On Tue, 10 Mar 1992 15:48:42 COL Gonzalo Romero <GRomero@AndesCOL> wrote:
>I'm very interested in 'balance' the distribution load for our COLEXT
>local list (400+ users, 30 local users, growing 1-2 per day).
>Are some of you willing to peer our list in order to reduce
>our local server load with other strategically well-located servers?
>
Let's look at the volume of traffic which the COLEXT list adds to your
BITNET link.  Unfortunately, you didn't give any information about the daily
amount of postings which are sent to the list.
 
If I enter 'TELL LISTSERV AT nodename SHOW PATH USCVM ANDESCOL', it answers:
 
       USCVM -9.6k-> CUNYVMV2 ->9.6k-> CUVMA ->1M-> CUVMB -> 9.6k-> ANDESCOL
 
The LISTSERV at USCVM      is     a "backbone" server,
the LISTSERV at CUNYVM(V2) is not a "backbone" server,
the LISTSERV at CUVMA/B    is not a "backbone" server, and
the LISTSERV at ANDESCOL   is not a "backbone" server.
 
The important details of the COLEXT list-definition are:
 
!  * Los Colombianos en el Exterior
!  * Mail-Via        = DIST2
!  * Owner           = jbonilla@ANDESCOL (Jaime Bonilla)
!  * Total number of users subscribed to the list:  413
!  * Total number of local node users on the list:   31
 
So, for each posting to the list, LISTSERV will use the 'DIST2' algorithm
to send just a few files (certainly not 382!) over your BITNET link.
(Multiply this "network-load" by the daily number of postings.)
 
If 'LISTSERV@CUVMB' **was** defined as a "backbone" server,
then 'LISTSERV@ANDESCOL' would send exactly one file per posting,
i.e., one 'DISTRIBUTE' job, over your BITNET link to [log in to unmask]
 
Since 'LISTSERV@CUVMB' is **not** a "backbone" server,
your LISTSERV will produce a few 'DISTRIBUTE' jobs per posting,
i.e., one job will be sent to 'LISTSERV@USCVM' asking it to distribute the
posting to "west coast" subscribers, and a few other files may be sent to
other "backbone" servers at other USA nodes.
(The LISTSERV console will indicate the details of each distribution.)
 
The contents of each "job" will be the text of the posting,
a few LISTSERV command-lines, and a list of the some of the 382
non-local subscribers to the mailing list.
 
Adding a peer to your list (and using the "EXPLODE <listname>" command
to re-assign the subscribers to the "best" peer) would probably
result in your BITNET link carrying exactly one file for each posting,
i.e., the text of the posting, and a few lines, will be sent to the peer.
So, this will measurably reduce the traffic on your BITNET link,
i.e., less files will be sent, and the files will **not** contain
the 382 subscriber-names, so the files will be smaller, too.
 
I suggest that you contact the LISTSERV-manager at CUVMB,
i.e., ":contact.(Jerry B. Altzman) JAUUS@CUVMA (+1 212 854 8058)"
and ask him to either:
 - establish a peer for your list,
 - move the list to his LISTSERV, or,
 - ask him to commit CUVMB into becoming a "backbone" site.
 
(It wouldn't be proper etiquette to modify your local LISTSERV's tables,
so that it considered CUVMB to be a "backbone" site! :-)