cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
cancel
670
Views
5
Helpful
10
Replies

What is MPLS TE?

davidhuynh5
Level 1
Level 1

I'm having a real difficult time understanding MPLS TE? Does anyone have a link or technotes that explains TE?

Thanks in advance.

4 Accepted Solutions

Accepted Solutions

David

What exactly are you struggling with.

At a very high-level MPLS-TE allows you control which path traffic takes so you can send higher priority traffic over one path and less important traffic over another.

It also allows you reserve resources within the MPLS network so that if you want to send traffic over a certain path but that path must meet certain conditions in terms of performance, you can ensure that those conditions are met before sending the traffic.

Jon

View solution in original post

Hello David,

to keep it simple

MPLS TE can create pre-established paths like FR PVCs or ATM PVCs over IPv4/MPLS networks.

This creates a big difference with normal IP routing:

in normal IP routing the packet is examined and routed at each router next-hop.

if I want to divert some traffic on an alternate path that spans on three routers with IP routing I need:

a PBR rule at each router hop to enforce the packets on the intended path otherwise traffic is sent along lowest cost path.

With MPLS TE a pipe is created and device at the beginning on the pipe places traffic into it.

devices in the middle don't need any config change (no PBR on intermediate devices)they just switch the external MPLS labels

this can be done because in configuring the MPLS TE tunnel I can provide a so called explicit path that lists the devices the tunnel should go through.

each MPLS TE router can be:

an originator of tunnels

a final destination of tunnels

a device in the middle of other tunnels

Hope to help

Giuseppe

View solution in original post

Hello David,

thanks I thought to focus on conceptual difference with normal IP routing.

the tunnel is a logical interface defined only on originator node.

the tunnel is unidirectional (this is different from GRE tunnels) and works only in outbound direction.

the destination of tunnel 1 can be the originator of tunnel 2 with destination = originator of tunnel 1

see this document

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk436/tk428/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080093fd0.shtml#configfiles

you need on physical interfaces:

mpls ip

mpls traffic-eng tunnels

+

ip rsvp bandwidth value1 value2

also on the routing protocol you need to enable MPLS TE extensions, to define the MPLS TE router-id;

Having OSPF is a good starting point because only OSPF and IS-IS support MPLS TE.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

View solution in original post

David

Another option is to look at Dynamips which allows you to emulate 7200 routers and this would then allow you to lab up MPLS-TE.

http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/index.php/Cisco_7200_Simulator

Jon

View solution in original post

10 Replies 10

That was the article that I read, which confused me. Sorry..I'm really new to the technology...anything for a dummy like myself?

David

What exactly are you struggling with.

At a very high-level MPLS-TE allows you control which path traffic takes so you can send higher priority traffic over one path and less important traffic over another.

It also allows you reserve resources within the MPLS network so that if you want to send traffic over a certain path but that path must meet certain conditions in terms of performance, you can ensure that those conditions are met before sending the traffic.

Jon

Hello David,

to keep it simple

MPLS TE can create pre-established paths like FR PVCs or ATM PVCs over IPv4/MPLS networks.

This creates a big difference with normal IP routing:

in normal IP routing the packet is examined and routed at each router next-hop.

if I want to divert some traffic on an alternate path that spans on three routers with IP routing I need:

a PBR rule at each router hop to enforce the packets on the intended path otherwise traffic is sent along lowest cost path.

With MPLS TE a pipe is created and device at the beginning on the pipe places traffic into it.

devices in the middle don't need any config change (no PBR on intermediate devices)they just switch the external MPLS labels

this can be done because in configuring the MPLS TE tunnel I can provide a so called explicit path that lists the devices the tunnel should go through.

each MPLS TE router can be:

an originator of tunnels

a final destination of tunnels

a device in the middle of other tunnels

Hope to help

Giuseppe

Thanks for the easy to understand explanation. When you guys say tunnel, are you referring to a MPLS GRE Tunnel or something different? Would it require a big change on our current OSPF network? Do you have any sample configuration for my simple mind? Thanks again.

Hello David,

thanks I thought to focus on conceptual difference with normal IP routing.

the tunnel is a logical interface defined only on originator node.

the tunnel is unidirectional (this is different from GRE tunnels) and works only in outbound direction.

the destination of tunnel 1 can be the originator of tunnel 2 with destination = originator of tunnel 1

see this document

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk436/tk428/technologies_configuration_example09186a0080093fd0.shtml#configfiles

you need on physical interfaces:

mpls ip

mpls traffic-eng tunnels

+

ip rsvp bandwidth value1 value2

also on the routing protocol you need to enable MPLS TE extensions, to define the MPLS TE router-id;

Having OSPF is a good starting point because only OSPF and IS-IS support MPLS TE.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

One last question, can I lab up an MPLS-TE network using just 3550/60 swicthes?

The article says I need 76xx or 72xx, which are too expensive for a personal lab. Thanks.

Hello David,

you would need Cisco routers or C3750 ME to test it.

MPLS features are not supported on switches like C3550 or C3560

Hope to help

Giuseppe

David

Another option is to look at Dynamips which allows you to emulate 7200 routers and this would then allow you to lab up MPLS-TE.

http://www.ipflow.utc.fr/index.php/Cisco_7200_Simulator

Jon

Thanks Jon. I was just reading up on Dynamips before you posted.

Getting Started

Find answers to your questions by entering keywords or phrases in the Search bar above. New here? Use these resources to familiarize yourself with the community:

Innovations in Cisco Full Stack Observability - A new webinar from Cisco