Re: Enterprise Multihoming

[Scott McGrath <mcgrath () fas harvard edu>]

As Marshall noted multi-homing gives you the ability to switch providers
easily.  This ability also gives you leverage with your network providers
since vendor lock-in does not exist.

This is a strong business case for multihoming and is one the financial
types understand and appreciate.

In a prior incarnation I worked for a distributor who had a online
ordering system.   Our telcom coordinator got a "great" deal on bundled
internet service and telephony from a unnamed vendor.  Due to the peering
arrangements the carrier had major customers were unable to place orders
in a timely fashion.

I set up a new AS and set up multihoming with another carrier and made our
customers happy again.  Subsequently said carrier had an outage which took
down our link to them for 7 weeks.  Since this was an internal problem at
our provider multiple links to this carrier would not have benefited us in
the least.  A multihoming strategy also allows you to select providers who
provide connectivty to your business partners and customers which is
another win for obvious reasons.

                            Scott C. McGrath

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004, Marshall Eubanks wrote:

> There is another  thing - if you are multi-homed, and want to switch
> providers, it is pretty seamless and painless - no renumbering, no
> loss of connection, etc., as you always have a redundant path.
>
>
> On Thursday, March 11, 2004, at 12:34 PM, Pekka Savola wrote:
>
> > <On Thu, 11 Mar 2004, Gregory Taylor wrote:
> > > Mutli-homing a non-ISP network or system on multiple carriers is a
> > > good
> > > way to maintain independent links to the internet by means of
> > > different
> > > peering, uplinks, over-all routing and reliability.  My network on
> > > NAIS
> > > is currently multi-homed through AT&T.  I use a single provider as
> > > both
> > > of my redundant links via 100% Fiber network.  Even though this is
> > > cheaper for me, all it takes is for AT&T to have some major outage
> > > and I
> > > will be screwed.  If I have a backup fiber line from say, Global
> > > Crossing, then it doesn't matter if AT&T takes a nose dive, I still
> > > have
> > > my redundancy there.
> >
> > Well, I think this, in many cases, boils down to being able to pick
> > the right provider.
> >
> > I mean, some providers go belly-up from time to time.  Others are
> > designed/run better.
> >
> > For a major provider, complete outage of all of its customers is such
> > a big thing they'll want to avoid it always.  If it happens, for a
> > brief moment, once in five years (for example), for most companies
> > that's an acceptable level of risk.
> >
> > --
> > Pekka Savola                 "You each name yourselves king, yet the
> > Netcore Oy                    kingdom bleeds."
> > Systems. Networks. Security. -- George R.R. Martin: A Clash of Kings
>                                   Regards
>                                   Marshall Eubanks
>
> T.M. Eubanks
> e-mail : marshall.eubanks () telesuite com
> http://www.telesuite.com