Which operation mode of NTP is designed for better traffic efficiency in larger networks?

The broadcast operation mode of Network Time Protocol (NTP) is specifically designed for enhancing traffic efficiency in larger networks. This mode allows a single time server to send time updates to multiple clients simultaneously. Instead of each client individually querying the server for time updates, which can lead to a significant amount of traffic as the number of clients increases, the broadcast mode significantly reduces the load on the network by disseminating the time information in one go.

In this mode, the time server sends NTP broadcast messages to all clients within the subnet. Clients that are set up to receive these broadcasts can synchronize their clocks without having to repeatedly send requests to the time server. This is particularly advantageous in environments with many clients, as it minimizes requests and responses, thereby optimizing network utilization and ensuring that the time synchronization process occurs seamlessly without unnecessary overhead.

Other modes like unicast involve individual client-server interactions, and while polling can also manage time synchronization, they do not achieve the same level of efficiency for large-scale deployments as the broadcast mode does. Thus, for larger networks requiring effective and efficient time synchronization, the broadcast mode is the optimal choice.