ntpd struggling to keep up - how to fix?

[Stefan Krueger]

>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> One of my machines, the fileserver-with-zfs-to-be[1] has trouble
>>> keeping correct time. Or rather, ntpd is struggling.
>>> In /var/lkog/messages I see this:
>>> Feb  7 12:05:54 kg-f2 ntpd[909]: ntpd 4.2.4p5-a (1)
>>> Feb  7 12:11:16 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +1.020413 s
>>> Feb  7 12:11:16 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: kernel time sync status change 2001
>>> Feb  7 12:26:26 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.277793 s
>>> Feb  7 12:41:29 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.260229 s
>>> Feb  7 12:57:02 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.332972 s
>>> Feb  7 13:21:24 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +3.659869 s
>>> Feb  7 13:37:01 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.343230 s
>>> Feb  7 13:52:24 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.310659 s
>>> Feb  7 14:07:29 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.265705 s
>>> Feb  7 14:23:03 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.335868 s
>>> Feb  7 14:39:06 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.411116 s
>>> Feb  7 14:54:32 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.318222 s
>>> Feb  7 15:09:55 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.308120 s
>>> Feb  7 15:25:49 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.388391 s
>>> Feb  7 15:40:54 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.265464 s
>>> Feb  7 15:55:57 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.257952 s
>>> Feb  7 16:11:45 kg-f2 ntpd[910]: time reset +2.373325 s
>>>
>>> [snip]
> 
> I think this looks like the same problem I had with another AMD system,
> which may be related to some HPET stuff (I no longer have access to that
> system, though :(

I have the some problem on my machine (also AMD, running 8.0 +
patches), after a while ntpd gives up sync'ing and then the time is off
by minutes (roughly 80sec after.. say 10 hours) :(

I switched to opentnpd (you can find it in ports) and the clock stays
in sync now, so you might want to consider that, too

PS: I had a spare disk so I tried Linux on the same machine, and
ntpd is running fine for 2 days without any problems; so I guess it's
not a hw fault

HTH