RE: Transit SLA

We promote purchase of transit at our 3 exchanges in British Columbia. In fact, the exchanges are set up for transit first (use of ethernet VLANs, but possibly virtual routers in the future), and peering second (with an exchange router or VLANs). We have
three suppliers participating at each, and roughly 12 (and growing) "consumer" organizations in total. The suppliers and consumers each have contracts with the transit exchange operator (BCNET, in this case) with SLAs defined. Consumers purchase a local
loop to the exchange, and it is presumed there is an SLA associated with this. Transit suppliers deliver their service FOB the exchange. Consumers don't seem to have a problem with this, but the suppliers are a bit reticent. That being said, we are
seeing the first non-university consumers getting transit supplied this summer, and the suppliers are actually selling it (although it is not widely advertised).

BTW, for our exchanges, peering is for consumers, we don't expect suppliers to peer (although they are not prohibited).

The consumer needs three contracts, and that is a fair number of hoops to jump through, which is why it only makes sense to date for those wishing to multihome. Possibly in the future, integrators could buy local loops, exchange point service, and
transit independently and resell to consumers. This would necessitate a strong SLA for exchange point operators. This de-layering of services might improve markets and drive down prices, but it remains to be seen.

Peering exchange points might not need a strong SLA, as peering can be thought of as an optimization (I don't want to start a flame war about this, just let it stand for now). Transit exchanges, on the other hand, must have a strong SLA and contracts
with all parties.

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave Siegel [mailto:[email protected]] 
> Sent: July 15, 2003 5:19 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [REPforum] Transit SLA
> 
> 
> It is often prohibited by the exchange point operators as 
> well, and if not prohibited, often discouraged.
> 
> However, many ISPs sell transit using ethernet media at 
> exchange point locations.  You could take advantage of this 
> fact using a 
> cheap FE/GE switch that supports VLANs and 802.1q, and 
> support both your AMS-IX connection and your transit 
> connection on the same physical router port.
> 
> Dave
> 
> Shameless Plug: Global Crossing is at AMS-IX and offers IP 
> Transit there (but not over the exchange)
> 
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2003 at 04:36:17PM -0700, Andy Ellifson 
> reportedly typed:
> > 
> > I have been trying to purchase transit across AMS-IX from a 
> number of 
> > different European ISPs.  One ISP (BT Ignite) will not sell transit 
> > across the EP due to a lack of control of the SLA.
> > 
> > -Andy
> > 
> > --- Jere Retzer <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > I had an ISP ask me how to handle a transit SLA for transit 
> > > delivered across an Exchange Point. We've thought of the EP as 
> > > separate from an SLA perspective but I'm curious what others have 
> > > done. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks
> > > 
> 
> -- 
> Dave Siegel                     
> http://www.siegelie.com/people/dsiegel/
> Oro Valley, AZ
> 
> Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you 
> are                 
> removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If 
> it                
> comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.       
>                   
> 
>