At 08:55 AM 8/14/98 -0700, Owen DeLong wrote:
TRANSIT == Provider A is a customer of provider B. Provider A announces routes to itself and it's customers. Provider B announces a complete routing table and/or a default route to provider A.
Pardon me if this seems pedantic, but it's late, I've had a hard week, and, well, I *am* pedantic. :) I would like to modify this definition such that if Provider B announces *any* route to Provider A which does not belong to Provider B or a customer of Provider B, then Provider B is giving Provider A transit. Please note that "default route" is a special case which is still covered under this definition because "default" includes netblocks not owned by the provider or the provider's customers. Furthermore, if Provider B propagates *any* of Provider A's routes to Provider C, and Provider C is not a customer of Provider B, then again, Provider B is giving Provider A transit. Full tables/default route are not the point, IMHO. The point is, did the packet originate or terminate outside both networks (counting "customers" as part of the networks)? If either end point is not inside one of those networks (or customers thereof), the someone has given someone else transit. Another pedantic point (which most people on this list understand): "customer" == "someone to whom you provide transit" by my definition. This follows because a provider will announce "customer" routes to a "peer".
From here on out, it starts getting circular and my head begins to hurt. :)
I'm sorry if this bored most of you, but people have answered this twice and still didn't get it exactly correct IMHO. Feel free to point out my errors if I've committed any. TTFN, patrick P.S. I really wanted to say "Provider B is providing Provider A ...", but it's already too confusing. :) ************************************************************** Patrick W. Gilmore voice: +1-650-482-2840 Director of Operations, CCIE #2983 fax: +1-650-482-2844 PRIORI NETWORKS, INC. http://www.priori.net "Tomorrow's Performance.... Today" **************************************************************