Andreas- Awhile back you suggested that DNS lookup was a source of net transmission delay. I responded that I didn't think that this likely was a significant source of delay.
According to this recent news release, I was wrong. This new faster system claims to increase net throughput by 10-15%.
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Sun Microsystems, Bellcore Announce Plans to Deliver First Jointly Marketed Product; New Solution, Advanced Domain Name Server, Will Reduce Internet Traffic Bottlenecks
NEW YORK--Expanding on their previously announced plans to jointly market and develop advanced solutions for telecommunications and Internet service providers, Sun Microsystems Inc. and Bellcore announced plans to jointly market a hardware and software solution that will streamline the process of searching for IP addresses from domain name servers (DNS).
As a result, telecom and Internet service providers can offer improved Internet service to their customers by reducing congestion and response-time delays while at the same time conserving critical Internet bandwidth.
The new product, the Soliant Advanced DNS system, will be developed by Bellcore's Soliant Internet Systems Business Unit and jointly marketed by Sun Microsystems and Bellcore. The Soliant Advanced DNS system will run across a range of Sun's open, scalable Ultra(TM) workstations and Sun(TM) Enterprise(TM) servers using Sun's SPARC(TM) Solaris(TM) operating systems architecture, allowing even the largest telecom and Internet providers to deploy the solution.
Sun Microsystems, whose products representing the majority of DNS servers deployed today, is a beta tester for this system. The Soliant Advanced DNS system is expected to be commercially available by mid-1998.
The Soliant Advanced DNS system combines Sun's expertise in Internet and network computing technologies with Bellcore's acknowledged leadership in telecommunications infrastructure elements. With the Soliant Advanced DNS system, Sun and Bellcore are taking steps to address one of the key performance bottlenecks on the Internet.
Every time a Web site is searched or an e-mail is sent, the correct IP address must be found and validated -- a process that can take several round trips to different DNS servers anywhere on the 'Net. By caching the most widely accessed IP addresses in one location, the Soliant Advanced DNS system can reduce IP name searches to just one round trip, thus freeing up bandwidth and reducing user response time.
According to one recent survey of Internet usage, DNS requests accounted for 24.4 percent of packet traffic, and 9.9 percent of byte volume, on one segment of the Internet backbone -- the largest single category of Internet traffic. The Soliant Advanced DNS system running on Sun servers is designed to significantly reduce that volume.
For Internet Service Providers, the Soliant Advanced DNS system will help to alleviate slow response times caused by these traffic bottlenecks, yielding a more responsive and user-friendly experience in accessing Web pages, sending and receiving e-mail and other services. For the Internet as a whole, the reduced DNS traffic will contribute to fewer bottlenecks and smoother data traffic flow.
"The Soliant Advanced DNS system represents a collaborative effort of Bellcore's Internet leadership and Sun's server technology that will enable Internet service providers of any size to reduce Internet bottlenecks due to DNS traffic," said Kelvin Rowlette, director of market development and alliances, worldwide telecommunications and cable industry, Sun Microsystems Inc.
"This is the first product resulting from our collaboration with Bellcore, and we look forward to continuing this relationship to create and market the most advanced Internet and telecom solutions." "With the Soliant Advanced DNS system, Bellcore's Soliant Internet Systems and Sun are helping to solve one of the Internet's most basic problems -- speed," said Jac Simensen, vice president and general manager of Bellcore's Soliant Internet Systems.
"Based on our calculations, the Soliant Advanced DNS system will enable people to surf the web up to 10-15% faster. It's this type of improvement that Soliant Internet Systems seeks to bring to the Internet, and working with another leader in 'Net technology like Sun is helping us make this a reality."
Soliant Internet Systems, Bellcore's Internet data communications business unit, is headquartered in Piscataway, N.J. Soliant Internet Systems is a leading developer of software for the Internet and is dedicated to making the data network as reliable as the voice network.
Drawing upon Bellcore's years of experience with voice and data networks, Soliant Internet Systems delivers the solid, reliable, full-scale software systems, services and consulting needed to make business succeed in cyberspace.
Bellcore, an SAIC company, is a leading provider of communications software, engineering, and consulting services based on world-class research. Bellcore creates business solutions that make information technology work for telecommunications carriers, businesses and governments worldwide.
More information about Soliant Internet Systems' products and services is available at its Web site, soliant.com or by calling 1-888-8SOLIANT (1-888-876-5426).
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of hardware, software, and services for establishing enterprise-wide Intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $8.5 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com .
Note to Editors: Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Sun Enterprise, Ultra, Solaris, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc. in the United States and other countries. All SPARC trademarks are used under license and are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International Inc. in the United States and other countries. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems Inc. |
