Interconnects

Fri May 17 22:47:26 UTC 2002

> 
> On Fri, 17 May 2002 bmanning at karoshi.com wrote:
> > 	perhaps better late than never...  PAIX & LINX both
> > 	have IPv6 capabilities at/on the exchange fabric(s).
> > 	I am not aware that Equinix has taken that step.
> 
> Uhm, another dumb question.
> 
> Why does the operator of a layer 2 exchange care (or know) what
> protocols your are using?  IPv4, IPv6, heck I remember seeing
> Appletalk, OSI and DECNET on MAE-EAST.  What consenting network
> operators do....
> 
> What step does Equinix (or any other layer 2 exchange) need to do?
> The ATM NAPs might have an issue due to ATM/ARP, but even then I suspect
> two consenting network operators could use static IPv6 ARP tables
> without the NAP operator doing anything.

	Two things:
	IPv6 can and does take advantage of larger MTU sizes. Selection
	of switch fabric makes a difference.
	
	Often, participants expect to have an IP address assigned for their
	use on an exchange. Usually these delegations are from a common
	block. Where they are not, its hard to tell an exchange from a
	bunch of point2point links. LINX and PAIX have IPv6 prefixes that
	participants can use. 
	
	I would expect that if the Equinix exchange participants were IPv6
	hungry, they would ask for a way to get a v6 address for their 
	connection. And I would expect Equinix would find a way to accomodate
	them.  

	Otherwise you are correct, the operators don't have to coordinate
	at all, except on a bilateral basis and then.... whats the point of
	the exchange? :)