Implementing Cisco MPLS

This five-day course enables students to gather information from the basics to advanced VPN configuration. The focus of the course is on VPN technology issues of MPLS from the Service Providers` perspective and how to configure some of those features and functions in an existing routing environment.

Course Objectives:

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe how the service provider infrastructure is attacked
• Describe the features of MPLS
• Describe how MPLS labels are assigned and distributed
• Identify the Cisco IOS task 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

Module 1: MPLS Concepts Lesson 1: Introducing Basic MPLS Concepts

• What are the Foundations of Traditional IP Routing?
• Basic MPLS Features
• What are the MPLS Architecture Components?
• Network Characteristics (Bandwidth, Topology, Availability, etc.) Physical vs. Logical Topologies
• The Importance of Network Diagrams and Documentation

Lesson 2: Introducing MPLS Labels and Label Stacks

• What are the Labels
• What is the MPLS Label Format
• Where are MPLS Labels Inserted
• What is an MPLS Label Stack?
• What are MPLS Label Operations?

Lesson 3: Identifying MPLS Applications

• Which Applications are used with MPLS?
• What is MPLS Unicast IP Routing?
• What is MPLS Multicast IP Routing?
• What are MPLS VPNs
• What is MPLS TE?
• What is MPLS QoS?
• What is AToM
• What are the Interactions between MPLS Applications?

Module 2: Label Assignment and Distribution Lesson 1: Discovering LDP Neighbors

• Establishing an Adjacent LDP Session
• What Are LDP Hello Messages?
• Negotiating Label Space
• Discovering LDP Neighbors
• Negotiating LDP Sessions
• Discovering Non-adjacent Neighbors

Lesson 2: Introducing Typical Label Distribution in Frame-Mode MPLS

• Propagating Labels Across a Network
• What are LSPs?
• Propagating Labels Using PHP
• What is the Impact of IP Aggregation on LSPs
• Allocating Labels in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network
• Populating the LFIB
• Propagating Packets Across an MPLS network
• Detecting Frame-Mode Loops
• Allocating Per-Platform Labels

Lesson 3: Introducing Convergence in Frame-Mode MPLS

• What is the MPLS Steady-State Operation?
• What Happens in a Link Failure?
• What is the Routing Protocol Convergence After a Link Failure?
• What is the MPLS Convergence after a Link Failure?
• What Actions Occur in Link Recovery?

Lesson 4: Introducing MPLS Label Allocation, Distribution, and Retention Modes

• Label Distribution Parameters
• Distributing Labels
• Allocating Labels
• Retaining labels

Module 3: Frame-Mode MPLS Implementation on Cisco IOS Platforms Lesson 1: Introducing CEF Switching

• What are Cisco IOS Platform-Switching Mechanisms?
• Using Standard IP Switching
• What is the CEF Switching Architecture?
• Configuring IP CEF
• Monitoring IP CEF

Lesson 2: Configuring Frame-Mode MPLS on Cisco IOS Platforms

• What are MPLS Configuration Tasks
• Configuring the MPLS ID on a Router
• Configuring MPLS on a Frame- Mode Interface
• Configuring a Label-Switching MTU
• Configuration IP TTL Propagation
• Configuring Conditional Label Distribution

Lesson 3: Monitoring Frame-Mode MPS on Cisco IOS Platforms

• Monitoring MPLS
• Monitoring LDP
• Monitoring Label Switching
• Debugging MPLS and LDP

Lesson 4: Troubleshooting Frame-Mode MPLS on Cisco IOS Platforms

• What are Common Frame-Mode MPLS Issues
• Solving LDP Session Startup Issues
• Solving Label Allocation Issues
• Solving Packet-Label Issues
• Solving Intermittent MPLS Failures
• Solving Packet Propagation Issues

Module 4: MPLS VPN Technology Lesson 1: Introducing VPNs

• Traditional Router-Based Network Connectivity
• Advantages of VPNs
• What are the VPN Implementation Models?

Lesson 2: Categorizing VPNs

• What are the Business Categories for VPNs
• What are Extranet VPNs?
• What are the Connectivity Categories for VPNs
• What is the Central Services Extranet?
• What is a Managed Network Implementation?

Lesson 3: Introducing MPLS VPN Architecture

• What are the Drawbacks of Traditional Peer-to-Peer VPNs
• What is the MPLS VPN Architecture?
• What is the Architecture of PE Router in an MPLS VPN?
• What are RDs?
• What are RTs?
• How have Complex VPN Redefined the Meaning of VPNs
• What is the Impact of Complex VPN Topologies on virtual Routing Tables?

Lesson 4: Introducing the MPLS VPN Routing Model

• MPLS VPN routing Requirements and Model
• Existing Internet Routing Support
• Routing Tables on PE Routers
• Identifying End-to-End Routing Upgrade Flow
• Route Distribution to CE Routers

Lesson 5: Forwarding MPLS VPN Packets

• What are the End-to-End VPN Forwarding Mechanisms?
• What is VPN PHP?
• Propagating VPN Labels between PE Routers
• What are the Effects of MPLS VPNs on Label Propagation?
• What are the Effects of MPLS VPNs on Packet Forwarding?

