Building a UK Global Timing Fabric

该项目（“第二阶段”）继我们的可行性研究项目之后，该项目名为“通过分布式账本向边缘设备高度可扩展地传播可追溯时间”（“第一阶段”），该项目旨在确定传播NPL英国和全球出口时间表的必要性和实用性。可行性研究的主要发现是：\*大规模（数百亿）可追溯时间的市场确实存在，并确定了关键部门\*我们需要地面时间分布来补充GNSS网络\* NPL时间尺度可以成功地在全球传播到1ms精度，在许多情况下可以达到10us精度\*在大规模，最好的解决方案是基于云的软件边界时钟时间结构\*“NTP+”扩展到NTP在地理位置和散列分类账中证明了适用性。第二阶段是第一阶段的逻辑进展，具有以下广泛目标：\*软件边界时钟（SBC）技术在第一阶段演示的产品化\*建立数百个基于云的软件边界时钟节点的网络\*开发互补的开源_Edge api软件，允许设备从这些节点消耗时间\*与其他英国公司建立合作伙伴关系，对产品进行beta测试并成为该技术的分销商\*进一步开发边缘设备地理定位功能技术的可追溯时间分类帐功能的进一步发展NTP+协议的进一步增强，以适应包括夏令时调整在内的本地时区需要维护在第一阶段建立的Telehouse与NPL时间刻度的连接，并通过Reading Daisy的弹性连接进行增强。我们的目标是满足创新英国的优先事项，包括：弹性：目标是提供一个全球网络的时间传播节点，提供确保可用性，冗余和监控。挑战在于如何大规模低成本地做到这一点。分发：该项目的核心任务是使用Hoptroff提供的确保可访问性（例如，没有GNSS的地方）和普遍性（即使用基于软件的云解决方案）的技术提供高度可扩展的UTC（NPL）传播。信任、保证和安全：我们的可行性研究证实，不同的行业/客户需要精确的可追溯弹性时间来改善他们的业务运营。我们建议创建一个基于英国的弹性全球地面时间同步工具。

This project ('Phase 2') follows on from our Feasibility Study project entitled _Highly scalable dissemination of traceable time to edge devices by distributed ledgers_ ('Phase 1'), which set out to establish the need and practicality of disseminating NPL's timescale for the UK and global export.The key findings of the feasibility study were:\*Markets for mass-scale (tens of billions) traceable time do indeed exist and key sectors identified\*We need terrestrial time distribution to supplement the GNSS network\*The NPL timescale can be successfully disseminated globally to 1ms accuracy, and in many cases to 10us accuracy\*At mass-scale, the best solution is a cloud-based Software Boundary Clock time fabric\*"NTP+" extensions to NTP demonstrated applicability in geolocation and hash ledgers.Phase 2 is the logical progression of Phase 1, with the following broad aims:\*Productisation of the Software Boundary Clock (SBC) technology demonstrated in Phase 1\*Establishment of a network of hundreds of cloud-based Software Boundary Clock nodes\*Development of complementary open-source _Edge API_ software to allow devices to consume time from these nodes\*Building partnerships with other UK companies to beta test the product and become distributors of the technology\*Further development of the edge-device geolocation capabilities of the technology\*Further development of the traceable-time ledger capabilities of the technology\*Further enhancement of NTP+ protocol to accommodate local time zones including daylight saving adjustmentsThe connection to NPL's timescale at Telehouse built during Phase 1 will need to be maintained, and indeed enhanced by a resilient connection at Daisy, Reading.Our aim to meet Innovate UK's priorities include:Resilience:The aim is to provide a global network of time dissemination nodes providing assured availability, redundancy and monitoring. The challenge is to do this at a massive scale and low cost.Distribution:The core mission of the project is to provide highly scalable dissemination of UTC(NPL) using technologies that ensure accessibility (e.g. where there is no GNSS) and ubiquity (i.e. use of software-based cloud solutions) supplied by Hoptroff.Trust, assurance and security:Our feasibility study confirmed different sectors/customers need accurate traceable resilient timing to improve their business operations. We are proposing to create a UK-based resilient, global, terrestrial time synchronization utility.