1. Proposed title of this feature request

Support for using Linux PTP without Red Hat PTP Operator

2. What is the nature and description of the request?

A partner would like to use the Linux PTP stack in RHEL/RHCOS to synchronise the RHCOS system clock from a PTP Hardware Clock (PHC) on the Intel E810 NIC exposed as a device to RHCOS (/dev/ptpX) without using the Red Hat provided PTP Operator.

The partner would configure, control, manage, etc the Linux PTP stack (ptp4l, phc2sys, etc) and PHC via their own self-developed PTP Operator.

3. Why does the customer need this? (List the business requirements here)

The partner has several use cases for synchronising the RHCOS host system clock via PTP, some involve performing the synchronisation using software entirely developed by the partner (the Linux PTP stack is not involved at all), others involve performing the synchronisation using the Linux PTP stack.

Managing all use cases and scenarios via a single Partner-developed PTP Operator provides operational simplicity and other benefits by not requiring different operators specific to each deployment use case especially as a mix of use cases will be in use in the same 5G network simultaneously.

4. List any affected packages or components.
Linux PTP