Implementing Cisco MPLS

Service Provider and Enterprise network engineers that design, deploy and maintain core IP routing network infrastructures.

After you complete this course you should be able to:

• Describe the features of MPLS
• Describe how MPLS labels are assigned and distributed
• Identify the Cisco IOS tasks and command syntax necessary to implement MPLS on frame-mode Cisco IOS platforms
• Describe the MPLS peer-to-peer architecture and explain the routing and packet forwarding model in this architecture
• Identify the Cisco IOS command syntax required to successfully configure, monitor, and troubleshoot VPN operations
• Identify how the MPLS VPN model can be used to implement managed services and internet access
• Describe the various internet access implementations that are available and the benefits and drawbacks of each model
• Provide an overview of MPLS Traffic Engineering

Introducing Basic MPLS Concepts

• Foundations of Traditional IP Routing
• Basic MPLS Features
• Benefits of MPLS
• MPLS Terminology: Label Switch Router
• MPLS Terminology: Label Switched Path
• MPLS Terminology: Upstream and Downstream
• MPLS Architecture Components
• Architecture of Ingress Edge LSRs
• Architecture of Intermediate LSRs
• Architecture of Egress Edge LSRs

Introducing MPLS Labels and Label Stack

• MPLS Labels
• FEC and MPLS Forwarding
• MPLS Label Imposition
• MPLS Label Stack

Identifying MPLS Applications

• MPLS Services
• MPLS Unicast IP Routing
• MPLS Multicast IP Routing
• MPLS VPNs
• MPLS Traffic Engineering
• MPLS Quality of Service
• Any Transport over MPLS
• Interactions Between MPLS Services

Discovering LDP Neighbours

• Label Distributing Protocols
• LDP Neighbour Session Establishment
• LDP Link Hello Message
• LDP Negotiating Label Space
• Discovering LDP Neighbours
• Negotiating LDP Sessions

Introducing Typcial Label Distribution in Frame-Mode MPLS

• Propagating Labels Across a Network
• Building Blocks for IP Forwarding
• Using the FIB Table to Forward Packets
• Using LDP to Forward Packets
• Label-Switched Path
• Propagating Labels by Using PHP
• Impact of IP Aggregation on LSPs
• Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network
• Label Distribution and Advertisement
• Receiving Label Advertisement
• Liberal Label Retention
• Further Label Allocation
• Frame-Mode Loop Detection Using the MPLS TTL Field
• Normal TTL Operation
• Disabling TTL Popagation

Introducing Convergence in Frame-Mode MPLS

• MPLS Steady-State Operation
• Link Failure State
• Routing Protocol Convergence After a Link Failure
• MPLS Convergence After a Link Failure
• Link Recovery Actions

Implementing Frame-Mode MPLS Implementation on Cisco IOS Platforms

• Cisco IOS Platform-Switching Mechanisms
• Using Standard IP Switching
• Cisco Express Forwarding Switching Architecture
• Configuring IP Cisco Express Forwarding
• Monitoring IP Cisco Express Forwarding
• MPLS Configuration Tasks
• Configuring the MPLS ID on a Router
• Configuring MPLS on a Frame-Mode Instance
• Configuring IP TTL Propagation
• Configuring Conditional Label Distribution

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Frame-Mode MPLS on Cisco IOS Platforms

• Monitoring MPLS
• Monitoring LDP
• Monitoring Label Switching
• Debugging MPLS and LDP
• Common Frame-Mode MPLS Issues
• Solving LDP Session Start-up Issues
• Solving Label Allocation Issues
• Solving Label Distribution Issues
• Solving Packet-Labeling Issues
• Solving Intermittent MPLS Failures
• Solving Packet Propagation Issues

Introducing VPNs

• Basic VPN Overview
• VPN Implementation Models
• Overlay VPN Technologies
• Peer-to-Peer VPN Technologies
• Benefits of VPNs
• Drawbacks of VPNs

Introducing MPLS VPN Architecture

• MPLS VPN Architecture
• PE Router Architecture
• VRF Overview
• Methods of Popagating Routing Information across the P-Network
• Route Distinguishers
• RD Format
• RD Operation in MPLS VPN
• RD Process Flow
• Route Targets
• RT Operation
• RT and RD Process Flow

Introducing the MPLS VPN Routing Model

• MPLS VPN Routing
• CE Router MPLS VPN Routing
• IP Router MPLS VPN Routing
• PE Router MPLS VPN Routing
• Support for Internet Routing
• Routing Tables on PE Routers
• Identifying End-to-End Routing Update Flow

Forwarding MPLS VPN Packets

• End-to-End VPN Mechanisms
• VPN Penultimate Hop Popping
• Propagating VPN Labels Between PE Routers
• Effects of MPLS VPNs on Label Propagagtion
• Effects of MPLS VPNs on Packet Forwarding

