[ixpmanager] BIRD Config Gen: Prefixes Not Being Exported; Strange Errors

[Nick Hilliard]

Kyle Spencer wrote:
> Yeah; well, I spend a lot of time training people how to turn it off
> because it tends to breaks IXPs in Africa where many networks don't have
> IRR objects configured and/or IXP admins are not aware of which IRRDBs
> apply when they do.
> 
> It seems to me like a feature that should be enabled by choice when an
> IXP is ready to make that jump, rather than a standard which should be
> enabled by default.

We've all been through this, multiple IXPs. The end result is worth it.

The best time to enable IRRDB filtering is when route servers are first
enabled.  It takes work anywhere in the world, and possibly slightly
more in africa because of cultural stuff and inherent distrust of any
"authority", afrinic explicitly included.

The problem is, if route server irrdb filtering isn't enabled on day 1,
there are no compelling reasons to enable it down the road either, and
lots of reasons not to.  People have a working service, so why would the
IXP break it?

The reasons not to enable irrdb filtering come down to how to motivate
people to insert route: / route6: records into afrinic or another irrdb.
There is nowhere in the world that this doesn't take effort, but it's
one-shot effort, with low maintenance requirements and solid long term
returns.

Nick