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MPLS Multi-AS options...

 

 

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kenny.sallee at gmail

Nov 5, 2009, 11:40 AM

Post #1 of 5 (1415 views)
Permalink
MPLS Multi-AS options...

So I'm reading this document from Cisco:


http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/mpls/configuration/guide/mp_vpn_ias_optab.html

and

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/mpls/configuration/guide/mp_vpn_connect_asbr.html
as
well as RFC 4364 section 10 "Multi-AS Backbones".


I'm wondering if anyone is actually doing any flavor of Multi-AS backbone
this in the real world? Option A doesn't seem scalable at all. Option B
seems scalable, but the level of trust and lack of QoS may be a concern.
Option AB - I'm trying to fully understand w/o a ton of lab time. As I read
the first Cisco link above, with Option AB - you must configure a
sub-interface PER VPN/Client in it's own VRF on each SP's ASBR. So if you
have 100 different customers, on that interconnect between SP1 and SP2 you
must configure 100 sub-interfaces, VRF's with unique (agree'd upon)RD's.
Then you configure a single MP-BGP session to carry the VPNv4 addresses for
all VRF's. So really you are only saving X number of BGP sessions with
Option AB compared to say just Option A correct?

Anyone out there with practical experience doing this in a production
environment?

Thanks,

Kenny





Is there any other technology for 'exteding VRF' to an Application Service
provider type network?
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mtinka at globaltransit

Nov 6, 2009, 11:34 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1376 views)
Permalink
Re: MPLS Multi-AS options... [In reply to]

On Friday 06 November 2009 03:40:57 am Kenny Sallee wrote:

> I'm wondering if anyone is actually doing any flavor of
> Multi-AS backbone this in the real world? Option A
> doesn't seem scalable at all. Option B seems scalable,
> but the level of trust and lack of QoS may be a concern.
> Option AB - I'm trying to fully understand w/o a ton of
> lab time. As I read the first Cisco link above, with
> Option AB - you must configure a sub-interface PER
> VPN/Client in it's own VRF on each SP's ASBR. So if you
> have 100 different customers, on that interconnect
> between SP1 and SP2 you must configure 100
> sub-interfaces, VRF's with unique (agree'd upon)RD's.
> Then you configure a single MP-BGP session to carry the
> VPNv4 addresses for all VRF's. So really you are only
> saving X number of BGP sessions with Option AB compared
> to say just Option A correct?

Yes, the difference between Option AB (a.k.a Option D) and
Option A or Option B is that with Option AB, only a single
eBGP session between the ASBR's is required. Furthermore,
while forwarding can be based on MPLS, IP forwarding is also
supported, which preserves QoS values that can be used for
processing across the ASBR<=>ASBR link.

My suggestion; for any NNI option you choose, it should go a
long way in making your life easy, i.e., you don't have
create a sub-interface for each customer VPN, you don't have
to create an eBGP session for each customer VPN.

While Option AB is in an IETF draft state, I only know of
Cisco being the only vendor implementing it (there could be
others, though - I haven't researched beyond the vendors we
use in production). However, some of the other vendors are
able to implement the methods Option AB uses to operate, but
in such a manner that it may not necessarily be compatible
to Cisco's, or if it is, implementing it may not be as
scalable, requiring that a number of boxes in the end-to-end
VPN connection be touched for co-ordination.

Personally, I think Option AB is rather complicated in its
design, but based on Cisco's implementation, a lot of that
complexity is hidden from the operators, with the routers
doing all that automatically. It is an interesting option,
but the need to configure a sub-interface for each VPN
leaves a strange taste in my mouth.

One of the other vendors we're working with is able to
implement Option B + IP processing, which is cool because we
maintain a single interface for all VPN's, and a single eBGP
session for all VPN's, without losing the ability to do QoS.
Still checking with Cisco whether they can do this.

Things get a lot more interesting when you try to inter-op
NNI relationships. If Cisco can't do Option B + IP
processing, it may make sense for us to have both a Cisco
and non-Cisco NNI router at each NNI site in order to have
smooth NNI relationships depending on what platforms our
partners can support. Of course, we can only support two
platforms, so work becomes trickier if our NNI partner
brings along an unsupported device - but, it won't be the
end of the world :-).

Things get a lot more interesting if you want to NNI for
l2vpn/VPLS services.

Cheers,

Mark.
Attachments: signature.asc (0.82 KB)


jimmi at netpoint

Nov 9, 2009, 10:07 AM

Post #3 of 5 (1369 views)
Permalink
Re: MPLS Multi-AS options... [In reply to]

Folks.

I read these papers long time ago, so I do not remember anymore exactly what
this options labels (A, B, AB,...) definition means.

