NTPd
NTPd
Plugin: go.d.plugin Module: ntpd
Overview
This collector monitors the system variables of the local ntpd daemon (optional incl. variables of the polled peers) using the NTP Control Message Protocol via UDP socket, similar to ntpq, the standard NTP query program.
This collector is supported on all platforms.
This collector supports collecting metrics from multiple instances of this integration, including remote instances.
Default Behavior
Auto-Detection
This integration doesn’t support auto-detection.
Limits
The default configuration for this integration does not impose any limits on data collection.
Performance Impact
The default configuration for this integration is not expected to impose a significant performance impact on the system.
Setup
You can configure the ntpd collector in two ways:
| Method | Best for | How to |
|---|---|---|
| UI | Fast setup without editing files | Go to Nodes → Configure this node → Collectors → Jobs, search for ntpd, then click + to add a job. |
| File | If you prefer configuring via file, or need to automate deployments (e.g., with Ansible) | Edit go.d/ntpd.conf and add a job. |
:::important
UI configuration requires paid Netdata Cloud plan.
:::
Prerequisites
No action required.
Configuration
Options
The following options can be defined globally: update_every, autodetection_retry.
| Group | Option | Description | Default | Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collection | update_every | Data collection interval (seconds). | 1 | no |
| autodetection_retry | Autodetection retry interval (seconds). Set 0 to disable. | 0 | no | |
| Target | address | NTP server address (IP:PORT). |
127.0.0.1:123 | yes |
| timeout | Connection, read, and write timeout (seconds). | 1 | no | |
| Metrics Selection | collect_peers | Collect peer metrics. | no | no |
| Virtual Node | vnode | Associates this data collection job with a Virtual Node. | no |
via UI
Configure the ntpd collector from the Netdata web interface:
- Go to Nodes.
- Select the node where you want the ntpd data-collection job to run and click the :gear: (Configure this node). That node will run the data collection.
- The Collectors → Jobs view opens by default.
- In the Search box, type ntpd (or scroll the list) to locate the ntpd collector.
- Click the + next to the ntpd collector to add a new job.
- Fill in the job fields, then click Test to verify the configuration and Submit to save.
- Test runs the job with the provided settings and shows whether data can be collected.
- If it fails, an error message appears with details (for example, connection refused, timeout, or command execution errors), so you can adjust and retest.
via File
The configuration file name for this integration is go.d/ntpd.conf.
The file format is YAML. Generally, the structure is:
update_every: 1
autodetection_retry: 0
jobs:
- name: some_name1
- name: some_name2
You can edit the configuration file using the edit-config script from the
Netdata config directory.
cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config go.d/ntpd.conf
Examples
Basic
A basic example configuration.
jobs:
- name: local
address: 127.0.0.1:123
With peers metrics
Collect peers metrics.
jobs:
- name: local
address: 127.0.0.1:123
collect_peers: yes
Multi-instance
Note: When you define multiple jobs, their names must be unique.
Collecting metrics from local and remote instances.
jobs:
- name: local
address: 127.0.0.1:123
- name: remote
address: 203.0.113.0:123
Metrics
Metrics grouped by scope.
The scope defines the instance that the metric belongs to. An instance is uniquely identified by a set of labels.
Per NTPd instance
These metrics refer to the entire monitored application.
This scope has no labels.
Metrics:
| Metric | Dimensions | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| ntpd.sys_offset | offset | milliseconds |
| ntpd.sys_jitter | system, clock | milliseconds |
| ntpd.sys_frequency | frequency | ppm |
| ntpd.sys_wander | clock | ppm |
| ntpd.sys_rootdelay | delay | milliseconds |
| ntpd.sys_rootdisp | dispersion | milliseconds |
| ntpd.sys_stratum | stratum | stratum |
| ntpd.sys_tc | current, minimum | log2 |
| ntpd.sys_precision | precision | log2 |
Per peer
These metrics refer to the NTPd peer.
Labels:
| Label | Description |
|---|---|
| peer_address | peer’s source IP address |
Metrics:
| Metric | Dimensions | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| ntpd.peer_offset | offset | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_delay | delay | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_dispersion | dispersion | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_jitter | jitter | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_xleave | xleave | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_rootdelay | rootdelay | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_rootdisp | dispersion | milliseconds |
| ntpd.peer_stratum | stratum | stratum |
| ntpd.peer_hmode | hmode | hmode |
| ntpd.peer_pmode | pmode | pmode |
| ntpd.peer_hpoll | hpoll | log2 |
| ntpd.peer_ppoll | ppoll | log2 |
| ntpd.peer_precision | precision | log2 |
Alerts
There are no alerts configured by default for this integration.
Troubleshooting
Debug Mode
Important: Debug mode is not supported for data collection jobs created via the UI using the Dyncfg feature.
To troubleshoot issues with the ntpd collector, run the go.d.plugin with the debug option enabled. The output
should give you clues as to why the collector isn’t working.
-
Navigate to the
plugins.ddirectory, usually at/usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/. If that’s not the case on your system, opennetdata.confand look for thepluginssetting under[directories].cd /usr/libexec/netdata/plugins.d/ -
Switch to the
netdatauser.sudo -u netdata -s -
Run the
go.d.pluginto debug the collector:./go.d.plugin -d -m ntpdTo debug a specific job:
./go.d.plugin -d -m ntpd -j jobName
Getting Logs
If you’re encountering problems with the ntpd collector, follow these steps to retrieve logs and identify potential issues:
- Run the command specific to your system (systemd, non-systemd, or Docker container).
- Examine the output for any warnings or error messages that might indicate issues. These messages should provide clues about the root cause of the problem.
System with systemd
Use the following command to view logs generated since the last Netdata service restart:
journalctl _SYSTEMD_INVOCATION_ID="$(systemctl show --value --property=InvocationID netdata)" --namespace=netdata --grep ntpd
System without systemd
Locate the collector log file, typically at /var/log/netdata/collector.log, and use grep to filter for collector’s name:
grep ntpd /var/log/netdata/collector.log
Note: This method shows logs from all restarts. Focus on the latest entries for troubleshooting current issues.
Docker Container
If your Netdata runs in a Docker container named “netdata” (replace if different), use this command:
docker logs netdata 2>&1 | grep ntpd