What is the purpose of setting a time skew in CyberArk's NTP integration?

Setting a time skew in CyberArk's NTP integration serves primarily to prevent large changes to the system clock. When network time protocol (NTP) is implemented, it ensures that the system clock remains in sync with external time sources. However, if there is a significant discrepancy between the local server time and the NTP server time, sudden large adjustments could lead to operational issues, such as session disruptions or misalignments in scheduled tasks.

By establishing a time skew, CyberArk allows for a gradual adjustment of the server time when discrepancies are detected. This is particularly important in environments where uptime and reliability are crucial, as it minimizes the risk associated with abrupt time changes that could interrupt ongoing processes or authentication sequences.

The other options may be relevant in different contexts but are not the primary purpose of the time skew feature in NTP integration. For instance, while daylight savings adjustments are important for maintaining accurate time, they are typically handled separately from time skew settings. Similarly, although synchronizing server time is essential, that function is fundamentally the role of NTP itself rather than the time skew aspect specifically. Measuring time accuracy, while beneficial, is not the main focus of setting a time skew either; it is more about ensuring smooth transitions when correcting time rather