and network devices. Your network configuration depends on the number of PTP subnets in your network: single or multiple.

These examples show non-redundant network configurations for a PTP service with a single subnet on your side.

For a non-redundant configuration:

  1. Ensure all devices in the integration have network interface cards that support hardware timestamping.
  2. Run ethtool -T [interface_name] to ensure the network interface supports IEEE 1588 PTP and the necessary hardware timestamping options.

  3. Configure the end device that needs to be synchronized with an IP address that is within the same subnet range as the one configured for the time servers on Equinix Fabric portal.

    In this example, if you use subnet 192.168.1.0/24, you can use any IP for your end device within that subnet, excluding IP addresses 192.168.1.21/24 and 192.168.1.22/24 (the two IP addresses set on the time servers).

  4. Ping the time server IP (here, either 192.168.1.21 or 192.168.1.22). The response should show the time server is under the same subnet that is configured for the interface of your end device (192.168.1.0/24 in above diagram).

  5. If you get a successful PING response, you may start your PTP client in multicast mode.

Note: You don't need to specify a primary clock IP to your client because it's running in multicast mode, so it automatically detects the primary time source while the client IP and the IP of the primary source are located within the same subnet.

These examples show non-redundant network configurations for a PTP service with multiple subnets on your side.

For a non-redundant configuration:

  1. Provide Equinix with the configuration information for your gateway interface so we can provision a new service connection in Equinix Fabric portal.
    • The gateway interface must be within the subnet directly connected to the Precision Time service.
    • The gateway interface must be interconnected with other subnets.
  2. If more than one routing device is configured between subnets, you need to configure the gateway interface routing device and other routing devices.
    • Preferably, these should be hardware devices with PTP support.
    • The routing devices must support multicast routing, specifically the PIM and IGMP protocols.
  3. The PIM and IGMP protocols must be configured on all routing devices operated between subnets.
  4. Ensure all network interface cards provide hardware timestamping support.
  5. Run ethtool -T [interface_name] to ensure the network interface supports IEEE 1588 PTP and the necessary hardware timestamping options.
  6. Configure the end device that needs to be synchronized with an IP address that is within the same subnet range as one of your configured subnets.
  7. Ping the time server IP (here, either 192.168.1.21 or 192.168.1.22). The response should show the time server is under the same subnet that is configured for the interface of your end device .
  8. If you get a successful PING response, you can start your PTP client in multicast mode.

Note: You don't need to specify a primary clock IP to your client because it's running in multicast mode, so it automatically detects the primary time source while the client IP and the IP of the primary source are located within the same subnet.

EPT Product Redundancy

EPT is built with redundancy in mind. Every EPT Service has two redundant PTP/NTP instances running on different Time Master Servers. Time Master Servers in each metro are represented by two Physical Linux Servers.

These examples show the different redundancy options. The customer is responsible for properly configuring redundancy and failover on their side based on their needs and capabilities.

The EPT Service is presented with two redundant instances running on EPT Time Master #1 and #2. It may also include a VC link aggregation group (LAG) for VC redundancy with more than one physical link. The customer is responsible for properly configuring the NTP/PTP client failover in case that one of the EPT instances goes offline.

Most enterprise customers use this type of redundancy. This is a physically isolated VC via Primary and Secondary Fabric devices in multiple service locations. Customers can use VC LAG connections with more than one physical link here as well.