Amazon Time Sync Service now supports microsecond-accurate time

The Amazon Time Sync Service now gives you a way to synchronize time within microseconds of UTC on Amazon EC2 instances.

Built on Amazon's proven network infrastructure and the AWS Nitro System, customers can now access local, GPS-disciplined reference clocks on supported EC2 Instances. These clocks can be used to more easily order application events, measure 1-way network latency, increase distributed application transaction speed, and incorporate in-region and cross-region scalability features while also simultaneously simplifying technical designs. This capability is an improvement over many on-premises time solutions, and it is the first time this level of time service is offered by any cloud provider. Additionally, you can audit your clock accuracy from your instance to measure and monitor the expected microsecond-range accuracy. Customers already using the Amazon Time Sync Service on supported instances will see improved clock accuracy automatically, without needing to adjust their AMI or NTP client settings. Customers can also use standard PTP clients and configure a new PTP Hardware Clock (PHC) to get the best accuracy possible. Both NTP and PTP can be used without needing any updates to VPC configurations.

Amazon Time Sync with microsecond-accurate time is available starting today in the Asia Pacific (Tokyo) Region on all R7g instances, and we will be expanding support to additional AWS Regions and EC2 Instance types. There is no additional charge for using this service.

Instructions to configure, and more information on the Amazon Time Sync Service, are available for Linux and Windows.