The Gorgon's Knot. Was: Re: Verio Peering Question

Fri Sep 28 19:51:06 UTC 2001

> Find a way to provide reliable multi homing without massive route
> table growth and you fix many things.

We tried, at least for the IPv6 community, but A6 was just experimentalized.

> I do not run Vario ... I will not fault them for taking a stance?

It's hard to justify any statement of the form "somebody else ought to do XYZ".
If it's a good idea and well presented, they'll do it.  If not, they won't.  I
would no more allow a third party (noncustomer) to tell me what routes I had to
accept than I would allow a third party to tell me what e-mail (e.g., "spam")
I had to accept.  If I own the router (or mail server, or whatever) then it's
up to me (and my customers) to decide how they're to be configured.

The flip side definitely applies as well.  If a peer doesn't like the routes
I'm sending them then since they're not a third party to the peering 
relationship they definitely have the power and right to negotiate with me.
But somebody like Patrick would qualify as a third party, with no rights at
all, and would be, and should be, ignored.