Implementing an MP-BGP Session Between PE Routers

• VRF Table
• Need for Routing Protocol Contexts
• VPN-Aware Routing Protocols
• Using VRF Tables
• Propagating BGP Routes - Outbound Example
• Propagating Non-BGP Routes - Outbound Example
• Propagating BGP Routes -Inbound Example
• Propagating Non-BGP Routes - Inbound Example
• Configuring BGP Address Families
• Enabling BGP Neighbours
• Configuring MP-BGP
• Configuring MP-IBGP
• VFR Configuration Tasks
• Creating VRF Tables and Assigning RDs
• Specifying Export and Import RTs
• Using MPLS VPN IDs

MPLS VPN Implementation

• Using MPLS VPN Mechanisms of Cisco IOS platforms
• Configuring an MP-BGP Session Between PE Routers
• Configuring VRF Tables
• Configuring Small-Scale Routing Protocols Between PE and CE routers
• Monitoring MPLS VPN Operations
• Configuring OSPF as the Routing Protocol Between PE and CE Routers
• Configuring BGP as the Routing Protocol between PE and CE Routers
• Troubleshooting MPLS VPNs

Configuring Small-Scale Routing Protocols Between PE and CE Routers

• Configuring PE-CE Routing Protocols
• Selecting the VRF Routing Context for BGP
• Configuring Per-VRF Static Routes
• Configuring RIP PE-CE Routing
• Configuring EIGRP PE-CE Routing
• Configuring SOO for EIGRP PE-CE Loop Prevention

Monitoring MPLS VPN Operations

• Monitoring VRFs
• Monitoring VRF Routing
• Monitoring MP-BGP Sessions
• Monitoring an MP-BGP VPNv4 Table
• Monitoring Per-VRF Cisco Express Forwarding and LFIB Structures
• Monitoring Labels Associated with VPNv4 Routes
• Identifying MPLS VPN Diagnostic Commands

Configuring OSPF as the Routing Protocol Between PE and CE Routers

• OSPF Hierarchical Model
• OSPF in an MPLS VPN Routing Model
• OSPF Superbackbone-OSPF-BGP Hierarchy Issue
• OSPF in MPLS VPNs-Goals
• OSPF Superbackbone- Route Propagation Example
• OSPF Superbackbone- Rules
• OSPF Superbackbone- Implementation
• OSPF Superbackbone- External Routes
• OSPF Superbackbone- Mixing Routing Protocols
• Configuring PE-CE OSPF Routing
• Routing Loops Between MP-BGP and OSPF
• OSPF Down-Bit-Loop Prevention
• Optimizing of Packet Forwarding Across the MPLS VPN Backbone
• Routing Loops across OSPF Domains
• OSPF Tag Field-Operation
• OSPF Tag Field-Usage Guidelines
• OSPF Tag Field-Routing Loop Prevention
• Sham Link

Configuring BGP as the Routing Protocol Between PE and CE Routers

• Configuring a Per-VRF BGP Routing Context
• Reasons for Limiting the Number of Routes in a VRF
• Limiting the Number of Prefixes Received from a BGP Neighbour
• Limiting the Total Number of VRF Routes
• Identifying AS-Override Issues
• AS-Override Implementation
• AS-Path Prepending
• Idenifying the Allow-AS Issue
• Allow-AS in Implementation
• Implementing SOO for Loop Prevention

Troubleshooting MPLS VPNs

• Identifying Preliminary Steps in MPLS VPN Troubleshooting
• Verifying the Routing Information Flow
• Validating CE-to-PE Routing Information Flow
• Validating PE-to-PE Routing Information Flow
• Validating PE-to-CE Routing Information Flow
• Identifying the Issues when Verifying the Data Flow
• Validating Cisco Express Forwarding Status
• Validating the End-to-End LSP
• Validating the LFIB Status
• MPLS VPN Troubleshooting Command Summary

Complex MPLS VPNs

• Particpants in Overlapping VPNs
• Typical Overlapping VPNs
• Overlapping VPN Routing
• Overlapping VPN Data Flow
• Configuring Overlaping VPNs
• Central Services VPN
• Central Services VPN Routing
• Central Services VPN Data Flow Model
• Central Services VPN and Overlapping VPN Requirements
• Configuring RDs and RTs in a Central Services VPN and Overlapping VPN
• Advanced BRF Features
• Configuring Selective VRF Import
• Configuring Selective VRF Export
• Managed CE Routers
• VRF Creation and RD Overview
• Configuring Managed CE Routers

Internet Access and MPLS VPNs

• Customer Internet Connectivity Scenarios Overview
• Classical Internet Access
• Multisite Internet Access
• Wholesale Internet Access
• Internet Design Models for Service Providers
• Internet Access Through Global Routing
• Internet Access Through a Seperate VPN Service
• Internet Access Through Route Leaking
• Classical Internet Access for a VPN Customer
• Implementing Classical Internet Access for a VPN Customer
• Using Seperate Subinterfaces
• Implementing Internet Access from Every Customer Site
• Internet Access as a Seperate VPN
• Implementing Wholesale Internet Access
• Seperate Internet Access Benefits and Limitations
• Running an Internet Backbone in a VPN: Benefits and Limitations

