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Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are = =E2=80=9Cinterchanges=E2=80=9D where networks can connect to other networks= without having to go through a third-party provider. Technically, they are= the physical infrastructure th= rough which ISPs and content delivery networks (CDNs) exchange internet tra= ffic127.
The key advantages of an IXP include<= sup>128:
Many IXPs are o= perated by non-profit organizations or by a consortium of ISPs, to provide = a neutral site where all participants and the network traffic can be treate= d equally. In Canada, as of March 2021, there are 12 IXPs in operation, inc= luding two in Alberta129= .
Table 6. CIRA List of IXPs in= Canada in 2021130.
CITY | IXP |
METRO PO= PULATION |
WEBSITE= h4> |
Toronto |
TORIX |
5,928,040 |
|
Montreal |
QIX |
4,098,927 |
|
Vancouver |
VANIX |
2,463,431 |
|
Calgary |
YYCIX |
1,392,609 |
|
Ottawa-Gatineau |
OGIX |
1,323,783 |
|
Edmonton |
YEGIX |
1,321,426 |
|
Winnipeg |
MBIX |
778,489 |
|
Halifax |
AIXP / HFXIX |
403,390 |
|
Saskatoon |
YXEIX |
295,095 |
|
Moncton |
AIXP / MonctonIX |
144,810 |
|
Saint John |
AIXP / SJIX |
126,202 |
|
Charlottetown |
AIXP / PEIX |
69,325 |
Alberta=E2=80=
=99s Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are the YYCIX in Calgary and the YEGIX<=
/span> in Edmonton. The YYCIX was introduced in 2013 and has 71 peers, tran=
sferring 35.5 Gbps, on average (Figure 19). The YEGIX was created in 2015 a=
nd currently has 10 peers, transferring 537 Mbps, on average (Figure 20).=
span>
<= img class=3D"confluence-embedded-image" draggable=3D"false" height=3D"148" = src=3D"1ba75136f37e338c101351d8c7b52691" data-image-src=3D"/download/attach= ments/7242538/Figure%2019.%20Aggregate%20total%20traffic%20of%20YYCIX%20in%= 20the%20year%20ending%20March%2011%202021.png?version=3D1&modificationD= ate=3D1626366091000&api=3Dv2" data-unresolved-comment-count=3D"0" data-= linked-resource-id=3D"51118324" data-linked-resource-version=3D"1" data-lin= ked-resource-type=3D"attachment" data-linked-resource-default-alias=3D"Figu= re 19. Aggregate total traffic of YYCIX in the year ending March 11 2021.pn= g" data-base-url=3D"https://wiki.cybera.ca" data-linked-resource-content-ty= pe=3D"image/png" data-linked-resource-container-id=3D"7242538" data-linked-= resource-container-version=3D"11" alt=3D"" width=3D"468">
Figure 19. Aggregate total traffic of YYCIX in the y= ear ending March 11, 2021131.
Figure 20. Aggregate total traffic of YEG= IX in the week ending March 11, 2021132.
The YEGIX traffic load over the 2020-= 21 year is quite disproportionate, with loads over 1 Gbps from June to Dece= mber. This is not unusual, as the YEGIX Network Manager explained to this r= eport author: =E2=80=9Ca simple change of route metric at a peer can steer = a lot of traffic toward or away from the IX.=E2=80=9D This underscores the = robustness to which IXPs must be scaled.
A connection to a local IXP may allow= regional ISPs to transfer data without limit or cost, vastly improving the= connection speed between customers of two adjacent ISPs. A direct intercon= nection also avoids the need for data to travel through other cities or con= tinents in order to move from one network to another, thus reducing latency= and keeping local traffic local (Figure 21).
<= img class=3D"confluence-embedded-image" draggable=3D"false" height=3D"180" = src=3D"390deb38c732d3ed4767b83cd2744e6d" data-image-src=3D"/download/attach= ments/7242538/Figure%2021.%20The%20network%20paths%20to%20connect%20two%20C= anadian%20internet%20customers%20through%20a%20Canadian%20IX.png?version=3D= 1&modificationDate=3D1626367007000&api=3Dv2" data-unresolved-commen= t-count=3D"0" data-linked-resource-id=3D"51118326" data-linked-resource-ver= sion=3D"1" data-linked-resource-type=3D"attachment" data-linked-resource-de= fault-alias=3D"Figure 21. The network paths to connect two Canadian interne= t customers through a Canadian IX.png" data-base-url=3D"https://wiki.cybera= .ca" data-linked-resource-content-type=3D"image/png" data-linked-resource-c= ontainer-id=3D"7242538" data-linked-resource-container-version=3D"11" alt= =3D"" width=3D"468">
Figure 21. The network paths = to connect two Canadian internet customers through a Canadian IX (green) an= d an American IX (pink).
According to Packet Clearing House, = =E2=80=9Ca strong domestic Internet Exchange Point is the first and most cr= itical component of a cyberwarfare defense133.=E2=80=9D This is = because countries without an IX are heavily dependent on international data= circuits for their domestic connectivity. In the case of the 2007 cyberatt= acks on Estonia, denial-of-service attacks were halted at the country's IX,= which meant they had minimal impact on domestic internet traffic.= p>
In 2014, the Internet Society created= a Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS) initiative to bring b= asic security to internet routing. There were three primary issues to resol= ve: route hijacking, IP address spoofing, and route leaks. In 2017 alone, t= here were 14,000 internet routing issues. In 2018, the Internet Society exp= anded MANRS to include IXPs, to further strengthen security for global rout= es134.
The benefits of peering to an IX for = governments include network resiliency. If a government=E2=80=99s ISP is ta= ken offline by a denial-of-service attack, the government can lose contact = with its citizenry. However, if its ISP peers at an IXP, its services will = remain available by virtue of the connections to other ISPs.
The Government of Alberta required Be= ll to enable a peering point at Alberta=E2=80=99s IXPs for the use of Super= Net customers, should they request it, within the most recent SuperNet cont= ract (signed in July 2018).
127Wikipedia. Internet exchange point - Wikipedia. 18 February 2021. Accessed 11 March 2021.
128CIRA. C= anada=E2=80=99s Internet Exchange Points | CIRA. Accessed 11 Mar= ch 2021.
129CIRA. C= anada=E2=80=99s Internet Exchange Points | CIRA. Accessed 11 Mar= ch 2021.
130CIRA. C= anada=E2=80=99s Internet Exchange Points | CIRA. Accessed 11 Mar= ch 2021.
131YYCIX. Graphs, 11 March 2021. Accessed 11 March 2021.
132YEGIX. Graphs, 11 March 2021. Accessed 11 March 2021.
133Stapleton-Gray, R. and Woodcock, B (Packet Clearing House).= ACM Queue. National Inter= net Defense=E2=80=94Small States on the Skirmish Line, 19 January 2011. Accessed 11 March 2021.
134Security Week. Internet Socie= ty Calls on IXPs to Help Solve Internet Routing Problems. 23 Apr= il 2018. Accessed 11 March 2021.