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peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:the_internet_eco-system [2023/03/26 23:49] – [Content Distribution Networks] philippeering-toolbox:what-is-peering:the_internet_eco-system [2023/03/27 00:26] (current) – [Access Providers] philip
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 Some Access Providers may also provide transit to other (smaller) Access Providers. Some Access Providers may also provide transit to other (smaller) Access Providers.
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:access-provider.png?300|}}+{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:access-provider.png?300 |}}
 ===== Regional Providers ===== ===== Regional Providers =====
 Have a presence in many economies. They provide transit to Access Providers, and may be Access Providers themselves (either directly or through specific local subsidiaries).  Have a presence in many economies. They provide transit to Access Providers, and may be Access Providers themselves (either directly or through specific local subsidiaries). 
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 They buy transit from their upstream providers and usually participate at Internet Exchange Points. They buy transit from their upstream providers and usually participate at Internet Exchange Points.
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:regional-provider.png?300|}}+{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:regional-provider.png?300 |}}
  
 ===== Global Providers ===== ===== Global Providers =====
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 They might participate at Internet Exchange Points (either directly or through those specific local subsidiaries). They might participate at Internet Exchange Points (either directly or through those specific local subsidiaries).
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:global-provider.png?400|}}+{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:global-provider.png?500 |}}
  
 ===== "Tier-1s" ===== ===== "Tier-1s" =====
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 It is estimated that the number of Tier-1s in the modern Internet is somewhat reduced compared with the turn of the century. This is due to consolidation and because the content providers and content distribution networks have built their own infrastructure out to the Access part of the Internet, including major Access Providers and most of the Internet Exchange Points on the Internet today. It is estimated that the number of Tier-1s in the modern Internet is somewhat reduced compared with the turn of the century. This is due to consolidation and because the content providers and content distribution networks have built their own infrastructure out to the Access part of the Internet, including major Access Providers and most of the Internet Exchange Points on the Internet today.
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:tier1.png?300|}}+{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:tier1.png?300 |}}
  
 ===== Content Providers ===== ===== Content Providers =====
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 (UPDATED) (UPDATED)
  
-Content Providers are responsible for generating content that end-users are interested in accessing. These providers connect to the global Internet infrastructure like any other entity.+Content Providers are responsible for generating content that end-users are interested in accessing. These providers connect to the global Internet infrastructure ("Tier-1s", Regional Providers, or Access Providers) for transit like any other entity.
  
-Some content providers operate their own infrastructure and transit networks (content distribution networks), and participate actively at Internet Exchange Points. For them Internet Exchange Points are the easiest and most scalable way of accessing "eye-balls", the end-users of the IXP members who will be consuming their content.+Some Content Providers operate their own global infrastructure and transit networks (called [[peering-toolbox/what-is-peering/the_internet_eco-system#content_distribution_networks|Content Distribution Networks]]), and participate actively at Internet Exchange Points. For them Internet Exchange Points are the easiest and most scalable way of accessing "eye-balls", the end-users of the IXP members who will be consuming their content.
  
-Once a content provider's traffic to any particular IXP member exceeds a pre-determined level, the content provider will quite often request a Private Network Interconnect (PNI) or [[peering-toolbox/what-is-peering/what_is_peering#private_peering|private peering]] with the IXP member, separate from the IXP fabric.+Once a Content Provider's traffic to any particular IXP member exceeds a pre-determined level, the Content Provider will quite often request a Private Network Interconnect (PNI) or [[peering-toolbox/what-is-peering/what_is_peering#private_peering|private peering]] with the IXP member, separate from the IXP fabric.
    
  
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 (UPDATED) (UPDATED)
  
-Content distribution networks use their own infrastructure and transit networks to deliver content for their customers either by private peering or by peering at Internet Exchange Points to the Access Providers whose end users consume it.+Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) use their own global infrastructure and transit networks to deliver content for their customers either by private peering or by peering at Internet Exchange Points to the Access Providers whose end users consume it.
  
-Content distribution networks participate actively at Internet Exchange Points and often will provide servers/caches to be hosted either at the IXP or embedded within the network operator infrastructure itself. +CDNs participate actively at Internet Exchange Points and often will provide servers/caches to be hosted either at the IXP or embedded within the network operator infrastructure itself. 
  
-For content distribution networks, Internet Exchange Points are the easiest and most scalable way of accessing “eye-balls”, the end-users of the IXP members who will be consuming the content being distributed on behalf of their customers.+For CDNs, Internet Exchange Points are the easiest and most scalable way of accessing “eye-balls”, the end-users of the IXP members who will be consuming the content being distributed on behalf of their customers.
  
-Note that Content Providers who operate their own CDN use the same approach.+Content Providers who operate their own CDN use the same approach but the content distributed by their CDN is specific to just the Content Provider itself. 
 + 
 +{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:content-plus.png?600 |}} 
 + 
 +In the diagram, one Access Provider at IXP A hosts an embedded cache from CDN 1, and an Access Provider at IXP B hosts an embedded cache from CDN 3. Two other Access Providers only have a PNI with CDNs at the IXPs (no embedded cache server), and the other two Access Providers simply peer across the IX fabric (no PNI and no embedded cache server).
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:content.png?300|}} 
  
 ===== Internet Exchange Points ===== ===== Internet Exchange Points =====
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 This diagram shows (approximately) how the Internet fits together. The lines with arrows represent transit links, and the lines without arrows are peering links. CDNs and Content Providers congregate around Internet Exchange Points so they are closest to their customers, the end-users. This diagram shows (approximately) how the Internet fits together. The lines with arrows represent transit links, and the lines without arrows are peering links. CDNs and Content Providers congregate around Internet Exchange Points so they are closest to their customers, the end-users.
  
-{{:peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:internet-hierarchy.png?600|}}+{{ :peering-toolbox:what-is-peering:internet-hierarchy.png?600 |}}
  
 [[:peering-toolbox/what-is-peering| Back to "Interconnections" page]] [[:peering-toolbox/what-is-peering| Back to "Interconnections" page]]
peering-toolbox/what-is-peering/the_internet_eco-system.1679874576.txt.gz · Last modified: by philip