Patent ID: 8001225

Claim:
A method of executing a server time protocol (STP) control message command, the method comprising: receiving an STP control message command at a second server sent from a first server across an established STP path within a coordinated timing network (CTN), the first server and the second server communicating at a same STP version across the established STP path, the STP control message command being defined for computer execution according to a computer architecture, and the STP control message command comprising an operation code field containing a value that specifies an operation to be performed and a CTN identifier of a coordinated timing network to which the first server belongs; responsive to receiving the STP control message command, comparing the CTN identifier of the STP control message command to at least one CTN identifier of at least one coordinated timing network to which the second server belongs, and responsive to the CTN identifier of the STP control message command matching a CTN identifier of a coordinated timing network to which the second server belongs, performing an operation at the second server defined by the operation code of the STP control message command and providing a result based thereon, the result being operation dependent; and sending an STP message response from the second server to the first server, the STP message response comprising the result of performing the operation specified in the STP control message command.