Module 5: MPLS VPN Implementation Lesson 1: Using MPLS VPN Mechanisms of Cisco IOS Platforms

• What is VRF Table?
• What is the Need for Routing Protocol Contexts?
• What are VPN-Aware Routing Protocols?
• How are VRF Tables Used?
• Propagating BGP Routes – Outbound
• Propagating BGP Routes – Outbound
• Propagating Non-BGP Routes – Outbound
• Propagating Non-BGP Routes - Inbound

Lesson 2: Configuring VRF Tables

• What are the VRF Configuring Tasks?
• Creating VRF Tables and Assigning RDs
• Specifying Export and Import RTs
• Using VPN IDs
• Assigning an Interface to a VRF Table
• Typical Configuration to Enable VRFs

Lesson 3: Configuring an MP-BGP Session between PE Routers

• Configuring BGP Address Families
• Enabling BGP Neighbors
• Configuring MP-BGP
• Configuring MP-IBGP
• Configuring MP-BGP Community Propagation
• Disabling IPv4 Route Exchange

Lesson 4: 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

Lesson 5: Monitoring MPLS VPN Operations

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

Lesson 6: Configuring OSPF as the Routing Protocol between PE and CE Routers

• What is the Enhanced OSPF Hierarchical Model?
• Propagating OSPF Customer Routes
• Implementing MPLS VPNs as an OSPF Superbackbone
• Configuring OSPF PE-CE Routing
• Optimizing Packet Forwarding Across the MPLS VPN Backbone
• Using the OSPF Tag Field
• What is a Sham Link?
• Configuring a Sham Link

Lesson 7: Configuring BGP as the Routing Protocol Between PE and CE Routers

• Configuring a Per-VRF BGP Routing Context
• What are the Reasons for Limiting the Number of routes in a VRF?
• Limiting the Number of Prefixes Received from a BGP Neighbor
• Limiting the Total Number of VRF Routes
• Identifying AS-Override Issues
• Identifying Allowas-in Issues
• Implementing SOO for Loop Prevention

Lesson 8: 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 Data Flow
• Validating CEF Status
• Validating the End-to-End LSP
• Validating the LFIB Status

Module 6: Complex MPLS VPNs Lesson 1: Using Advanced VRF Import and Export Features

• What are Advanced VRF Features?
• Configuring Selective VRF Import
• Configuring Selective VRF Export

Lesson 2: Introducing Overlapping VPNs

• Who are the Participants in Overlapping VPNs
• What are Typical Overlapping VPN Usages
• Overlapping VPN Routing
• Overlapping VPN Data Flow
• Configuring Overlapping VPNs

Lesson 3: Introducing Central Services VPNs

• What are Access Characteristics of a Central Services VPN?
• What are the Routing Characteristics of a Central Services VPN
• Identifying the Central Services VPN Data Flow Model
• Integrating a Central Services VPN with a Simple VPN
• Identifying the RD Requirement When Integrating Central Services and Simple VPNs
• Identifying the RT Requirements When Integrating Central Services and Simple VPNs

Lesson 4: Introducing the Managed CE Routers Service

• What are the Requirements of Managed CE Routers?
• What are the VRF and RD Requirements?

Module 7: Internet Access and MPLS VPNs Lesson 1: Introducing Internet Access with MPLS VPNs

• Customer Internet Connectivity Scenarios
• Internet Design Models for Service Providers
• Internet Access Through Global Routing
• Internet Access as a Separate VPN
• Disadvantages of Providing Internet Access Through Route Leaking

Lesson 2: Implementing Separate Internet Access and VPN Services

• Classical Internet Access for a VPN Customer
• Using Separate Subinterfaces
• Accessing the Internet from Every Customer Site
• Separate Internet Access Benefits and Limitations

Lesson 3: Implementing Internet Access as a Separate VPN

• Internet Access as a Separate VPN
• Implementing Redundant Internet Access
• Implementing Classical Internet Access for a VPN Customer
• Implementing Internet Access from Every Customer Site
• Implementing Wholesale Internet Access
• Running an Internet Backbone in a VPN

Module 8: MPLS TE Overview Lesson 1: Introducing the TE Concept

• What is TE?
• Business Drivers for TE
• Congestion Avoidance and TE
• TE with a Layer 2 Overlay Model
• TE with a Layer 3 Model
• TE with the MPLS TE Model

Lesson 2: Understanding MPLS TE Components

• Traffic Tunnels: Concepts
• Traffic Tunnels: Characteristics
• Traffic Tunnels: Attributes
• Network Links and Link Attributes
• Constraint-Based Path Computation
• TE Processes
• Role of RSVP in Path Setup and Trunk Admission Control
• Forwarding Traffic to a Tunnel

Lesson 3: Configuring MPLS TE on Cisco IOS Platforms

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

Lesson 4: Monitoring Basic MPLS TE on Cisco IOS Platforms

• Monitoring MPLS TE Tunnels
• Monitoring MPLS TE

To fully benefit from this course, students should have the following prerequisite skills and knowledge:

• CCNA certification or equivalent level of working knowledge
• Equivalent knowledge and skill that can be acquired by attending Cisco`s training courses
• BSCI
• Practical experience deploying and operating networks based on Cisco network devices and Cisco IOS. The QoS course is highly recommended because the QoS knowledge is assumed in several sections of the course