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A Look Inside the BBC's Network

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the bits-bytes-and-accents dept.

the-dark-kangaroo writes "The BBC have provided the entire internet with a look inside their amazing network. It shows everyone the almighty web power they are with over 40 webservers and 12 firewalls and their 8Gbps intersite connections. All this seems to running some form of *NIX with perl underlying their powerful website delivery. Take a look at those load graphs!"

3 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. All this seems to running some form of *NIX by stupidfoo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, according to the ever reliable Netcraft:

    Solaris 8 Apache/1.3.26 (Unix)
    SunOS 4 Apache/1.2.1
    SunOS 4 unknown
    SunOS 4 Apache/1.2.1
    SunOS 4 unknown
    SunOS 4 Apache/1.2.1
    SunOS 4 Apache/1.2.1
    SunOS 4 unknown
    SunOS 4 Apache/1.2.1
    SunOS 4 unknown

  2. Re:US government news by Anonymous+Cowpat · · Score: 5, Informative
    It looks like you need one. The BBC are funded entirely through tax money, just like any division of government organization. It is also controlled by a government board.... just like any other division of government.


    Nope, the BBC is funded entirely through the license fee, which you have to pay if you own a TV. The government allows it to demand this, and it is effectively a tax, but that's not to be confused with 'tax money'
    Nor is it controlled by a government board. The day to day running is controlled by the Director general. The overall direction is controlled by the government (who do have to be approved by the government, but that doesn't mean that they are part of the government), only above that is the culture secretary, who doesn't really get much say either way. The only other contact that the government has with it is the Royal charter whic has to be renewed every 10 years by act of parliament. It's not a good idea for the BBC to annoy the government, but the government doesn't actually control them at any direct level.
    --
    FGD 135
  3. Not technically BBC's network... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Technically, this network is now owned and managed by Siemens Business Services. BBC Technology, which grew out of a few different parts of the BBC Engineers and IT depts, was sold to Siemens in October last year, to form part of Siemens Business Services, specifically the 'Media' part. SBS run the network both internally and out, as a managed service. This creates some interesting issues with network boundaries, and "who owns what", but it keeps us on our toes!

    Of couse, most of the same staff are there, so little has changed on that front. The lads and ladies in Maidenhead do a very good job of running a VERY complicated network. The BBC is the top content (not search) site in the UK, if not the world (don't quote me on that). The internal network is also pretty damn reliable, with a dual fibre ring running round most of the London buildings.