"geographic" dns-answer

[Merton Campbell Crockett]

On Tue, 27 Jul 1999, Birgit Schmid wrote:

BS} Yiorgos Adamopoulos wrote:
BS} 
BS} > On Mon, Jul 26, 1999 at 09:44:11PM +0200, Jim Reid wrote:
BS} > > Not really. The LOC RR tells you where something is physically
BS} > > located. That doesn't translate very well into "near" or "far" in
BS} >
BS} > The original question is:
BS} >
BS} > On Mon, Jul 26, 1999 at 08:04:38PM +0200, Birgit Schmid wrote:
BS} > > hi!
BS} > >
BS} > > is there any possibility to give an answer for the nearest server?
BS} > >
BS} > > eg i have 2 servers in los angeles and new york and the dns-query gives the
BS} > > ip
BS} > > of the nearest server...
BS} > >
BS} > > Thanks for your help
BS} > >
BS} > > birgit
BS} >
BS} > So, the ``nearest'' server in terms of IP connectivity could be either the
BS} > ``nearest'' in hop count, or the one with the smaller RTT.  In geographical
BS} > terms (which is what I answered) this could be determined via LOC RRs.
BS} >
BS} > So the original questor(sp?) Birgit Schmid, should clarify the question.
BS} 
BS} First of all I'd like to thank anyone who answered :)
BS} 
BS} I want to use several servers with the same name; the customer should use the
BS} server he reaches with minimal hop-count (to minimize traffic).

Just define the system with several A records.  Locations that frequently
access your system will gravitate toward the physical system with the
lowest RTT.  This may or may not be the one with the lowest hop-count.

Without knowing the providers your "customers" would be using, their net
traffic policies, routing policies, interchange agreements, and exchange
points; its very difficult to determine "closeness" in any meaningful way.


			     Merton Campbell Crockett
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| Manager, Network Operations & Services | Senior Network/Security Engineer |
| GTE Government Systems Corporation     |     Naval Surface Warfare Center |
| Electronic Systems Division		 |            Port Hueneme Division |
| Intelligence Systems Organization	 |                   IT/TIS Program |
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