Internet infrastructure
As part our commitment to sustainably developing Internet infrastructure and skills in the Asia Pacific, APNIC assists with the deployment and maintenance of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and root servers.
IXPs
APNIC’s definition of an IXP is: “An Internet Exchange Point (IX or IXP) is a layer 1 and layer 2 network structure that interconnects three or more Autonomous Systems (AS) for the purpose of Internet traffic interchange.”
IXPs allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to extend their networks by exchanging routing information and traffic with other ISPs via a local exchange rather than needing to exchange local Internet traffic overseas.
APNIC supports open IXP development through operational training, information resources, technical assistance and fee discounts.
Root Servers
A root server or root name server is part of the Domain Name System (DNS), a worldwide distributed system that translates domain names into the IP addresses. The DNS is an important part of critical Internet infrastructure because it is used by almost all Internet applications.
Root servers are based in various locations around the world and publish the root zone file to other DNS servers and clients on the Internet. The root zone file describes where the authoritative servers for the DNS top-level domains (TLD) are located and how to reach them. This is the Internet’s equivalent of a phone book. They maintain a directory of domain names and translate them to IP addresses. This is necessary because, although domain names are easy for people to remember, computers or machines access websites based on numbers, that is, IP addresses.
Having root servers available closer to Internet users has an immediate impact on the speed of DNS services and each new deployment provides greater stability and resilience to the Internet.
APNIC assists in the deployment of root servers providing technical and financial support. Many of the sites are either fully, or at least partially, funded by APNIC. The root server deployments are then maintained by the operator, as ‘anycast’ mirror copies of existing root servers.
Find out more about Root server deployments in the region.