Re: US-Asia Peering

[Stephen Stuart <stuart () tech org>]

> I find the interesting that there were immediate assumptions by 
> all the followup posters that the hypothectical mesh wbn suggested 
> would be run by an exchange point operator.  

I beg to differ.

I said "if the exchange-point operator is the one carrying the
traffic," at the point where the subsequent comment depended on that
assumption. The preceding comments, particularly the ones regarding
administrative boundaries and who benefits, do not assume that the
exchange point operator carries the traffic:

- the message regarding the fact that more administrative boundaries
  make like more difficult at layer 2 is generic; (stated explicitly
  for you now) a system with three parties and two administrative
  boundaries (two EP switch fabrics and a carrier between them) has a
  *lot* of operational complexity and (I would argue) too many hands
  on the knobs - when what you are doing is collecting switch
  *fabrics* together.

- the operator of the L3 network that carries inter-EP fabric does not
  have to be either of the connected EP operators, which is why I
  called them by the name "operator of the L3 network" and not "EP
  operator."

> Perhaps no public statements were sent by anyone in using similar
> trans-atlantic services (that are not run by the affected EP
> operator[s]). It isn't a new solution, and there isn't only one
> company offering the service.

That is, as you say, not a new solution.

> I think exploring any technical issues/experiences in the 
> differing existing deploys and how they would relate to a trans-
> pacific deploy is quite worthwhile. If anyone using one of the 
> trans-atlantic services wanted to send comments but didn't have 
> enough desire to get a throwaway account subscribed to nanog-post, 
> I'll happily anonomize and repost for you. Just no guarentees on 
> timliness.

PAIX has a segment of its existing customer base that use Ethernet
extend-o-technology to carry L2 frames between them and the port they
have leased on the PAIX switch with an ocean between them. With
respect to the exchange point layer 2 fabric, this is no different
than connecting a customer switch to the switch fabric (operationally,
we see no difference). Certainly some impressions from the folks at
the far end of those links would be of interest.

Stephen