Re: Experiments in multi-placed root servers

[Bill Manning <bmanning@ISI.EDU>]

> I also believe some of the operational problems seen
> in other deployments have been because the software involved was
> designed to meet the needs of customers with requirements which
> actually differed fairly significantly.  We're aiming to do one pretty
> specific thing here, which will hopefully reduce the set of potential
> problems.  We're also not talking about rushing into anything; I see
> this as a very staged roll-out, with a *lot* of testing.

	Testing is a good idea.  Do you think that doing this type of testing
	is reasonable with a live root server?

> 	Achieving redundancy is also only part of what we're aiming
> for here.  Think of it from the point of view of a non-North American
> network user.  There is a high concentration of root servers in North
> America and the links to reach them may be expensive or high latency
> or both.  Without moving current roots to new places in the network
> topology, how do you serve those users?  

	You move the servers to better places.  There is no
	assurence that any given technology/topology is the
	end-all for Internet services.

> Distributing replicas of the
> data to a wide variety of places is one answer, and that distribution
> fits the current models better if the replicas are authoritative.  As
> Randy pointed out during the BOF, replicated distribution can create
> its own problems of administration and coordination unless all the
> copies are coordinated through a single entity.
> 	That's really the problem space we see; how do you see
> the problem and its potential resolution?

	How do you dismantle this service when it no longer fits 
	Internet topology or technology?  Moving a single platform
	is -much- easier than killing off a replicated system. 
	Current models are just that.  Remember that this was a BOF
	discussing root server ops.  Of course root server placement
	is the perview of IANA and not such an IETF venue. 

> 			regards,
> 				Ted Hardie
> 
> > > On Wed, 5 May 1999 bmanning@ISI.EDU wrote:
> > > 
> > > > 	stratagy since the failure modes are so baroque as to make
> > > > 	debugging/troublshooting such events lifetime employment
> > > > 	for certain classes of engineers.  While things are improving,
> > > 
> > > Bill - You could always look at it as a new form 
> > > of job security    :-)
> > > 
> > > Ray
> > 
> > So,  you folks hiring :-)
> > 
> > --bill
> > 
> 
> 


-- 
--bill