Patent ID: 7539777

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving from a first network time protocol time server time data representing a primary reference time source on said first network time protocol time server utilizing a first network-layer protocol, wherein said receiving is performed by a second server and further comprises receiving a time data request network time protocol message from a network time protocol time client, generating a proxy time data request network time protocol message in response to receiving said time data request network time protocol message from said network time protocol time client, transmitting said proxy, time data request network time protocol message to said first network time protocol time server, receiving a time data reply network time protocol message including said time data from said first network time protocol time server in response to transmitting said proxy time data request network time protocol message to said first network time protocol time server; and transmitting said received time data representing said primary reference time source on said first network time protocol time server to said network time protocol time client utilizing a second network-layer protocol, wherein said transmitting is performed by said second server, and said first and second network-layer protocols are different network-layer protocols.