Introducing MPLS Interdomain Solutions

Complex MPLS Layer 3 VPNs

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Objectives
Describe MPLS interdomain solutions
Describe the CSC feature
Describe inter-AS MPLS models

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MPLS Interdomain Solutions

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Interconnecting Service Providers
Companies need MPLS service delivered all over the world.
Support for VPNs that cross AS boundaries
Two basic types of service provider design:
- CSC
Hierarchical MPLS VPN design
Using other service providers for MPLS backbone
- Inter-AS
Peer-to-peer type model
Peering with neighboring service providers

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Carrier Supporting Carrier in Cisco IP NGN
Infrastructure Layer
Access
Aggregation
IP Edge
Core
Residential

Mobile Users

Business

IP Infrastructure Layer

Access Aggregation IP Edge Core

MPLS interdomain solutions are part of the Cisco IP NGN infrastructure

layer.
IP edge devices run MPLS, BGP, or IGP.
IP core devices run MPLS.
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CSC Overview
Hierarchical MPLS VPN:
- Backbone providerfirst-level service provider
- Customer carriersecond-level service provider
CSC provides MPLS VPN service to other service providers.
A large service provider acts as the backbone for smaller service
providers.
The customer carrier can be an ISP
P
or MPLS VPN provider.

PE1 PE2
Backbone
Carrier
Customer Customer

Customer Carrier Customer Carrier

Customer Customer
POP site CSC-CE1 CSC-CE2 POP site

Customer Customer

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Benefits of CSC
Multiple customer carriers can be connected to a single CSC backbone.
Both VPN and Internet services can be provided.
Customer carriers do not have to operate their own long-distance
network.
Different addressing schemes can be used by different carriers.
Any link type supported by MPLS can be used.
There are no end-user routes in the CSC backbone.

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CSC Operation
Packets from POP1 to POP2 are propagated along a label-switched
path from CE1 to CE2.
PE and CSC-CE routers must exchange route or label information.
Backbone carrier does not carry routing information of end customers.

PE1 PE2
Backbone
Carrier

Route
information
Customer Carrier Customer Carrier
Customer Customer
A POP1 POP2 A
CE1 CSC-PE1 CSC-CE1 CSC-CE2 CSC-PE2

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CSC Models
CSC backbone carrier must support MPLS VPNs.
CSC customer carrier can exchange labels:
- Using IGP and LDP:
MPLS is enabled on link between backbone carrier and customer carrier.
IGP is used for route exchange.
- Using MP-BGP:
MP-BGP is used for label and route distribution.

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Inter-AS MPLS VPN Overview
Most MPLS VPN systems are deployed in one AS.
Inter-AS introduces techniques to establish MPLS VPNs across multiple
autonomous systems.
There are many options for:
- Exchanging VPN information
- Building VPN tunnels

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Inter-AS MPLS VPN
An MPLS VPN tunnel is established across two service providers.

Customer A Customer B
Site 1 Site 1
CE1 RR1 CE2

SP1
AS X
PE2

ASBR1

ASBR2

SP2
AS Y

PE3 RR2 PE4

Customer A Customer B
Site 2 Site 2
CE3 CE4

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Inter-AS MPLS VPN Options
There are three options for configuring inter-AS:
- Option A: back-to-back VRF
- Option B: single-hop MP-EBGP method
- Option C: multihop MP-EBGP between route reflectors
Option A is the simplest method.
Option C is the most scalable method.

2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. SPEDGE v1.03-12
CSC Models

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CSC using IGP and LDP
MPLS VPN is configured in backbone carrier.
Customer carrier POP sites:
- Connected using Layer 3 MPLS VPN
- Run IGP and LDP with backbone carrier

Backbone
Carrier

IG
MP-IBGP MPLS VPN LD P MP-IBGP
LD P

P
IG
P

RR1 ASBR1 ASBR2 RR2

POP1 POP2

MPLS VPN

Customer Customer
Site 1 Site 2

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CSC Using IGP and LDP: Example
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
description Link PE-ASBR
vrf Customer_carrier
ipv4 address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.252
!
mpls ldp
...
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
!
router ospf 1 Backbone
address-family ipv4 unicast PE1 Carrier PE2
vrf Customer_carrier
area 0
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1 IG
! LD P
P

LD P
IG
P
RR1 ASBR1 ASBR2
POP1 POP2
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1 RR2
description Link PE-ASBR
ipv4 address 10.10.10.2 255.255.255.252
!
mpls ldp
...
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
!
Customer Customer
router ospf 1
Site 1 Site 2
address-family ipv4 unicast
area 0
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
!

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CSC Using IGP and LDP: Example (Cont.)
Backbone carrier establishes MPLS VPN for customer carrier.
Customer carrier establishes MPLS VPN for end customers.

