routeserver

A routeserver is a piece of network infrastructure used in internet exchange points (IXPs). Its primary function is to automate the process of exchanging routing information between participating networks, known as peers. Without a routeserver, each peer at an IXP would have to establish a direct peering session with every other peer, which can become unmanageable as the number of participants grows.

Routeservers simplify this by acting as a central point. Each peer establishes a single peering session with the routeserver. The routeserver then propagates the routing information it receives from one peer to all other connected peers. This significantly reduces the number of BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) sessions required. For example, if an IXP has 100 members, each member would typically only need one BGP session with the routeserver, instead of 99 sessions with every other member.

Routeservers are typically deployed in a redundant manner to ensure high availability. They are crucial for the efficient operation of modern IXPs, enabling scalable and manageable interconnections between diverse networks. They facilitate the exchange of IP prefixes, allowing networks to announce which IP address ranges they are responsible for, thereby directing internet traffic effectively.