Re: Datacenter recommendations - China and Latin America

[tvest () eyeconomics com]

On Sep 9, 2009, at 4:11 AM, Benjamin Billon wrote:

> > From a cost, operational, and routing perspective, the same would  
> > be true if you got a CT link in Los Angeles or San Francisco.
> I can't be sure (didn't try myself, sorry) but I think CT links are  
> more filtered from outside PRC (HK being included in PRC)

Perhaps, but I believe that would only be consistently/reliably true  
for the smallish international intra-enterprise links of non-network  
services companies, e.g., between manufacturer-x's CN subsidiary and  
manufacturer-x's offshore corporate HQ.

> > Since CT and CNC
> You mean China Unicom =)

Indeed -- thanks for the correction.

> > control all routes between China and everywhere else in the world--  
> > including HK -- and the outsideCN-to-insideCN segment is going to  
> > be the most expensive and complicated element of any path between  
> > China and anywhere else, the choice of interconnect location with  
> > your preferred China-side service provider provider is largely  
> > going to be a matter of personal taste/local convenience.

> and when asking to go through the Great Firewall, you (I don't mean  
> YOU, TV) should first focus on your objectives. Do you truly think  
> that because you got a network foot inside Mainland China, your  
> services will be easy to reach for all Chinese Netizens?

Exactly the right question. However (unless I am badly dated on these  
points also), the phrasing could be a little misleading, because:

1. You* will not get a layer-3 "network foot" inside China -- not one  
that's bigger than a LAN anyway, and certainly not one that's  
connected to anything outside China without first transiting CT or CUC  
(that's what I meant by "Chinese autonomous routing domain").

2. You* will not get (or alternately, not want) to extend a layer-2  
"network foot" inside China, because at best you'll get no further  
than the CT or CUC office closest to the landing station -- and that  
would put you in no different operational position (except perhaps  
much poorer) than if you interconnected in HK, LA, etc.

Indirectly managed, locally hosted, and directly on-net with one of  
the two large access providers is the only formula that *might* make  
some kind of presence in China different from & better than trying to  
reach Chinese Internet users from across the border. But even that can  
be quite challenging to arrange and maintain over time...

Nuff said (but would be grateful for other corrections/updates based  
on very recent firsthand experience),

TV