Requests for new features for version 5 of NTP

This page compiles possible features for a new version of NTP that are currently not available with NTPv4.

Specification

1. Stronger modularity regarding the different building blocks (on-wire protocol / measurement collection & evaluation / clock disciplining)
   • Would enable better tailoring to specific use-cases, for example those where only a single time source is desired and all the selection and weighing algorithms of NTP are superfluous

2. Clearer specification work, specifically a specification that is a ground-up design rather than a description of a historically grown programming effort.
   • Would reduce complexity and counteract issues such as hard-coded outdated values or parts of the protocol that are "untouchable" because nobody knows how to remove or change them

Enhancements to the on-wire-protocol

1. Security
   • Security treatment (or abandonment) of Broadcast mode
     • Would close a security hole
   • Tracking levels of security (accuracy) per association
     • Would enable informed decisions of the measurement collection & evaluation module
   • Definition of minimal „core“ vs. „extension(s)“
     • Would reduce complexity and enable nice features such as two-step time transfer
   • Integrated system to manage Extension Fields
     • Would enable the use of arbitrarily many/large extensions and facilitate future-proofing
   • Fixing MAC/better symmetric authentication

2: Feature parity with PTP

3: Worst-case error bounds ala TrueTime?

• Useful for distributed transactions

4: Bindings to both UDP+security and QUIC transports