Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Correct Answer: NTP (Network Time Protocol)

NTP or Network Time Protocol is specifically designed to synchronize the clocks of computers over a network. NTP uses a hierarchical system of time sources, which allows for the distribution of accurate time information. This means implementing NTP can solve clock synchronization issues in a company's network devices, which is causing errors in network logs. On the other hand, SNTP or Simple Network Time Protocol is a simplified version of NTP, mainly used for devices where the full capabilities of NTP aren't necessary. It also has a higher error margin compared to NTP. HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol doesn't handle clock synchronization, it is used for transmitting hypertext over networks. STP or Spanning Tree Protocol is used in bridging to prevent loops, which is unrelated to time synchronization issues. As a result, these are not the best solutions for the given problem in the question.

Correct Answer: NTP master server

The best role for an organization to consider installing for an internal Network Time Protocol (NTP) service is the 'NTP master server'. A NTP master server is responsible for synchronizing the time on all devices within a network. The master server gets the correct time from an external source such as a GPS clock or an internet time server, and then distributes it to all of the NTP clients within the network. The other options, namely, 'NTP secondary server', 'NTP stratum server', and 'NTP client server' are not appropriate roles for this situation. An 'NTP secondary server' implies a backup role, not a primary time source. 'NTP stratum server' is not a role per se, rather it's the different layers in the NTP infrastructure, and a 'NTP client server' is a device that fetches the time from the NTP server, it does not provide the time to the network.

Correct Answer: Stratum of the NTP server

In a Network Time Protocol (NTP) setup, the accuracy of the client's clock largely depends on the stratum of the NTP server it is synchronized with. The NTP stratum refers to a level in the hierarchical order of NTP servers. A stratum 1 server, which is directly connected to the authoritative time source (such as an atomic clock), is the most accurate. The stratum number increases with each additional hop away from the authoritative time source, meaning stratum 2 servers sync with stratum 1 servers, stratum 3 servers sync with stratum 2 servers, and so on. Therefore, if a client's clock is off by a few seconds, the most likely source of the issue would be the stratum of the NTP server with which the client is synchronized. The stratum of the client's system, the network router, or the administrator's system wouldn't have a similar impact on the time accuracy on the client's end.