Aggregators

Aggregation servers, or aggregators, are a key component in the Bonded Internet architecture. Aggregators split traffic bound for customers into multiple streams for each leg and recombine traffic from each leg before sending it on to its final destination on the Internet. This is what allows Bonded Internet to combine the speed of bonded connections, even for a single download or upload, and to offer instant, transparent failover when a leg goes down.

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Aggregators can be considered a type of router, since they route traffic between the partner’s core network and the bonders. In fact, they are typically integrated into the dynamic routing configuration of the partner network.

Aggregators should be connected to the Internet with a symetric connection at least as fast as the speed of all the bonds assigned to it. For example, if an aggregator has 10 bonds assigned to it, and each bond has three 10 Mbps legs, the aggregator should have at least 300 Mbps connectivity to the Internet if it is not to be oversubscribed.

Aggregators are usually run as bare metal, for optimum performance, but can also run as virtual guests. Aggregators should be hosted as close to the bonders as possible, in order to minimize latency added by the trip to the aggregator and back to the bonder.