NTP stands for the Network Time Protocol. The Network Time Protocol allows the clocks on a computer or through networks of computer systems to become synchronized. This means that they occur simultaneously so that if any changes are made so that the clocks change, it will automatically change for all computers in the network. In the NTP, there are stratum numbers. These numbers refer to the type of NTP service that is provided.
Sometimes, there is a low stratum number. There are four layers to the Internet protocol suite including the application layer, transport layer, internet layer and link layer. If a configured NTP master on a network cannot reach any clock with a lower stratum number, then the NTP master will claim to be synchronized at the configured stratum number.
The NTP master will claim to be synchronized at the configured stratum number​. Other systems will be willing to synchronize to that master using NTP​.
