Policies for Peering and Internet Exchanges

1. Policies for Peering and Internet Exchanges AFIX Technical Workshop Session 8

2. Recap of key terms • Transit: One ISP provides (usually sells) access to all destinations in its routing table • Peering: ISPs reciprocally provide access to each other’s customers AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

3. Peering vs Transit Peering Transit Peering Peering AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

4. Internet Exchange Points • Three or more peering partners  IXP should be considered • Platforms: Layer 2 or Layer 3 • Ownership • Commercial • Non Profit • Governmental AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

5. Policy influences on IXPs • IXPs are affected by two kinds of policy: • Government policy • Business and technical policies: IXP and member ISPs • Government policy is simple: none is best! • In the real world, two extremes of intervention: • Governments have shut down IXPs • Government have forced peering • Both approaches are failures. • Government’s ideal role is to encourage, provide information, support, facilitate. AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

6. IXP business & technical policy • Key areas to be negotiated between members • Must be agreed BEFORE IXP is set up to ensure buy-in • Business and technical decisions frequently overlap – technical choices are made for business reasons. AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

7. Key business decisions • Location • Ownership • Operator: who runs it? • Do you provide additional services eg co-location? • Form of business (for profit or not?) • Funding and pricing: Flat fee, traffic fee, some other? AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

8. Commercial Option • IXP built and operated by a telco or co-location provider • Profit comes from the services that support the IXP: • Co-location space • Telecommunications services, etc. • MAE, PacBell NAP, Equinix, AboveNet AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

9. Non-Profit Option • A collective effort by several ISPs • Incorporate as a non-profit in order to operate the IXP • Referred as the “club” IXP model • LINX, JINX, KIXP, APE (NZ) AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

10. Government Option • To enhance the connectivity of government and educational institutions • Federal Internet eXchanges (FIXs): interconnected US govt networks • Internet2’s GigaPOPs: Universities • StarTap: the R&D Networks • Private sector benefit is incidental, if at all AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

11. Alternative forms • Network Service Providers: • Backbone carriers mainly selling transit service • Use the term IX as a marketing tool • Example: SAIX, EIX, ..etc • National Gateways: • Mainly in regulated markets • Local and international traffic are separated domestically AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

12. Best Practices • IXP operated by a neutral party who is not an ISP (to ensure fairness and neutrality) • Robust and secure fashion • Located in areas of high density of Internet market space • Able to scale in size • Fiscally sound and stable AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

13. Key technical decisions • Multilateral (all peer with all – no choice) • Bilateral (any peer with any – ISPs can choose) • Hybrid? • Interconnect policy AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

14. Typical agreements • IXP • Advertise no transit routes • Peering • Respond to queries in 24hrs • Collaborate on tracking and dealing with abuse originating from own network • Advertise all its customer routes to the other parties • Accept all routes as agreed and advertised by the other parties • Exchange traffic between its customers and customers of other parties • Register customers in a whois searchable database or establish a routing registry AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

15. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) • Ensure that IXP won’t be competing with its own members (e.g. connecting customers at the IXP) • Ensure smooth and stable operation • Preserve the business reputation of the IXP and member ISPs • Provide reasonable privacy protection to members AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

16. AUP non-compete terms • Entry qualifications • Who is to connect to the IXP • Who is NOT to connect to the IXP • Minimum peering requirements • Exchanging traffic • Bi-lateral agreements • Multi-lateral agreements • Settlement of peering charges AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

17. Additional AUP issues • Privacy – AUP should cover: • Monitoring of operational data • Publication of operational data • Disclosure of information to relevant authorities • Exceptions • Content – AUP should cover: • Conformance to laws regarding content hosted • Prevention of spam, etc • Protecting network stability and integrity • Cooperation in achieving those objectives AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

18. Traffic Exchange Strategy • Transit through a global backbone • Public Peering at exchange Points whenever possible • Migrate higher-volume connections to private peering • Negotiate peering with global backbones AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

19. Conclusion • Peering is a complement to transit – only top-tier ISPs can rely solely on peering for coverage. • Companies will peer when they perceive equal benefit. • Peering agreements are the result of commercial negotiations. • Each ISP decides whether, how, and where to peer by weighing the benefits and costs of entering into a particular interconnection agreement. AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

20. Policy Negotiation: Exercise • Divide into three groups and read through the following IXP policies: • Group A: JINX (South Africa) • Group B: Moz-IX (Mozambique) • Group C: KIXP (Kenya) • How has each of these IXPs resolved the issues covered during this presentation? • Would this policy, or some elements of it, be appropriate for your local conditions? • What would be the most appropriate policy or set of policies for your local conditions? AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8

21. Summary of policy issues • Location • Ownership and form • Governance • Additional services • Pricing • Interconnection policy • Acceptable use AFIX Technical Workshop: Session 8