A clock architecture employing redundant clock synthesizers is disclosed. In
one
embodiment, a computer system includes first and second clock boards. The first
clock board may act as a master, generating a system clock signal, while the second
clock board acts as a slave. The first clock board may monitor a phase difference
between a first crystal clock signal and a feedback clock signal. If the phase
difference exceeds a limit, the first crystal clock signal may be inhibited, preventing
the first clock board from generating the system clock signal. The second clock
board may monitor the system clock board in reference to a feedback clock signal.
If the second clock board detects a predetermined number of consecutive missing
clock edges, it may enable a second crystal clock signal, which may be used to
generate a system clock signal.