We've worked with Akamai and the best I can ascertain is that it directs you to the "best" location, where best isn't always the physically nearest server, since it may not have the content you're after. I think it uses similar ideas to what some of the distributed p2p clients do. Get enough requests from a "region" and you move the content (or a copy of the content) closer to that region. But that's just my understanding.

-----Original Message----- From: Craig Whitmore [mailto:lennon(a)orcon.net.nz] Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 1:24 PM To: jon.brewer(a)araneo.net.nz Cc: nznog(a)list.waikato.ac.nz Subject: RE: [nznog] Windows Update Server Selection

It is based on Akamai (where download.microsoft.com is pointing). But for some reason.. they seem to move it around ALL the time. Anyone from Microsoft/Akamai comment/can find out WHY its switching around all the time (with us it changes every 20-30 mins.. NZ..Australia.. US.. Australia....) Instead of just going to the Akamai Servers in NZ

Thanks Craig Whitmore Orcon Internet