[Starlink] fiber IXPs in space

[Ulrich Speidel]

Given that clients cache DNS responses (including iterative responses 
from root servers), having DNS in space would be a nice-to-have, but 
it's not the most pressing issue IMHO.

A far bigger problem is that a direct-to-site model like Starlink's 
essentially rules out placing CDN servers in close proximity to web 
clients. For those unfamiliar with them: CDNs (content delivery 
networks, which now carry a huge percentage of Internet content traffic) 
work by redirecting HTTP(S) requests for content to a CDN server that's 
in closer topological (and, by inference, physical) proximity to your 
web browser. That keeps repeated requests for the same content off 
expensive and scarce long-distance bandwidth while allowing for fast TCP 
cwnd growth due to the low RTT in the branch- and (thus collectively) 
bandwidth-rich local ISP networks. But that doesn't work for Starlink: 
There's no way to prevent everyone watching the same cat video via 
Starlink in your area from having to take up scarce space segment 
bandwidth each time the video is viewed. And we're talking serious data 
volumes here, unlike for DNS.

You could, in principle, put CDN servers onto the satellites, but that 
would require the many earthly CDN providers to (a) persuade Elon that 
this is a good idea, (b) buy the service off SpaceX as it's unlikely 
they'll be given rack space on the Starlink fleet, and (c) you'd need a 
lot of storage capacity on each satellite in space, with a much reduced 
probability of a cache hit, since the fact that the satellites move 
across pretty much the whole globe over time, your next cat video 
download for your mates in town might need to come from a different 
satellite, and the satellite you currently talk to needs to cache not 
just stuff you and your neighbours like, but also stuff everyone else 
around the globe likes. So make that Chilean soap operas over Ukraine, 
Danish comedy for Australia, Aussie Rules Footy for the US Midwest, and 
so on... Or maybe quietly can the concept altogether.

On 16/04/2023 11:56 am, Rodney W. Grimes via Starlink wrote:
> > On Fri, Apr 14, 2023 at 12:36?PM David Lang <david at lang.hm> wrote:
> > >
> > > On Fri, 14 Apr 2023, Rodney W. Grimes via Starlink wrote:
> > >
> > > >> I keep wondering when or if Nasa will find a way to move their DNS
> > > >> root server "up there" . DNS data is not all that much... it is the
> > > >> original distributed database...
> > > >
> > > > As others have pointed out a "root server" may not be very 
> advantages,
> > > > but what I think would be far better is to put up a couple of 
> anycast
> > > > recursive caching resolvers, aka 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4 
> <http://8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4> 
> and almost anyone
> > > > can do that, including starlink itself.
> > >
> > > I believe that the root servers are all (or almost all) anycast 
> nowdays.
> >
> > Anycast is perfect for an orbital DNS.
>
> BUTT, root servers are NOT recursive or caching, they serve a very
> small limitited set of data that changes at low frequency (I am
> not sure of the current rate of updates, but it use to be only
> once daily.)
>
> Anyone can bring up there own replicate of a root server locally,
> I do, and have for 2 decades, its a rather trivial thing to setup
> and maintain. But unlike a root, I also turn on recursision and
> caching.
>
> Again IMHO, a caching recursive any cast server ala 8.8.8.8 
> <http://8.8.8.8> 
> would
> be far more useful than just a stock "root server."
>
> > --
> > AMA March 31: 
> https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht 
> <https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht>
> > Dave T?ht CEO, TekLibre, LLC
> --
> Rod Grimes rgrimes at freebsd.org
> _______________________________________________
> Starlink mailing list
> Starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net
> https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink 
> <https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink>

-- 
****************************************************************
Dr. Ulrich Speidel

School of Computer Science

Room 303S.594 (City Campus)

The University of Auckland
u.speidel at auckland.ac.nz  
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ulrich/
****************************************************************


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