Subject: rc.d: time synchronization issues at boot time
To: None <tech-userlevel@NetBSD.org>
From: Luke Mewburn <lukem@NetBSD.org>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 03/16/2005 00:12:19
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I have been investigating a potential cyclic dependency in rc.d
between NTP time synchronization (ntpdate) and name service (named).

Currently there is no explicit dependency ordering between
ntpdate and named, and the order in which they start is
non-determanistic, although generally it seems that named
is started before ntpdate.

    [	I write ``is started'', because as of BIND9 it appears
	that /etc/rc.d/named can return before named is ready to
	respond correctly.
	"Oops".
	Who [in the BIND9 developers] thought that was a clueful change ?
    ]

Does named need "good" time before it starts?
    a)	If so, we'll have it REQUIRE ntpdate, and document that
	named=YES users should set ntpdate_hosts in rc.conf(5) to
	a IP address.
    b)	If not, ntpdate should REQUIRE named.


On a similar note, I've also noticed that rc.d/kdc doesn't
explictly REQUIRE ntpdate, and ntpdate starts way after kdc.
If this should be fixed, then we must investigate `a)' above.


Finally, what other `early' services should have "good time"
(i.e, ntpdate) at boot ?

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