Articles / 02/05/2019

BGP Automation: Flexibility and Redistribution of IPv4

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New Feature

Moving towards higher flexibility and redistribution of IPv4, Heficed has been further developing the automated IP address management platform which has now acquired a new feature based on the BGP routing protocol.

With Switch, Heficed customers can lease and manage their IP resources more efficiently, driven by enhanced automation of core operations. In addition to basic Switch features, such as browsing, ordering IPv4 addresses, and instantly attaching them to Heficed servers, users can now perform subnetting directly on the platform.

Subnetting

Subnetting is the process of taking bits from the HOST part of an IP address to split a larger network into smaller subnets. Traditional subnetting can be time-consuming and complicated, Heficed has created a simple and comprehensive self-service network optimizing capability. This puts control back into the customer’s hands while reducing complexity and saving time. This not only enhances efficiency but improves profitability.

How does it work? You can split subnets into smaller parts. Subnets that are equal to and/or are larger than /24 can be migrated to other Heficed server locations. The smaller ones can only be used in the same location and cannot be migrated.

Servers locations structure

Previously, to split a, for example, /21 subnet customers had to engage in a cumbersome process:

1. Contact their account manager,
2. Ask for a subnet division,
3. Wait for confirmation and reply.

Today customers can split the /21 subnet by themselves through the self-service portal, assigning the outcome of smaller subnets to different Heficed server locations.

Splitting /24 and larger subnets and assigning IPv4 addresses to different Heficed server locations is also now available as part of the Switch platform evolution. Users can split and assign IP addresses to Heficed’s global server locations, including São Paulo, Los Angeles, Chicago, Reston, Johannesburg, Frankfurt, and London, with another 8 to be launched this year.

BGP Automation Benefits

The BGP automation feature in the Switch platform allows for the redistribution of IPv4 resources and using them more efficiently. Instead of using a large network in single locations, customers can now split larger subnets into smaller parts and lease or sell them to different clients. Redistributing IP addresses in this way enables more effective and efficient monetization.

Moreover, splitting larger subnets into smaller parts reduces our customer’s network‘s load. Strategically, customers are now able to self-service the control and optimization of their network traffic. Additionally, if a customer is in the planning and designing phase of a new network, they can also control its growth through BGP automation.

Further Improvements

We invite you to join our journey of creating this new platform and ecosystem for the redistribution and monetization of IP address resources.