London Internet Exchange
Encyclopedia
- "LINX" redirects here. For other uses of that word, see Linx.
Internet Exchange Point
An Internet exchange point is a physical infrastructure through which Internet service providers exchange Internet traffic between their networks . IXPs reduce the portion of an ISP's traffic which must be delivered via their upstream transit providers, thereby reducing the average per-bit...
(IXP) situated in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was founded in 1994 by a group of Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s. LINX is a founder member of EURO-IX, a Europe-wide alliance of Internet Exchanges. It is currently the third largest neutral IXP in Europe in terms of average throughput.
LINX is a not-for-profit organisation (Company Limited by Guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
). Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s join LINX as members and sign a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
. Members collectively 'own' the company and all members have a single vote at AGMs
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
and EGMs in matters relating to finances, constitution, and what activities LINX may carry out. Members also periodically elect the LINX non-executive board of directors. Members meet at regular LINX meetings to discuss technical, corporate governance, and regulatory matters. LINX has a mandate to not actively compete with its members.
Technology
LINX operates two physically separate networks or switching platformsNetwork switch
A network switch or switching hub is a computer networking device that connects network segments.The term commonly refers to a multi-port network bridge that processes and routes data at the data link layer of the OSI model...
on different architecture
Computer architecture
In computer science and engineering, computer architecture is the practical art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that meet functional, performance and cost goals and the formal modelling of those systems....
s using equipment from different manufacturers (Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks, founded in 1996, is a publicly listed company that designs, builds, and installs Ethernet network solutions for enterprise and Carrier Class networks.-Corporate History:Extreme Networks is located in Santa Clara, California...
and Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. , based in Silicon Valley , is a vendor of storage area network hardware and software. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells networking products and management applications for local, metro, and wide area networks...
, formerly Foundry Networks
Foundry Networks
Foundry Networks, Inc. was a networking hardware vendor selling high-end Ethernet switches and routers. The company was founded in 1996 by Bobby R. Johnson, Jr. and was headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA...
). These networks are deployed over ten locations, each connected by multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet
10 Gigabit Ethernet
The 10 gigabit Ethernet computer networking standard was first published in 2002. It defines a version of Ethernet with a nominal data rate of 10 Gbit/s , ten times faster than gigabit Ethernet.10 gigabit Ethernet defines only full duplex point to point links which are generally connected by...
connections over fibre
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
networks.
The ten locations are:
- Telehouse North
- Telehouse East
- TeleCity Harbour Exchange (8/9 - ex TeleCity)
- TeleCity Millharbour
- TeleCity Harbour Exchange (6/7 - ex Redbus)
- TeleCity Sovereign House
- TeleCity Meridian Gate (Memaco House)
- TeleCity Powergate
- EquinixEquinixEquinix, Inc. is an American public corporation that provides carrier-neutral data centers and internet exchanges. Equinix provides network-neutral data centers and interconnection services...
London-4 - InterxionInterxionInterxion is a European provider of carrier-neutral colocation data centre services. Founded in 1998 in the Netherlands, the firm was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange on January 28, 2011...
London City
Connecting is also possible from remote locations via the 'LINX from Anywhere' scheme via a range of layer 2 service/MPLS carriers.
Redundancy of the network is managed using rapid-failover protection mechanisms such as
Foundry Metro Ring Protocol (MRP) and Extreme Ethernet Automatic Protection System
Ethernet Automatic Protection System
Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching is used to create a fault tolerant topology by configuring a primary and secondary path for each VLAN....
(EAPS).
These restore connectivity within tenths of a second in the event of the loss of a network segment.
In addition to the main peering infrastructure, LINX provides managed private interconnections (via Single Mode Fibre
Single-mode optical fiber
In fiber-optic communication, a single-mode optical fiber is an optical fiber designed to carry only a single ray of light . Modes are the possible solutions of the Helmholtz equation for waves, which is obtained by combining Maxwell's equations and the boundary conditions...
) between LINX members, and works with a number of fibre carriers to provide rapid connection between LINX members for private circuits. These PI circuits may be used for any purpose but are mainly intended for Private Peering arrangements between members. Private Peering is sometimes more appropriate for managing large flows of traffic between ISPs and/or Content Providers.
Regulatory
LINX provides its members with an important Regulatory and Public Affairs service, and liaises where appropriate with many third parties including the Internet Watch FoundationInternet Watch Foundation
The Internet Watch Foundation is a non-governmental charitable body based in the United Kingdom. It states that its remit is "to minimise the availability of 'potentially criminal' Internet content, specifically images of child sexual abuse hosted anywhere, and criminally obscene adult content in...
, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Information Commissioner
Information Commissioner
The role of Information Commissioner differs from nation to nation. Most commonly it is a title given to a government regulator in the fields of freedom of information and the protection of personal data in the widest sense.-Canada:...
, and other government departments in matters such as content regulation, telecoms regulation, privacy and data protection, e-mail spam
E-mail spam
Email spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
, online fraud/phishing
Phishing
Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, and other regulatory matters in the UK and Europe affecting the Internet industry.
The regulatory function of LINX is mainly to represent the member ISPs
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
(as a group) to these third parties, respond to consultations, and report to and consult with the LINX members regarding any developments that may affect their business or operations.
LINX also produce Best Current Practice (BCP) documents for LINX members. These BCPs are developed in consultation with LINX members and other experts. Examples include a Best Current Practice for dealing with e-Mail spam and web sites that are linked to in spam messages. Members can use these BCPs when developing their own policies, but they are not obliged to do so.
In August 2004, LINX announced its BCP to members to take action against spammer-run websites, as well as websites advertised through spam. The plan also includes a crackdown on sites selling spammer tools, such as email address lists.
LINX can also provide a dispute resolution service between members where appropriate.
Other activities
LINX also carries on a number of non-core activities (NCAPs) from time to time, for example the LINX Accredited Internet Technician (LAIT) training programme.Other services provided include a time service using atomic clock
Atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that uses an electronic transition frequency in the microwave, optical, or ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms as a frequency standard for its timekeeping element...
s, as well as hosting for other "Good of the Internet" services including various Internet statistics projects, numerous secondary name servers
Name server
In computing, a name server is a program or computer server that implements a name-service protocol. It maps a human-recognizable identifier to a system-internal, often numeric, identification or addressing component....
for various ccTLD domains, and instances of the F, K and I root nameserver
Root nameserver
A root name server is a name server for the Domain Name System's root zone. It directly answers requests for records in the root zone and answers other requests returning a list of the designated authoritative name servers for the appropriate top-level domain...
s.
See also
Some other Internet exchange points in London:- London Internet Providers ExchangeLondon Internet Providers ExchangeThe London Internet Providers EXchange is an Internet Exchange Point situated in London. It was founded in 2001 by three directors of commercial Internet Service Providers: Panny Malialis of Hotlinks, Chris Smith of The Communication Gateway Ltd and Boyan Marinkovich of Routo Telecom Ltd as a free...
(LIPEX) - London Network Access PointLONAPLondon Network Access Point is a London-based Internet exchange point founded in 1997 as a membership organisation and currently has almost 100 members, making it the 2nd largest IXP in the UK and around the 15th largest IXP in the World by membership...
(LONAP) - Packet Exchange (Formerly XchangePoint)
LINX hosts a number of meetings where network operators can exchange information: see List of Internet Network Operators' Groups for a list of other organizations holding similar meetings.