Get specific time in raw data from server?

[ayu]

Does anyone know where I can get the current time from a specific timezone from a server (to keep it accurate), in a raw format?

As in, this is what I could find so far:

Code: Select all

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_PK.aspx

But I want just a blank page with the time, nothing else (I really don't want to parse the whole page).
I could use NTP but I feel that my current idea would be more simple.

The reason I want the time from a server like this, is because I intend to have a script running on different servers in the world, and I want to make sure that they get the time from the exact same source, to use in an encryption algorithm.
And I don't want to trust the system time, as it can be incorrect.

Any ideas?

[ph0bYx]

Can't you use your timezone time and just add or subtract hours for specific timezones?

[ayu]

Can't you use your timezone time and just add or subtract hours for specific timezones?

Yeah but if the servers are in different time zones, and if I use the time on the server itself, then there might be a few minute difference, thus the idea I have with the algorithm might not work if there is a too great time difference.

Basically I want to send an encrypted message (the time is to be used as a part of a key) to one server, and then the server should decrypt it using the same timestamp.

I am going to attempt to make a "safe" authentication method for an IRC both, so that the data can't be used or replicated and sent again.
Basically, I want to encrypt it with the time stamp, so that the bot has to decrypt and use the command string within the same minute, and also so that the same string can't be used several times.
It's an idea that I am testing for my IRC-bot, but I'm not sure how safe it is yet ^^

[bad_brain]

hm, will you have access to those servers so you can run your own script there, or do you want to be able to pull the time from ANY server?

[ayu]

hm, will you have access to those servers so you can run your own script there, or do you want to be able to pull the time from ANY server?

Yup, from ANY server.
Basically something like any computer does today when it syncs the time with an NTP server, just that I want a simpler way if possible, since this is just a small experiment, but I still don't want to parse a whole page for the time.

[lilrofl]

why not use one of the atomic clocks around the world instead of the local server time?

[ayu]

why not use one of the atomic clocks around the world instead of the local server time?

Well yeah, it's something like that, that I want.
I want to avoid using local server time at all cost.

[maboroshi]

Why not use the Windows NTP protocol yourself? I am sure its programmable, but I could be mistaken.

If they are Linux servers I am sure Linux has its own methods/apis for something similiar to tap into

[lilrofl]

Why not use the Windows NTP protocol yourself? I am sure its programmable, but I could be mistaken.

If they are Linux servers I am sure Linux has its own methods/apis for something similiar to tap into

Linux uses NTP also