The Internet Ecosystem in Africa
African Critical Internet Infrastructure & Resources
Hisham Ibrahim IPv6 Program Manager, AFRINIC ITU-T SG3RG - AFR, Cairo 7 Feb 2013 Content
Internet Number Resources
Root Name Servers
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
Top Level Domains & Content
Page 2 The Internet
The Internet has one very simple job:
To move informa on from one place to another.
In this respect, the Internet works a bit like the postal service. Le ers are simply passed from one place to another, no ma er who they are from or what messages they contain. Page 3 Internet Number Resources
Page 4 Internet Number Resources
Sender’s Name Return address Street Address City, Country
Recipient Full Name Des na on address Street Address City, Country
These addresses must be unique to ensure delivery Page 5 Internet Number Resources
In the Internet world these Addresses are the Internet Protocol addresses or IP addresses for short.
192.168.0.1 (IPv4) 2001:42c0:0:310::126 (IPv6)
These IP addresses are part of Internet Number Resources along with Autonomous System Numbers (ASN).
Page 6 Internet Number Resources
Internet Number Resources are the numbers used to iden fy devices and networks on the Internet.
These resources include
1) IPv4, Internet Protocol version 4
2) IPv6, Internet Protocol version 6
3) ASN, Autonomous System Numbers
Page 7 Internet Number Resources
IPv4 Internet Protocol version 4 is the dominant protocol of the internet today. These addresses have to be unique to ensure global reachability. (4.2 billion unique IPv4 addresses) IPv6 IPv6 is the new version of the Internet address protocol that has been developed to supplement (and eventually replace) IPv4. (3.4×1038 unique IPv6 addresses) ASN An Autonomous System is a connected group of IP networks that follow to a single unique rou ng policy. An ASN is a globally unique number used to iden fy an Autonomous System. Page 8 Internet Number Resource Management
Manages Central Pool 0/0, 0::/0, ASN IANA Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
Regional Internet AfriNIC APNIC ARIN LACNIC RIPE NCC Registries (/8, /12)
LIR End Final users (/24, /23, …) Users
Page 9 Internet Number Resource Management
Page 10 Internet Number Resource Management Policy development
Global Policy Regional policy
AFRINIC
APNIC ICANN ARIN ASO IANA
Policy makers ! LACNIC
RIPE NCC Regional Communities Communities Regional
Facilitators!
Page 11 African Regional Internet Registry Setup in 2004 and headquartered in Mauri us. Employs 35 full me staff today with staff based in East, North, South & West Africa Internet Numbers Registry Other Services to the main func on African community • Biannual Internet Protocol mee ng: • Manage IPv4 & IPv6 17 so far in 14 countries • Manage ASN (2 and 4 byte) • Internet Infrastructure • Manage rDNS tree for IP prefixes reinforcement development in in use by African Operators Africa: - IXP • Provide a Public WHOIS - DNS Root Server copy • Contribute to IP address - Anycast service to support ccTLDs Management Global Policy in Africa development • Support to academic Networks Capacity building and training: more than 100 training sessions with over 2000 trained in 40 countries around Africa. Internet Number Resource Management RIPE NCC IPv4 /8s IANA IPv4 /8s remaining February 2, 2011 = 0! remaining September 14, Arin 2012 < 1 IPv4 /8s remaining Feb, 2013 = 2.96 APINIC IPv4 /8s remaining April 15, 2011 < 1 Lacnic IPv4 /8s remaining AFRINIC Feb,2013 = 2.6 IPv4 /8s remaining Feb,2013 = 3.8
Page 13 Root Name Servers
Page 14 Root Name Servers
196.216.2.136
Page 15 Root Name Servers
The Top Level Domain (TLD) The most common types of TLDs are “Generic” and “Country Code.” gTLDs like .com, .net, and .org, are available globally, while ccTLDs like .eg (Egypt) and .za (South Africa) are administered na onally.
Page 16 Root Name Servers
Second level of the The Top Level Domain domain name (TLD) iden fies the the The most common types of specific and unique TLDs are “Generic” and administra ve owner “Country Code.” that registered the gTLDs like .com, .net, and .org, domain name in this are available globally, case “Afrinic”. while ccTLDs like .eg (Egypt) and .za (South Africa) are administered na onally.
Page 17 Root Name Servers
Third level of the Second level of the The Top Level Domain domain name domain name (TLD) is used to refer to iden fies the the The most common types of different servers, specific and unique TLDs are “Generic” and such as www or administra ve owner “Country Code.” mail. that registered the gTLDs like .com, .net, and .org, domain name in this are available globally, case “Afrinic”. while ccTLDs like .eg (Egypt) and .za (South Africa) are administered na onally.