What I can tell you guys is that I operate a network which has a Inter-AS
peering were we exchange IPv4 & VPNv4 prefixes and traffic while maintaining
QoS services compability at both sides (ASs) for long time, and customers
which VPNs have sites serviced by both ASs have their QoS requirements honored
at both ASs Backbones and last mile connections.

I already had real "Inter-AS + QoS compatibility" experience with Cisco being
the only platform, and where Cisco interoperate with (two) different vendors,
and that worked just fine.

This deployment where you just had to establish a single eBGP peering at VPNv4
address-family to exchange VPNv4 prefixes and traffic (of course you may
exchange IPv4 also, and may establish redundant peerings) brings lots of
benefits. It does not impact at your ASBR resources, reduces the number of
connections between ASBRs & routing gets simplified, allows oversubscription
between ASBRs, does not require your to act at the borders (ASBRs) each time a
"site" is added or removed from a customer VPN (despite where this site is
connected).

[]s.

Jimmi.


---------- Original Message -----------
From: Mark Tinka <mtinka [at] globaltransit>
To: cisco-nsp [at] puck
Sent: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 15:34:29 +0800
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] MPLS Multi-AS options...

> On Friday 06 November 2009 03:40:57 am Kenny Sallee wrote:
>
> > I'm wondering if anyone is actually doing any flavor of
> > Multi-AS backbone this in the real world? Option A
> > doesn't seem scalable at all. Option B seems scalable,
> > but the level of trust and lack of QoS may be a concern.
> > Option AB - I'm trying to fully understand w/o a ton of
> > lab time. As I read the first Cisco link above, with
> > Option AB - you must configure a sub-interface PER
> > VPN/Client in it's own VRF on each SP's ASBR. So if you
> > have 100 different customers, on that interconnect
> > between SP1 and SP2 you must configure 100
> > sub-interfaces, VRF's with unique (agree'd upon)RD's.
> > Then you configure a single MP-BGP session to carry the
> > VPNv4 addresses for all VRF's. So really you are only
> > saving X number of BGP sessions with Option AB compared
> > to say just Option A correct?
>
> Yes, the difference between Option AB (a.k.a Option D) and
> Option A or Option B is that with Option AB, only a single
> eBGP session between the ASBR's is required. Furthermore,
> while forwarding can be based on MPLS, IP forwarding is also
> supported, which preserves QoS values that can be used for
> processing across the ASBR<=>ASBR link.
>
> My suggestion; for any NNI option you choose, it should go a
> long way in making your life easy, i.e., you don't have
> create a sub-interface for each customer VPN, you don't have
> to create an eBGP session for each customer VPN.
>
> While Option AB is in an IETF draft state, I only know of
> Cisco being the only vendor implementing it (there could be
> others, though - I haven't researched beyond the vendors we
> use in production). However, some of the other vendors are
> able to implement the methods Option AB uses to operate, but
> in such a manner that it may not necessarily be compatible
> to Cisco's, or if it is, implementing it may not be as
> scalable, requiring that a number of boxes in the end-to-end
> VPN connection be touched for co-ordination.
>
> Personally, I think Option AB is rather complicated in its
> design, but based on Cisco's implementation, a lot of that
> complexity is hidden from the operators, with the routers
> doing all that automatically. It is an interesting option,
> but the need to configure a sub-interface for each VPN
> leaves a strange taste in my mouth.
>
> One of the other vendors we're working with is able to
> implement Option B + IP processing, which is cool because we
> maintain a single interface for all VPN's, and a single eBGP
> session for all VPN's, without losing the ability to do QoS.
> Still checking with Cisco whether they can do this.
>
> Things get a lot more interesting when you try to inter-op
> NNI relationships. If Cisco can't do Option B + IP
> processing, it may make sense for us to have both a Cisco
> and non-Cisco NNI router at each NNI site in order to have
> smooth NNI relationships depending on what platforms our
> partners can support. Of course, we can only support two
> platforms, so work becomes trickier if our NNI partner
> brings along an unsupported device - but, it won't be the
> end of the world :-).
>
> Things get a lot more interesting if you want to NNI for
> l2vpn/VPLS services.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark.
------- End of Original Message -------

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kenny.sallee at gmail

Nov 9, 2009, 1:57 PM

Post #4 of 5 (1359 views)
Permalink
Re: MPLS Multi-AS options... [In reply to]

Hi Jimmi - thanks for sharing - some comments / questions inline below

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 10:07 AM, jimmi <jimmi [at] netpoint> wrote:

>
> Folks.
>
> I read these papers long time ago, so I do not remember anymore exactly
> what
> this options labels (A, B, AB,...) definition means.
>

Quick recap for you:
Option A = back to back VRF's via sub-interfaces and BGP peering PER VRF
(lots of resources)
Option B = exchange of VPN-IPv4 addresses and agreement on RT's and label
switched path from ingress PE to egress PE routers
Option AB (aka option D as I've learned): VRF's and sub-interface per client
and a single eBGP session to carry VPN-IPv4 addresses



>
> What I can tell you guys is that I operate a network which has a Inter-AS
> peering were we exchange IPv4 & VPNv4 prefixes and traffic while
> maintaining
> QoS services compability at both sides (ASs) for long time, and customers
> which VPNs have sites serviced by both ASs have their QoS requirements
> honored
> at both ASs Backbones and last mile connections.
>

Sounds like your are doing option B?