Configure an MP-IBGP session between

Backbone
route reflector routers:
PE1 Carrier PE2
- Session between loopback interfaces

IG
MP-BGP LD P
LD P

P
IG
P

MP-BGP MP-BGP

RR1 ASBR1 ASBR2 RR2

POP1 POP2
AS 64500 AS 64500
RR
Configure an MP-IBGP session between PE routers: Client
- Session between loopback interfaces
- Send labels with customer carrier routes
- Override customer carrier AS number in AS path

Customer Customer
Site 1 Site 2

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Data Flow Example
When an IP packet enters the customer carrier VPN, an LDP label is
attached to it.
When the packet arrives at the backbone carrier, another VPN label is
attached to it.
P

PE1 PE2
Backbone
Carrier

Customer Customer
Customer Customer
Carrier Carrier
A A
CSC-PE1 POP1 Site CSC-CE1 POP2 Site
CSC-PE2
CSC-CE2

LDP3
LDP1 LDP2 VPN1 LDP4 LDP5
VPN VPN VPN VPN VPN
IP IP IP IP IP IP IP

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CSC Using MP-BGP
MPLS VPN is configured in backbone carrier.
Customer carrier POP sites:
- Connected using Layer 3 MPLS VPN
- Run MP-EBGP with backbone carrier ASBR
- Use /32 loopback address for MP-IBGP sessions between route reflectors.
- On Cisco IOS XR routers, a static route should be configured on the backbone carrier
PE router pointing to the carrier ASBR router.
Backbone
Carrier
GP

MP-IBGP MPLS VPN MP-IBGP

M
P-
EB

EB
-
MP

G
P
RR1 ASBR1 ASBR2 RR2
POP1 POP2

MPLS VPN

Customer Customer
Site 1 Site 2
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CSC Using MP-BGP: Example
interface GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
description Link PE-ASBR
vrf Customer_carrier
ipv4 address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.252
!
router static
vrf Customer_carrier
address-family ipv4 unicast
10.10.10.2/32 GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
!
router bgp 64500 Backbone
vrf Customer_carrier PE1 Carrier PE2
rd 1:220
address-family ipv4 unicast

M
redistribute connected

P-
BG

EB
allocate-label all

-E

G
!

P
MP
neighbor 10.10.10.2
remote-as 64512
update-source GigabitEthernet0/0/0/1
RR1 ASBR1 ASBR2
address-family ipv4 unicast POP1
route-policy pass in
route-policy pass out
as-override
next-hop-self
!
address-family ipv4 labeled-unicast
route-policy pass in
route-policy pass out
as-override Customer Customer
next-hop-self Site 1 Site 2
!

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Data Flow Example
When an IP packet enters the customer carrier VPN, an LDP label is
attached to it.
When the packet arrives at the backbone carrier, another VPN label is
attached to it.
P

PE1 PE2
Backbone
Carrier

Customer Customer
Customer Customer
Carrier Carrier
A POP1 Site POP2 Site
A
CE1 CE2

LDP
LDP LDP VPN1 LDP LDP
VPN VPN VPN VPN VPN
IP IP IP IP IP IP IP

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Inter-AS

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Inter-AS: Back-to-Back VRF
ASBR routers are connected over multiple subinterfaces.
IGP runs between ASBR routers.

Customer A Customer B
Site 1 Site 1
CE1 RR1 CE2

SP1
AS X PE2
PE1

MP-BGP MP-BGP
ASBR1
Multiple
IGP
subinterfaces
ASBR2

MP-BGP MP-BGP

SP2
AS Y

PE3 RR2 PE4

Customer A Customer B
Site 2 Site 2
CE3 CE4

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Back-to-Back VRF Characteristics
ASBR needs to allocate a physical or logical link for each VPN.
Suitable when the number of VPNs is small
Not scalable
Each AS constructs its own VPN tunnel.
ASBRs act as CE routers for customers in an AS:
- ASBR needs to process routes of all VPN customers.

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Inter-AS: Single-Hop MP-EBGP Method
BGP is used to signal VPN labels between the AS boundary routers.
Higher scalability

Customer A Customer B
Site 1 Site 1
CE1 RR1 CE2

SP1
AS X PE2
PE1

MP-IBGP MP-IBGP
ASBR1

MP-EBGP

ASBR2

MP-IBGP MP-IBGP

SP2
AS Y

PE3 RR2 PE4

Customer A Customer B
Site 2 Site 2
CE3 CE4

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Single-Hop MP-EBGP Characteristics
Only one link is used between ASBRs.
Inter-AS link in the global table
Labels are exchanged between directly attached ASBRs.
Provides greater scalability
LSP tunnel construction:
- Next-hop-self method
ASBR announces itself as the next hop to the BGP neighbor.
New label is allocated
- Redistribute method
Routes to BGP peers are redistributed into IGP.

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Inter-AS: Multihop MP-EBGP
Labeled IPv4 routes are redistributed by EBGP between neighboring
autonomous systems.
BGP is used for label distribution.

Customer A Customer B
Site 1 Site 1
CE1 RR1 CE2

SP1
AS X PE2
PE1

ASBR1

MP-EBGP MP-EBGP

ASBR2

MP-IBGP

SP2
AS Y

PE3 RR2 PE4

Customer A Customer B
Site 2 Site 2
CE3 CE4

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Multihop MP-EBGP Characteristics
ASBRs do not have VPNv4 routes and label information.
MP-EBGP peering between route reflectors in different autonomous
systems.
BGP is used for label distribution between ASBRs.
End-to-end LSP is required from ingress PE to egress PE.
You can use a route map or route policy to filter the distribution of MPLS
labels between routers.

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Summary
The two basic MPLS interdomain solutions are CSC and inter-AS.
CSC is a hierarchical method for interconnecting service providers.
Inter-AS is a peer-to-peer method for interconnecting service providers.

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 2012 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. SPEDGE v1.03-29