Peering - Benefits?

Paul Vixie vixie at isc.org
Fri Oct 31 16:53:16 UTC 2008


"Paul Stewart" <pstewart at nexicomgroup.net> writes:

> ...
> 
> My question was meant at a much higher level - a level where costs are
> equal for peering/transit and all the "technical" and the "financial"
> homework has been done already.... now I'm the stage of one last meeting
> with top level management to explain "peering" and it's magic.  These are
> mainly non-technical people - so my question to NANOG was for viewpoints
> on peering of which hopefully I could reinforce some of my own thoughts
> with.  Whether or not someone operating at scale isn't the discussion -
> and it's funny how many people involved with companies (that are
> "operating at scale") have emailed me offline since this discussion
> started a few days ago with questions/thoughts and strategy.

if the financials and technicals are similar enough to be factored out,
then what you have to look at is possible variance between tactical and
strategic cost/benefit ratios.  basically this boils down to the cost of
lock-in.  if you're going to avoid lock-in then you have get your own
address space and build out to at least one IXP and then, buy diverse
transit.  once you have done all that, the cost of also peering is in the
noise, whereas the advantage of also peering is noticeable if not always
easily measureable.  if you're not going to avoid lock-in, then everything
you'd need to spend to avoid it can be avoided, and you won't be peering
unless it's for purely strategic reasons.
-- 
Paul Vixie




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