Advanced MPLS Features and Applications (2-day)

Students will gain a practical understanding of the emerging features and applications for MPLS: Multicast, Circuit Emulation, Multi-carrier, Hierarchical LSP’s and OAM.

Course objective:
To provide a practical understanding of the technical specifications regarding emerging MPLS features and the reasons service providers might implement these features in support of new and existing customer applications.

Module 1: MPLS review
A high-level overview/review of MPLS drivers and concepts. This is a snapshot of why MPLS is important, the benefits to service providers and users, the organizations driving the technology, and the protocol formats.

• Why MPLS
• Players in defining MPLS specs
• Basic MPLS framework
• MPLS common applications

Module 2: MPLS Applications
An overview of how MPLS is currently being used and the emerging features to support newer applications. After looking at each topic collectively from a high level, a more detailed view will be taken for each application.

• L2/L3 VPN
• Multicast / Triple play
• Inter-AS/CSC
• Circuit Emulation
• Hierarchical LSPs
• Resilience and OAM

Module 3: MPLS for Multicast
With applications like video now being delivered over data networks, MPLS must adapt to better support multicast environments. This requires point-to-multipoint label switched paths, VPNs, and pseudowires in the data plane along with mechanisms for setup in the control plane.

• Multicast L2/L3
• Mcast backbone requirements
• P2MP LSPs
• P2MP PW
• BGP P2MP
• mVPN

Module 4: MPLS Multi-service provider
Most applications for MPLS assume service from a single provider. Many enterprise customers require VPN connectivity in locations that may not be served by the same provider. Many issues need to be overcome in order to facilitate MPLS interconnection between providers in support of these applications.

• Inter-AS/CSC
• MPLS-ICI
• Multi-segment pseudowires

Module 5: MPLS circuit emulation
While the converged network allows for support of new applications, it must also enable support of legacy applications like TDM. Point-to-point leased lines are still a large source of revenue for providers and must continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.

• Circuit Emulation concepts
• SAToP
• CESoPSN
• TDMoIP
• CEM

Module 6: Hierarchical Label Switched paths
Route aggregation in a large network is beneficial to keep routing tables small, but causes problems for MPLS by terminating LSP’s in the middle of the network. Several approaches are being developed to enable MPLS to function smoothly in an environment where route aggregation is being performed.

• Hierarchical LSP’s overview
• Route aggregation and H-LDP (2 approaches)
• Hierarchical Resource reservation
• LDP LSP’s over RSVP-TE tunnels

Module 7: MPLS Resilience and OAM
Reliability of MPLS networks must be maintained to properly support customer applications. Various mechanisms are available and forthcoming to maintain high availability as well as to diagnose and locate faults in the network.

• Fast Reroute
• Node/Network level recovery
• LSP/PW ping/traceroute
• VCCV
• PW redundancy
• MC-LAC
• MPLS/Ethernet OAM interworking

Module 8: Summary and Conclusions

Copyright – Exzaktec 2009