[arin-ppml] What is a "host"?

[Danny McPherson]

On Sep 16, 2010, at 3:32 PM, Vaughn Thurman - Swift Systems Inc wrote:

> Huh?  :- )
> 
> What about a multi-NIC device with the same IP's bound to multiple
> interfaces?  What about proxy arp?  (i.e. What about load sharing, load
> balancing, or bridging  systems that ARP for addresses that are also on
> interfaces on discrete network segments behind them?)  Do we call that one
> address two hosts?  The concepts OF TCP and UDP ports, NAT and PAT
> overloading, NIC teaming, and other ARP tricks all make this VERY fuzzy.
> 
> Seriously.  Why don't we just leave hosts to mean a device that speak IP,
> and really begin to speak about IP addresses when we quantify things instead
> of hosts.  Hosts are getting fuzzier by the day, but an IP address is an IP
> address, is an IP address.  IMHO.

Hey Vaughn, you forgot "cloud", and virtualization, VMs, and a slew of VMs on a hypervisor, and.......

I agree, things are getting fuzzier!

-danny