Re: bad idea?

[Adrian Chadd <adrian () creative net au>]

On Wed, Jul 05, 2000, Randy Bush wrote:
> > > Given a small, globally routable netblock to be used for front-end web
> > > servers, and a strong aversion for using DNS for any type of load
> > > balancing, would it be reasonable to build two identical servers farms
> > > with the same public IP addresses and rely on the BGP sessions with the
> > > hosing providers to remove one advertisement in the event of a problem? 
> > > I've been looking at ways to ensure that the webservers are always
> > > available, short of building a network connecting hosting facilities.
> >
> > Dude, saying things like that on this group is likely to get you executed.
> > Building a discontigious AS isn't the answer.
>
> i missed the part where he said discontiguous as.  please point it out to
> us.

[quote]
Given a small, globally routable netblock to be used for front-end web
servers, and a strong aversion for using DNS for any type of load
balancing, would it be reasonable to build two identical servers farms
with the same public IP addresses and rely on the BGP sessions with the
hosing providers to remove one advertisement in the event of a problem?
I've been looking at ways to ensure that the webservers are always
available, short of building a network connecting hosting facilities.

[end quote]

Note hosting(sic) providers .. providers being plural.

There are multiple options. I wouldn't count doing discontinuous AS stuff
as being a good solution. Stuff like the Cisco Distributed Director works,
but I'm of the opinion that the server shouldn't ever decide whats best
for the clients from a network point of view.

Being evil and out of whack, the only solution thats going to work for
this and various other distributed service requirements is finding a way
to push the server selection *out* towards the clients. Modelling the
internet to try and return the 'best choice' for a client is a good
idea, but you aren't solving anything.

(Unless of course your concept of 'telling the client' is so wide spread
you affect the internets traffic patterns from your decisions .. :-)



Adrian

-- 
Adrian Chadd                    Build a man a fire, and he's warm for the
<adrian () creative net au>     rest of the evening. Set a man on fire and
                                he's warm for the rest of his life.