News summary:

• Data center operators increasingly rely on standard servers and virtual applications, creating a need for robust and accurate timing solutions
• Pluggable Oscilloquartz timing card meets specifications set out in OCP’s TAP framework
• Half-size PCIe card combined with Ensemble Sync Director offers a simple way to upgrade COTS servers with assured PTP synchronization

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.-- Adtran today announced that the Open Compute Project (OCP) Time Appliance Project (TAP) has approved its OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ for data center timing and synchronization. The pluggable device injects Adtran’s Oscilloquartz timing technology into any white box server, solving key challenges in the transition to virtualized environments. The OCP-TAP’s endorsement means data center operators leveraging the OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ to synchronize COTS hardware can be assured of precise, reliable and robust timing as they move to more cost-efficient and scalable network architectures.

The OSA 5400 TimeCard™ represents a simple route to accurate, reliable and robust data center timing. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We’re pleased to be able to announce that Adtran’s OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ now supports the OCP-TAP driver. It’s an important milestone in our collective quest to advance robust and accurate timing solutions for distributed system use cases. By meeting our framework’s specifications, Adtran is helping us drive standardization and interoperability, accelerating the industry’s shift to open, standardized hardware,” said Ahmad Byagowi, TAP project leader at OCP-TAP. “This pluggable solution represents a simple route to accurate, reliable and robust data center timing. We believe that solutions like the OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ will play a pivotal role in advancing the next generation of scalable and resilient infrastructure.”

Enabling data center operators to efficiently host the most demanding time-sensitive applications, Adtran’s OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ plugs into any free PCIe slot to turn a standard COTS server into a precise PTP grandmaster clock or NTP server. With multiple oscillator options, the solution ensures accurate timing even during extended periods of GNSS disturbances. In combination with Adtran’s Ensemble Sync Director, the OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ provides operational teams with a comprehensive, unified view of their entire timing infrastructure. This enables them to easily manage all elements of their timing network, enhancing control and reliability. What’s more, the OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ has been developed to align fully with the IEEE P3335 standardization, ensuring adaptability and underscoring Adtran’s commitment to industry advancement in a cohesive digital ecosystem.

“We’re proud that our OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ has been validated by OCP-TAP. This card brings our 74 years of expertise in timing and synchronization to standard servers, going beyond the TAP specifications to provide a scalable, fully featured timing solution in a compact half-size PCIe card. It offers a major boost for data center operators looking to embrace open, disaggregated hardware, especially where timing is vital and space is limited. Our OSA 5400 TimeCard^™ ensures seamless, efficient operation of mission-critical and time-sensitive applications,” commented Igal Pinhasov, VP of PLM at Oscilloquartz, Adtran. “As the industry progresses towards agile, cost-effective data center environments, our pluggable timing technology will play a defining role in shaping future architectures.”