How does OVHcloud filter DDoS traffic?

When a massive DDoS attack hits an OVHcloud server, something remarkable happens. Instead of the service collapsing under the traffic onslaught, legitimate users continue accessing it almost seamlessly. This isn’t magic—it’s the result of a sophisticated, multi-layered filtering system operating across OVHcloud’s global infrastructure.

The Architectural Foundation: Global Scrubbing Centers

OVHcloud’s approach begins with strategically positioned scrubbing centers distributed worldwide. These facilities serve as traffic filtration hubs, processing incoming data before it reaches customer servers. What makes this system particularly effective is its integration with OVHcloud’s private fiber-optic backbone, which provides both the capacity and control necessary for effective mitigation.

The filtering process follows a carefully orchestrated sequence. When traffic enters OVHcloud’s network, it’s immediately analyzed for anomalies. Suspicious patterns trigger automatic rerouting through specialized scrubbing appliances capable of handling terabits per second of data. These systems don’t just look for known attack signatures—they employ behavioral analysis to identify emerging threats in real-time.

Traffic Analysis and Classification

At the core of OVHcloud’s detection capabilities lies a sophisticated traffic profiling system. This system continuously monitors network behavior, establishing baseline patterns for each protected service. The sophistication here lies in its adaptability—it learns what normal traffic looks like for your specific application, whether it’s a game server, e-commerce platform, or API endpoint.

• Volumetric attacks are identified through traffic flow analysis and packet inspection
• Protocol-based attacks are detected by analyzing TCP handshake patterns and connection states
• Application-layer attacks are countered through deep packet inspection and behavioral analysis

The Filtering Mechanisms in Action

Once an attack is identified, OVHcloud’s system deploys multiple filtering techniques simultaneously. Rate limiting kicks in for suspicious IP ranges, while more sophisticated attacks trigger deeper inspection protocols. The system employs what’s essentially a digital triage process—quickly separating malicious traffic from legitimate requests while minimizing false positives.

What sets OVHcloud apart is its ability to maintain service availability during mitigation. While some providers might resort to null-routing (effectively taking your service offline), OVHcloud maintains connectivity by processing traffic through its scrubbing centers. This means your IP address remains reachable throughout the attack, a crucial distinction for services requiring constant availability.

Protocol-Specific Defenses

Different services require different protection strategies. A game server relying on UDP protocols needs different filtering rules than a web application using HTTP. OVHcloud addresses this through service-specific mitigation profiles that optimize protection based on the application type.

The Human Element: Customization and Control

While the system operates automatically, OVHcloud provides customers with granular control over their protection settings. Through the control panel, administrators can adjust mitigation sensitivity, create custom firewall rules, and monitor attack patterns in real-time. This flexibility allows organizations to fine-tune protection based on their specific risk profile and tolerance for false positives.

The effectiveness of this system was dramatically demonstrated during the 2016 Mirai botnet attacks, where OVHcloud successfully mitigated attacks exceeding 1 terabit per second—some of the largest ever recorded at the time.

As DDoS attacks continue evolving in sophistication and scale, OVHcloud’s integrated approach demonstrates how network-level protection can provide a robust foundation for service availability, though organizations facing complex application-layer attacks may still benefit from additional security layers.