MPLS Due Diligence

[stephen.stack]

HI all,

Looking for some advice. I want to rollout out MPLS VPNs on our Core. I am confortable with design, topology and commands.

VPNs, VRF and MP-BGP come easy to me.

But before i start configuring, i would like to know (from your experience) what i should look for before i put pen to paper as it were.

i.e. memory requirements for the extra CEF and routing entries, IOS versions for MPLS featurs and the likes

Can anyone give me some good pointers?

Thanks all

Stephen

[shivlu jain]

Hi Stephens:-

Please see the depicted points:-

1. Are you going to deploy RR, if yes plan for RR redundancy with different geographical areas.

2. SB or SRC series are good to deploy because both supports lot of the new advance features.

3. Before adding IOS make sure to test all the services. (http://www.mplsvpn.info/2009/03/122-31-sb13-internet-vrf-issuecontinued.html)

4. Next depends the number of routes.

5. Use the global AS number for MP-iBGP, so that in case of CSC enviornment or BGP with CE will help you lot. Otherwise lot of tricks you need to be performed.

6. Make sure you RR and PE supports mdt safi features.http://www.mplsvpn.info/2009/02/upgradation-of-rr-to-mdt-safi.html

7. If you are giving internet from vrf then use ipv4 bgp to advertise the static customer routes to stop external routes burden in the core.

8. if only labels are advertised for loopbacks then donot perform loopback summarization.

regards

Shivlu Jain

http://www.mplsvpn.info

[stephen.stack]

Hi Shivlu Jain

Thank you so much for the info. I need to sit down and review each point in detail.

But, the information is excellent. I will use it all.

Much appreciated.

Regards

Stephen

PS - no RRs in our network and no plans to deploy them

[shivlu jain]

Hi

Without RR, you need full mesh architecture among BGP peers which is not very cumbersome.

Are you planning to add MVPN services also?

regards

Shivlu Jain

http://www.mplsvpn.info