Google outsourced name servers

DNS load balancing done by Akamai now

[Markus]

Running a dig on www.google.com I get a CNAME redirect to www.google.akadns.net. It's the same for the regional Google's which formerly had a CNAME redirect to www.google.com. It appears that they have started it yesterday (I see the old DNS records in our logs from early Tuesday CET).

The Domain akadns.net and the name servers in the DNS records belong to Akamai.

So, effectively, Google do no longer control their DNS load balancing. It's all done by Akamai now. It puzzles me that Google have outsourced a somewhat crucial part of their business, especially since it is a purely technological issue.

BTW, similar Akamai services are used by Microsoft and the FBI ;)

[edited by: WebGuerrilla at 9:13 pm (utc) on Sep. 17, 2003]

[jeremy goodrich]

Now that is interesting, I wonder why they switched?

[killroy]

My first guess would be financial... probably cheaper this way.

SN

[EliteWeb]

Good find :) And entertaining to see Google outsourced, could be cheaper or the fact that Akamai has something so good google couldnt pass up. Seems all the big boys use them for one thing or another.

[netguy]

www.Google.akadns.net
or
Google AKA dns.net
("Also Known As")

hmmm... alternate branding opportunity?
;)

[kaled]

Is it possible that Google plan to take over Akamai (or have done so already)?

Kaled.

[netguy]

kaled, I didn't see Google on their ownership list - yet.
(a lot of good institutional investors though).

Akamai (AKAM) latest 12 months
Sales: $145.10 Mil
Income: $-126.40 Mil

Shares Outstanding: 119 Mil
Price per share: $5.14

Akamai's global network consists of 14,372 servers in 1,134 networks, in 70 countries.

[takagi]

Two weeks ago there was an article about Google:

World's Most Popular Search Engine Improves Site Performance, Availability and Security with NetScaler 9000 Series Secure Application Networking Systems

source: Google Selects NetScaler to Optimize Search Performance [biz.yahoo.com]

Kind of strange to see that Google now also uses Akamai.

[Allergic]

I will guess it because Google switch to the continous crawl and they dont have to switch *heavily* the datacenters but I MOSTLY because of the last month virus flood.

I was looking at a lot of log files and for the first time since 97 I see a decreease in logs file for 4 weeks in a row. And if Microsoft also switch for Akamai (and linux proxy servers) like M$ few weeks ago [internetweek.com].... Take your own conclusion!
Isabel will be a "drop" compare to the next virus flood.