PeeringDB

Last updated
PeeringDB
Original author(s) Richard Steenbergen (Original) & PeeringDB Volunteers
Developer(s) PeeringDB
Initial releaseJuly 29, 2010 (2010-07-29)
Stable release
2.62.1 / October 24, 2024;2 days ago (2024-10-24) [1]
Repository www.github.com/peeringdb/peeringdb
Written in Python
Operating system Cloud
Platform Cross-platform
Available in English and 16 translations
License Code is published under a BSD 2-clause license
Website www.peeringdb.com

PeeringDB is a freely available, user-maintained, database of networks, and the go-to location for interconnection data. [2] The database facilitates the global interconnection of networks at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), data centers, and other interconnection facilities, and is the first stop in making interconnection decisions.

Contents

Almost one third of the critical default-free zone ASNs at least partially register their interconnection options in the database. The database shows the colocation facilities in which networks have a presence and the IXPs they peer at.

While, like Wikipedia, PeeringDB's database contains user contributed data, networks can give permission for exchanges using the IX-F Member Exchange Format to submit technical information about their presence at an exchange. This can then be used as a source of configuration data.

Traditionally a list of potential peering partners would have been maintained by the host Internet exchange point or colocation centre, but these lists lacked important information such as peering policies and were difficult to keep up-to-date. Being a distributed database, it was also necessary for peers to consult multiple lists in order to establish peering relationships. PeeringDB has become the "first stop when deciding where and whom to peer with". [3]

PeeringDB's software was originally written by Richard Steenbergen in 2004. A non-profit organization was incorporated in 2015 [4] to operate the PeeringDB service. It has four volunteer committees that design, maintain, and promote the service. They are:

PeeringDB's software is open source and volunteers can contribute code. Users are welcome to request features and report bugs by opening an issue on GitHub. They can also engage in discussion using PeeringDB's mailing lists.

Types of Data

PeeringDB hosts five types of data about interconnection:

  1. Networks
  2. Internet Exchange Points
  3. Facilities - often data centers but can be anywhere where networks place equipment for the purpose of interconnection
  4. Carriers - providers of high speed Layer 1 and Layer 2 service into a facility
  5. Campuses - a collection of facilities operated by the same organization that provide inter-building cross-connects

Interaction and Access

Users can search and update the PeeringDB database using the web interface or an API. The API [5] can be used to integrate PeeringDB's service into proprietary tools. PeeringDB publishes peeringdb-py as a reference implementation of a local cache of PeeringDB data. Users are encouraged to use peeringdb-py or an equivalent to avoid API query limits.

PeeringDB also publishes a .KMZ formatted dataset of interconnection facilities for which it has coordinates.

When searching PeeringDB, users only need an account if they want access to contact information for organizations.

PeeringDB's OAuth service can be used to authenticate when using third-party applications. About 150 applicants had enabled PeeringDB OAuth in May 2021.

Governance

Membership [6] depends on two factors: an active PeeringDB.com account and an individual representative who is subscribed to the governance mailing list. Each member has a single vote in annual elections to appoint board members. Directors are elected for two year terms and are not compensated for their service.

Funding

PeeringDB is supported entirely through sponsorships. Many sponsors are large network operators, data center operators, or Internet Exchange Points. Its finances are published on its documentation site. Its income in 2022 was about $216,000.

See also

Related Research Articles

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In computer networking, peering is a voluntary interconnection of administratively separate Internet networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic between the "down-stream" users of each network. Peering is settlement-free, also known as "bill-and-keep" or "sender keeps all", meaning that neither party pays the other in association with the exchange of traffic; instead, each derives and retains revenue from its own customers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Internet Exchange</span> Not-for-profit Internet Exchange Point

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The Northern Lights Local Exchange Point (NLLXP) is a free Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. The NLLXP public peering exchange is closely linked with the Northern Lights GigaPoP (NLG), an Internet2 project of the University of Minnesota Office of Information and Technology: the NLG is the regional Internet2 access point for research and educational institutions, and the NLLXP is the regional peering exchange between those institutions and commercial networks, and among commercial networks.

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Detroit Internet Exchange ("DET-iX") is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) Internet exchange point (IXP) located in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded in 2014 to help establish peering for local and regional Internet service providers. DET-iX currently has 67 members and 81 connections, with a maximum peak transfer speed of 1866.9 Gbit/s. DET-iX is the first peering exchange of its kind in the Detroit area.

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References

  1. ↑ "Releases · peeringdb/peeringdb". github.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  2. ↑ Lodhi, Aemen; Larson, Natalie; Dhamdhere, Amogh; Dovrolis, Constantine; claffy, kc (2014-04-08). "Using peeringDB to understand the peering ecosystem". ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review. 44 (2): 20–27. doi:10.1145/2602204.2602208. ISSN   0146-4833. S2CID   11113342.
  3. ↑ Lardinois, Frederic (2017-08-24). "Inflect's infrastructure marketplace adds 30 new service providers and 2,200 data center and peering locations". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  4. ↑ Secretary of State. "PeeringDB Articles of Incorporation" (PDF). Governance - PeeringDB Docs. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  5. ↑ "PeeringDB API Documentation". www.peeringdb.com. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  6. ↑ "HOWTO: Become a PeeringDB Member and Vote - PeeringDB Docs". docs.peeringdb.com. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
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