Web Hosting Interview - Go Daddy March 2011

Web Hosting Interview - Go Daddy March 2011

Greg Schwimer, Director of Technology Architecture at Go Daddy

HostSearch interviewed Greg Schwimer, Director of Technology Architecture at Go Daddy - the world's largest Web Hosting Provider and Domain Name Registrar Company.

  • HOSTSEARCH: Hi Greg, thanks for letting us take up your time like this. I am sure all our visitors will appreciate hearing about the IPv4 Exhaustion and the IPv6 Switchover. Let's start by you giving us an insight into your position at Go Daddy and your role within the company.
    GREG SCHWIMER: It's a pleasure, thank you for the opportunity. I am Go Daddy's Director of Technology Architecture, which means I'm responsible for the melding of network and application systems to provide technology solutions for Go Daddy.
  • HOSTSEARCH: What is IPv4 address exhaustion?
    GREG SCHWIMER: Simply put, the uniquely-identifying IP addresses we've been using since 1981 are running out, and it's time for a new format. As you may already know, every location on the Internet needs an IP address. IPV4 has provided every website and Internet connection terminal with a numerical code, but the amount of possible combinations is limited.
  • HOSTSEARCH: As we know, 2010 could be the last year for IPv4. Can you please give us an overview of the current situation that impact on the internet users?
    GREG SCHWIMER: IANA, the body which governs the allocation of IP addresses (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), have announced they've already assigned all the remaining pools of IPV4 addresses to regional bodies. While the reserves will still be around for a few months, IPV4 is already in its initial stages of exhaustion. Most Internet users probably won't even notice an impact. Computer scientists have been aware of IPV4 exhaustion since the 1980s, and by the time it ends - a new platform, IPV6, will already be running. At Go Daddy, we've put IPV6 coding mechanisms in place to communicate with IPV4 platform. So to the average Internet user, it will appear as though nothing has changed - simply business as usual.
  • HOSTSEARCH: What do we need to do today about IPv4 crisis?
    GREG SCHWIMER: If you're with Go Daddy, there is nothing to worry about. Our engineers have been expecting this for some time already. We've worked on our infrastructure and with vendors to ensure our systems will be ready for IPV6.  All the preparation for IPV4 switch over has been handled on the back-end. A good idea is to check with your Hosting Provider to make sure they're ready for the transition.
  • HOSTSEARCH: What does IPv6 will mean to the internet users? What change should we expect?
    GREG SCHWIMER: There really won't be any noticeable change. Internet users can rest assured knowing identifiers for Internet locations now have a nearly limitless supply.
  • HOSTSEARCH: Please tell us a bit about the advantages and disadvantages of IPv6.
    GREG SCHWIMER: If anything, IPV6 is going to be a major improvement over IPV4 because it offers a nearly limitless amount of combinations. The IPV6 address space is vastly larger, comprised of a mixture of hexadecimal characters (as opposed to IPV4, which was more limited in length and numerical only). Whereas IPV4 only offered 4.2 billion possible combinations, the IPV6 format makes it possible to have 340 undecillion addresses - that's 3.4x10^38!
  • HOSTSEARCH: How is Go Daddy Addressing IPv6? What do you offer for the customers who are planning to switch over to a new protocol when the time comes?
    GREG SCHWIMER: Go Daddy provides service to more than 8.8 million customers around the globe, managing more than 46 million domain names and more than five million active websites. As such, we're working to make sure IPV6 is available for our hosting customers, corporate websites, as well as other Go Daddy products and services.  

    We've already worked to reserve 79 nonillion IPs for each of our major geo locations. All of our datacenters have redundant IPv6 transit from multiple providers now. This means we have IPV6 today, even though we haven't enabled it on our customer-facing servers yet.  Since August 2008, we've also supported Glue records, which let you use your domain name as a nameserver with IPv6, an important registrar service.
  • HOSTSEARCH: Your experience in the hosting industry is valuable. In your opinion, what hosting providers should do about IPv6 in 2011?
    GREG SCHWIMER: At Go Daddy, our technicians have been working for years on IPV6 preparation, including labs to test and develop our equipment. A major step for us was to identify all network gear needed to be upgraded or replaced to support IPV6. We've also provided training for Go Daddy developers and engineers to ensure they're well-versed in the functionality of IPV6.
  • HOSTSEARCH: Can you explain Go Daddy's main successes?
    GREG SCHWIMER: Go Daddy is eight times the size of its closest domain competitors combined, as well as the world's top Web hosting provider and leading provider of net new SSL certificates. It's no accident! Go Daddy's global success is largely due to the company's low-cost offerings, in-house innovation and industry-best 24/7 customer care.  This is what we consider our "secret sauce."
  • HOSTSEARCH: Greg, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us today. We look forward to see your continued success.
    GREG SCHWIMER: Appreciate it.

More Go Daddy interviews:

Web Hosting Interview November 2008

Web Hosting Interview April 2006

Web Hosting Interview February 2005

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