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<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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. <br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 16/04/2023 11:56 am, Rodney W.
Grimes via Starlink wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:202304152356.33FNuD8m049509@gndrsh.dnsmgr.net">
> On Fri, Apr 14, 2023 at 12:36?PM David Lang
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:david@lang.hm"><david@lang.hm></a> wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> > On Fri, 14 Apr 2023, Rodney W. Grimes via Starlink
wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> > >> I keep wondering when or if Nasa will find a
way to move their DNS<br>
> > >> root server "up there" . DNS data is not all
that much... it is the<br>
> > >> original distributed database...<br>
> > ><br>
> > > As others have pointed out a "root server" may not
be very advantages,<br>
> > > but what I think would be far better is to put up a
couple of anycast<br>
> > > recursive caching resolvers, aka <a href="http://8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4" moz-do-not-send="true">8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4</a> and almost anyone<br>
> > > can do that, including starlink itself.<br>
> ><br>
> > I believe that the root servers are all (or almost all)
anycast nowdays.<br>
> <br>
> Anycast is perfect for an orbital DNS.<br>
<br>
BUTT, root servers are NOT recursive or caching, they serve a very<br>
small limitited set of data that changes at low frequency (I am<br>
not sure of the current rate of updates, but it use to be only<br>
once daily.)<br>
<br>
Anyone can bring up there own replicate of a root server locally,<br>
I do, and have for 2 decades, its a rather trivial thing to setup<br>
and maintain. But unlike a root, I also turn on recursision and<br>
caching.<br>
<br>
Again IMHO, a caching recursive any cast server ala <a href="http://8.8.8.8" moz-do-not-send="true">8.8.8.8</a> would<br>
be far more useful than just a stock "root server."<br>
<br>
> -- <br>
> AMA March 31: <a href="https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht</a><br>
> Dave T?ht CEO, TekLibre, LLC<br>
--<br>
Rod Grimes <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:rgrimes@freebsd.org">rgrimes@freebsd.org</a><br>
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</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
****************************************************************
Dr. Ulrich Speidel
School of Computer Science
Room 303S.594 (City Campus)
The University of Auckland
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:u.speidel@auckland.ac.nz">u.speidel@auckland.ac.nz</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ulrich/">http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ulrich/</a>
****************************************************************
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