>
> I already had real "Inter-AS + QoS compatibility" experience with Cisco
> being
> the only platform, and where Cisco interoperate with (two) different
> vendors,
> and that worked just fine.
>

On your ASBR - do you have to create VRF's for every customer that crosses
the ASBR? Do you mind sharing the relveant parts of your configuration
(sanitized of course) if possible?



>
> This deployment where you just had to establish a single eBGP peering at
> VPNv4
> address-family to exchange VPNv4 prefixes and traffic (of course you may
> exchange IPv4 also, and may establish redundant peerings) brings lots of
> benefits. It does not impact at your ASBR resources, reduces the number of
> connections between ASBRs & routing gets simplified, allows
> oversubscription
> between ASBRs, does not require your to act at the borders (ASBRs) each
> time a
> "site" is added or removed from a customer VPN (despite where this site is
> connected).
>

That's interesting actually - sounds pretty straight forward. So far it
seems like some overseas operators are actually doing this or contemplating
doing it. Anyone in the continental US researching and/or implemented (ing)
either of the options?

Kenny


>
>
>
>
_______________________________________________
cisco-nsp mailing list cisco-nsp [at] puck
https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/cisco-nsp
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jimmi at netpoint

Nov 11, 2009, 3:52 AM

Post #5 of 5 (1339 views)
Permalink
Re: MPLS Multi-AS options... [In reply to]

Kenny, Mark, and who else are interesting on this matter.

It will be a pleasure to discuss and share information regarding it,
but if you don't mind I rather doing it private, without coping the
whole list.

Just let me know how else are interesting.

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Kenny Sallee <kenny.sallee [at] gmail>
To: jimmi <jimmi [at] netpoint>
Cc: mtinka [at] globaltransit, cisco-nsp [at] puck
Sent: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:57:19 -0800
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] MPLS Multi-AS options...

> Hi Jimmi - thanks for sharing - some comments / questions inline below
>
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 10:07 AM, jimmi <jimmi [at] netpoint> wrote:
>
> >
> > Folks.
> >
> > I read these papers long time ago, so I do not remember anymore exactly
> > what
> > this options labels (A, B, AB,...) definition means.
> >
>
> Quick recap for you:
> Option A = back to back VRF's via sub-interfaces and BGP peering PER
> VRF
> (lots of resources) Option B = exchange of VPN-IPv4 addresses and
> agreement on RT's and label switched path from ingress PE to egress
> PE routers Option AB (aka option D as I've learned): VRF's and sub-
> interface per client and a single eBGP session to carry VPN-IPv4 addresses
>
> >
> > What I can tell you guys is that I operate a network which has a Inter-AS
> > peering were we exchange IPv4 & VPNv4 prefixes and traffic while
> > maintaining
> > QoS services compability at both sides (ASs) for long time, and customers
> > which VPNs have sites serviced by both ASs have their QoS requirements
> > honored
> > at both ASs Backbones and last mile connections.
> >
>
> Sounds like your are doing option B?
>
> >
> > I already had real "Inter-AS + QoS compatibility" experience with Cisco
> > being
> > the only platform, and where Cisco interoperate with (two) different
> > vendors,
> > and that worked just fine.
> >
>
> On your ASBR - do you have to create VRF's for every customer that crosses
> the ASBR? Do you mind sharing the relveant parts of your configuration
> (sanitized of course) if possible?
>
> >
> > This deployment where you just had to establish a single eBGP peering at
> > VPNv4
> > address-family to exchange VPNv4 prefixes and traffic (of course you may
> > exchange IPv4 also, and may establish redundant peerings) brings lots of
> > benefits. It does not impact at your ASBR resources, reduces the number of
> > connections between ASBRs & routing gets simplified, allows
> > oversubscription
> > between ASBRs, does not require your to act at the borders (ASBRs) each
> > time a
> > "site" is added or removed from a customer VPN (despite where this site is
> > connected).
> >
>
> That's interesting actually - sounds pretty straight forward. So
> far it seems like some overseas operators are actually doing this or
> contemplating doing it. Anyone in the continental US researching
> and/or implemented (ing) either of the options?
>
> Kenny
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
------- End of Original Message -------

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