Networking solutions are important for building applications and services that serve billions of people around the world. At this year’s Networking @Scale conference in Boston, attendees gathered t…
Overview
The Networking @Scale Boston 2019 conference brought together engineers from major tech companies to discuss the challenges and solutions for reliable networking at scale. Key presentations covered topics such as network reliability, automation, security, and performance optimization in large-scale networks.
What You'll Learn
1
How to build and automate a reliable global network
2
Why Anycast-based content delivery can improve performance
3
How to enforce encryption policies across a global infrastructure
4
When to use SmartNICs for offloading TLS encryption
5
How to improve CPU performance for QUIC in large-scale applications
Key Questions Answered
What are the key challenges in building a reliable global WAN network?
Building a reliable global WAN network involves addressing unique reliability and capacity delivery requirements, distributed routing protocols, and the need for high reliability while managing costs. Engineers must balance these conflicting needs to ensure effective customer reach.
How does Akamai's Anycast architecture improve content delivery?
Akamai's hybrid Anycast architecture allows for content delivery from thousands of edge deployments using Anycast addresses announced from dozens of Points of Presence (POPs). This approach enhances performance by directing users to the nearest POP, improving scalability and efficiency.
What metrics can be used to analyze AS paths in interdomain routing?
New analytical tools and metrics presented allow for the study of AS paths over a 13-year period, identifying unusual routing patterns and clusters of ASes. This analysis provides insights into business strategies and the evolution of internet routing.
What are the benefits of using SmartNICs for TLS encryption?
SmartNICs can offload TLS encryption processes from the host TCP stack, reducing CPU costs while maintaining necessary socket states. This technology can also be applied to emerging protocols like QUIC, optimizing performance while ensuring data privacy.
Technologies & Tools
Networking
Anycast
Used in Akamai's content delivery architecture to enhance performance.
Security
TLS
Required for encrypting network traffic across unsafe links.
Networking
Quic
A transport protocol that forms the foundation of HTTP/3 and is optimized for performance.
Hardware
Smartnics
Used to offload connection encryption in data centers.
Key Actionable Insights
1Implementing Anycast content delivery can significantly enhance user experience by reducing latency.By directing users to the nearest Point of Presence (POP), companies can improve content delivery speed and reliability, which is crucial for applications serving large user bases.
2Adopting SmartNICs for TLS encryption can alleviate CPU load in data centers.This offloading mechanism allows for better resource allocation and performance optimization, especially in environments where data privacy is paramount.
3Establishing clear network Service Level Objectives (SLOs) is essential for tracking performance.Measuring network health against defined SLOs helps identify issues proactively and ensures that capacity meets user demands.
4Utilizing automated network management tools can streamline operations and enhance reliability.Automation reduces human error and allows for faster response times to network issues, which is critical in maintaining service quality.
Common Pitfalls
1
Failing to define clear Service Level Objectives (SLOs) can lead to poor network performance.
Without SLOs, teams may struggle to measure network reliability and capacity, making it difficult to identify and resolve issues effectively.
2
Overlooking the importance of network automation can hinder scalability.
Manual network management processes are prone to errors and can slow down response times, impacting overall service quality.
Related Concepts
Network Reliability
Content Delivery Networks (cdns)
Network Automation
Security In Networking
Performance Optimization Techniques