Introducing MPLS TE Components

• TE Concepts
• TE Motivations
• Business Drivers for TE
• Congestion Avoidance and TE
• TE with a Layer 2 Overlay Model
• Example of TE with a Layer 2 Overlay Model
• Drawbacks of the Layer 2 Overlay Solution
• Layer 3 Routing Model Without TE
• TE with a Layer 3 Routing Model
• MPLS TE Model
• MPLS TE Traffic Tunnels
• Traffic Tunnel Attributes
• Link Resource Attributes
• Constraint-Based Path Computation
• Example of Constraint-Based Path Computation (Bandwidth)
• MPLS TE Processes
• Role of RSVP in Path Setup Procedures
• Path Setup and Admission Control with RSVP
• Forwarding Traffic to a Tunnel
• Autoroute
• Autoroute Example

Understanding MPLS TE Operations

• Attributes Used by Constraint-Based Path Computation
• MPLS TE Link Resource Attributes
• MPLS TE Link Resource Attributes: Maximum Bandwidth and Maximum Reservable Bandwidth
• MPLS TE Link Resource Attributes: Link Resource Class
• MPLS TE Link Resource Attributes: Constraint-Based Specific Link Metric (Administrative Weight)
• MPLS TE Tunnel Attributes
• MPLS TE Tunnel Attributes: Traffic Parameter and Generic Path Selection and Management
• MPLS TE Tunnel Attributes: Tunnel Resource Class Affinity
• MPLS TE Tunnel Attributes: Adaptability, Priority and Pre-emption
• MPLS TE Tunnel Attributes: Resilience
• Implementing TE Policies with Affinity Bits
• Using Affinity Bits in TE Policies
• Propagating MPLS TE Link Attributes with Link-State Routing Protocol
• Constraint-Based Path Computation
• Constraint--Based Path Computation: Path Selection
• Example of Constraint-Based Path Computation (resource Affinity)
• Path Setup
• RSVP Usage in Path Setup
• Hop-by-Hop Path Setup with RSVP
• Tunnel and Link Admission Control
• Path Rerouting
• Path Reoptimization
• Path Rerouting: Link Failure
• Assigning Traffic to Traffic Tunnels
• Using Static Routing to Assign Traffic to a Traffic Tunnel
• Autoroute
• Autoroute: Path Selection Rules
• Autoroute: Default Metric
• Autoroute: Relative and Absolute Metric
• Forwarding Adjacency
• Forwarding Adjacency Traffic Flows

Configuring MPLS TE on Cisco IOS Platforms

• MPLS TE Configuration Flow Chart
• Enabling Device-Level MPLS TE Support
• Enabling MPLS TE Support in IS-IS
• Enabling MPLS TE Support in OSPF
• Enabling Basic MPLS TE On an Interface
• Creating and Configuring a Traffic Tunnel
• Mapping Traffic into Tunnels with Autoroute

Monitoring Basic MPLS TE on Cisco IOS Platforms

• Monitoring MPLS TE Tunnels
• show ip rsvpinterface Command
• show mpls traffic-eng tunnels brief commands
• Monitoring MPLS TE
• show mpls traffic-eng autoroute Command
• show ip cef Command

Labs

• Discovery 1: Implement SP and Customer IP Addressing and IGP Routing
• Discovery 2: Verify Cisco Express Forwarding
• Discovery 3: Enable MPLS
• Discovery 4: Change IP TTL Propagation
• Discovery 5: Implement the Core MPLS Environment in the Service Provider Network
• Discovery 6: Configure MP-IBGP
• Discovery 7: Configure the VRF Instances
• Discovery 8: Configure RIP as a PE-CE Routing Protocol
• Discovery 9: Configure EIGRP as a PE-CE Routing Protocol
• Discovery 10: Implement EIGRP-Based MPLS VPNs
• Discovery 11: Configure OSPF as a PE-CE Routing Protocol
• Discovery 12: Implement OSPF-Based MPLS VPNs
• Discovery 13: Configure BGP as a PE-CE Routing Protocol
• Discovery 14: Implement BGP-Based MPLS VPNs
• Discovery 15: Configure a Central Services VPN
• Discovery 16: Configure MPLS Traffic Engineering
• Discovery 17: Implement MPLS Traffic Engineering  

Attendees should meet the following prerequisites:

• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Cisco IOS Software configuration
• Configuring and troubleshooting EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS and BGP

• CCNA - Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions
• ENCOR - Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies
• SPFNDU - Understanding Cisco Service Provider Network Foundations

Recommended preparation for exam(s):

• There are no exams currently associated to this course