2nd Root Server in Europe

On Monday, 13 Jan 1997, Daniel Karrenberg writes:

> Dear colleagues,

> I have received an informal query from IANA about RIPE's opinion about
> the placement of a second root name server in Europe at the LINX
> operated by VBCnet.  This should be discussed at the next meeting. 
> Personally I think that placement at the LINX makes good sense because
> of current network topology. 

Is that true ? We currently have 

; formerly NIC.NORDU.NET
;
.                        3600000      NS    I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.36.148.17

in the north of Europe and according to above proposal a second
root name server in the north of Europe, just one hop from one
to the other. How about middle and south Europe ? Wouldn't it
make sense to have at least one additional NS in these densely
populated regions to provide better access times there ?

This is just a question, nothing more.


> Daniel


Marcel Schneider at SWITCH

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>>From jdd at avon-gw.uk1.vbc.net Thu Jan  9 11:03:28 1997
> Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 19:04:48 +0000 (GMT)
> From: Jim Dixon <jdd at vbc.net>
> To: iana at iana.org, postel at isi.edu
> Cc: paul at vix.com
> Subject: Re: UK root nameserver

> Two months ago I wrote to you regarding the possibility of our setting
> up a root name server in the UK.  To date I have received no reply at
> all, other than something from a robot promising a reply from a human
> being within ten days; this of course never came.

> I have been just now been asked to report back to the board of the UK
> Internet Service Providers Association regarding this request.  Would
> it be possible for someone at IANA to give us some indication of what
> your response is likely to be?


> On Mon, 11 Nov 1996, Jim Dixon wrote:

>> Several days ago one of our engineers talked to Paul Vixie in California
>> regarding our setting up a root name server in the United Kingdom.  As
>> I am sure you are aware, there is only one root server in Europe and 
>> for many UK networks that server is netwise further from the UK than 
>> most of the US servers.
>> 
>> We will have a server built to Paul Vixie's recommendations some time
>> this week.  As he suggests, it will be placed in its own class C on a
>> private LAN segment.  This will be on a 100 Mbps port on a router with
>> a 100 Mbps connection to the LINX, the London Internet Exchange, which
>> is the major UK peering point (http://www.linx.net).  The LINX is 
>> actually attracting a significant number of networks from the continent: 
>> we now have one Dutch and two German members, with EBONE talking about 
>> joining in December.
>> 
>> This proposal has the endorsement of the UK Internet Service Providers
>> Association (http://www.ispa.org.uk), of which I am one of the 
>> directors.  ISPA is more or less equivalent to the CIX in the US.  The 
>> machine will be operated by VBCnet, which is an owner/ member of the 
>> LINX, and will be, as I said, one hop from the LINX on a 100 Mbps port.  
>> The LINX and our London PoP are located in Telehouse Europe, which is 
>> the UK's premier telecommunications centre.  Engineering staff are on duty 
>> 24x7.  Telehouse has exceptionally high security, multiply redundant high 
>> speed telecommunications links, and multiply redundant power supplies.
>> 
>> Should you need any further information or additional material in
>> support of this proposal, we will of course be happy to supply it.
>> I can be contacted at either of the numbers below, by email, or 
>> at 011 44 973 737 881 anytime.

> - --
> Jim Dixon                  VBCnet GB Ltd           http://www.vbc.net
> tel +44 117 929 1316                             fax +44 117 927 2015

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