The key is really that it could mean different things for different providers, although I would agree that the gist is that the location is enabled to look and feel like a POP without the provider installing the full complement of requisite hardware. A provider I worked at in the past, for example, defined a virtual POP as a non-POP location at which POP pricing was offered - the actual method of delivery there being both irrelevant to it being defined that way and unimportant to the concept as a whole. It let the company be price-competitive with others that may have made more extensive investments in hardware at higher-demand locations, and it was purely based on a business justification. There was no specific technical definition (although in reality we were transparent with our customers about methodology anyway) - this contrasts with other providers that are clearly using it in a way that does define a technical approach. It's just an approach specific to that provider.
On Aug 23, 2016, at 6:51 PM, Rod Beck <rod.beck@unitedcablecompany.com> wrote:
Yes, except it is done via Switched Ethernet and VLANs. The idea behind virtual peering. Your gear is in Amsterdam and someone gives you VLANs to LINX.
- R.
________________________________ From: NANOG <nanog-bounces@nanog.org> on behalf of William Herrin <bill@herrin.us> Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 12:46 AM To: Yucong Sun Cc: NANOG Subject: Re: What's the meaning of virtual POP ?
On Tue, Aug 23, 2016 at 6:31 PM, Yucong Sun <sunyucong@gmail.com> wrote: I came across the idea of the virtual POP , but the website for them have way too much jargon to me[1][2][3], can someone explain it like i'm five (:-D)?
A virtual Point Of Presence means that you provide services at a location via someone else's facilities.
The classic example was extending a PRI for dialup modems inside a particular local calling area via a point-to-point T1 back to your modem bank somewhere else that would have been a long distance call for those customers. If you put a modem bank in their local calling area, it's a POP. If you extend the circuit from their local calling area back to your modem bank elsewhere, it's a virtual POP.
Modern examples of virtual POPs are much fancier but it's the same basic idea.
1. Is virtual POP basically a L2VPN?
It can be. Depends on what service you're extending from the "virtual" location.
2. Do such vPOP have guaranteed latency/bandwidth?
Depends on what you're extending and how.
3. Is that really useful?
It can be. It can let you dip your toes in a market without a large up-front investment in equipment and backhaul.
Regards, Bill Herrin
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