Page 18 Root Name Servers
196.216.2.136 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
www.afrinic.net
Page 19 Root Name Servers
196.216.2.136 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
ISP’s Recursive Resolver DNS Server
Domain Name lookup to resolve www.afrinic.net
www.afrinic.net
Page 20 Root Name Servers
The Nearest 196.216.2.136 Root Nameserver 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
DNS lookup Reply with the IP address www.afrinic.net of .NET nameserver
ISP’s Recursive Resolver DNS Server
www.afrinic.net
Page 21 Root Name Servers
The Nearest 196.216.2.136 Root Nameserver 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
ISP’s Recursive Resolver DNS Server
www.afrinic.net
VeriSign’s .NET Nameserver
Page 22 Root Name Servers
The Nearest 196.216.2.136 Root Nameserver 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
lookup DNS ISP’s Recursive www.afrinic.net Resolver DNS Server AFRINIC‘s Afrinic.net Nameserver Reply with the IP address Web-server of www.afrinic.net
www.afrinic.net
VeriSign's .NET Nameserver
Page 23 Root Name Servers
The Nearest 196.216.2.136 Root Nameserver 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
ISP’s Recursive Resolver DNS Server AFRINIC‘s Afrinic.net Nameserver Reply with the IP address of www.afrinic.net Web-server
www.afrinic.net
VeriSign’s .NET Nameserver
Page 24 Root Name Servers
The Nearest 196.216.2.136 Root Nameserver 2001:42d0:0:410::136 www.afrinic.net Web-server
ISP’s Recursive Resolver DNS Server AFRINIC‘s Afrinic.net Nameserver
www.afrinic.net
VeriSign’s .NET Nameserver
Page 25 Root Name Servers
There are only 14 Root Name Servers in Africa out of 350 Servers globally.
SOUTH SUDAN
E (NASA Ames Research Center) F (Internet Systems Consor um) I (Netnod) J (VeriSign) L (ICANN)
Page 26 Internet exchange Points (IXPs)
Page 27 The Internet
The reality is “THERE IS NO ONE BIG INTERNET”
Page 28 The Internet
It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of local to global scope.
Page 29 The Internet
ASN v6 ASN v4
ASN v4 Internet Number Resources v6 ASN v4 are the numbers used to v6 iden fy devices and ASN networks on the Internet. ASN v4 v4 v6
Page 30 Internet exchange Points (IXPs)
Interna onal No Internet exchange point Carrier(s) (IXP) in a country = local ISPs traffic use Interna onal $ $ $ $ connec ons to retrieve the local content.
Above = unnecessary costs, latency and worse overall user experience. ISP 1 ISP 2
Local Country A Local End user Page 31 content Internet exchange Points (IXPs) • Local IXP country = local ISPs connect directly together = Interna onal exchange domes c traffic, Carrier(s) typically with se lement-free peering $ $ • above = reduced costs on interna onal transit = reduced latency • Domes c websites hosted abroad may ‘come home’ in order to reduce foreign hos ng and transit charges. ISP 1 IXP ISP 2 • IXPs also help build ccTLDs and e-gov. Local Country A Local End user Page 32 content Internet exchange Points (IXPs) When the IXP begins to build cri cal mass, it will also begins Interna onal to a ract content providers, Carrier(s) along with business, academic, and government $ $ users. Thereby it becomes the center of a vibrant Internet ecosystem in the country or Country A Country B region. The IXP can begin to a ract R-IXP interna onal content and connec vity providers, becoming a regional hub for Internet traffic.
Page 33 Internet exchange Points (IXPs) African Group 25 Asia-Pacific Group 64 Eastern European Group 40 La n American & Caribbean Group (GRULAC) 38 Western European and Others Group (WEOG) 262
SOUTH SUDAN
At least one IXP known to exchange traffic
Mauri us At least one IXP soon to exchange traffic
Page 34 Top Level Domains & Content
Page 35 Top Level Domains & Content
• UNESCO has defined local content as an expression and communica on of a community’s locally generated, owned and adapted knowledge and experience that is relevant to the community’s situa on. .ss
• ccTLD registries are necessary for projects such as e-Government, e-ci zenship, e-educa on, e-health.
• No generic TLD registry at moment in region
Page 36 Top Level Domains & Content
There are only 5 ICANN Accredited registrars in Africa out almost 1,000 ICANN Accredited registrars globally.
SOUTH SUDAN
Kheweul, Senegal
AfriRegister , Burundi
Ghana Dot Com Ltd., Ghana
Internet Solu ons, South Africa
Genious Communica ons, Morocco.
Page 37 Cri cal Internet Infrastructure & Resources
Countries must have Root Name Servers instances, country- code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) Name redundant Servers, and Internet exchange points (IXPs) within their borders in order to maintain autonomy and internal connec vity during periods when interna onal cables are damaged.
Page 38 Thank you [email protected] References
h p://www.nro.net/ h p://www.afrinic.net/
h p://www.he.net/ h ps://www.peeringdb.com/ h ps://prefix.pch.net/applica ons/ixpdir/summary/ h p://root-servers.org/ h p://www.icann.org/registrar-reports/accredited-list.html