On 31 Oct 2008, at 16:56, Paul Stewart wrote:
Why does the controversy word keep coming up? You're the third
personnow to ask if I was trying to provide controversy and for the
third time, NO I AM NOT.
Hi,
I have no intention of fanning the fire, but I can explain the
controversy message pretty well.
Bringing a whole new methodology to how an organisation interconnects
is hugely controversial for most organisations who are not already
peering.
In my role as a consulting engineer in this field, I most recall
introducing peering to two 'enterprise' organisations. Both joined
exchanges in Europe at a time when their network edge was redesigned
to support 'better practice' IT. Both were e-commerce organisations
who traded directly with the general public, and ran open peering
policies soliciting sessions with eyeball networks. At the end of my
involvement with both, each organisation was peering off a third or so
of their traffic.
One is still peering and probably peers off more traffic. The other
withdrew from peering operations after around six months. Wearing
another hat as an IX operator, I can confirm that IXPs do not want
organisations to join and leave, since most of the IXP costs are front-
stacked and relate to setup.
So what went wrong ? The organisation which is still peering has a
more rich technical culture, willing to accept the so-called
intangible benefits of peering. The second asked "are we a sales and
marketing firm designed to shift widgets, or are we a fancy technical
firm with a big network ?"
The culture of many firms is to keep-it-simple-stupid, and if your
proposal for peering reached C*O levels, then it would be met with
significant controversy if you are not already peering. Especially
when the C*O responsible for legal hears about peering contracts...
Furthermore, to get and retain the peers you need, you need to make
relationships with other peering co-ordinators. Attending the peering
conferences is hard work and all of your colleagues will think you're
on a jolly !
If you can't get sponsorship for your idea outside the technology
department, then the idea is probably dead. Are there some PNIs you
can run in the local area which will have a significant impact on your
resiliency and traffic profile ?
Good luck. I am happy to talk to you in more detail about this
subject if you would like more advice, drop me a line off-list.
Best wishes
Andy Davidson.