Blog Post Tells the Time
20 hours ago
- #web-development
- #time-synchronization
- #serverless
- The article introduces a 'serverless' method for computer clock synchronization using CDNs and HTTP header transform rules.
- It works by fetching a tiny asset via Cloudflare CDN, which adds server-side timing info to headers, and calculating offsets using performance timers.
- Compared to NTP, this web-native method uses HTTPS for security but has less precision, with error bounds around 60ms vs. NTP's ~6ms.
- Precision is affected by network latency but benefits from Cloudflare's global CDN points reducing delay; multiple requests could improve accuracy.
- While not a formal time server, Cloudflare's time aligns with GPS and NTP in tests, though reliance on an unwitting service is a risk.
- The approach avoids NTP's security flaws by using authenticated encryption via HTTPS, similar to NTS.
- Challenges include errors from relying on non-time servers and historical pitfalls like Microsoft's STS issues.
- A web clock demo and an MIT-licensed badge widget are provided for experimentation and nostalgic appeal.