The MPLS-OPS Archive

[Roger Clark Williams <rogerw@nordlink.com>]

Aleksander, one reason you may not find much written about the CE 
configuration is that in an MPLS VPN there is none, beyond what is required 
in normal routing. The PEs holds all the configurations required to host 
your VPNs. The PEs holds route tables (VRFs) that are particular to your 
service. The role of the MPLS VPN is, in effect, to forward the traffic 
coming into the PE over a certain interface across the network to the 
outgoing interface on another PE (or PEs). The CEs knows nothing of all 
this and are set up approximately like any other router. The only 
differences may be the PE-CE routing protocols; the provider may insist on 
a limited choice, but certainly static routing should be one.

It is probable that your present FR link will stay in place as the 
connecting link to the PE, but there are other options.

Things get a bit more complicated if you want access to the internet as 
well as VPN service, but again, this is a configuration issue at the 
provider PE end, not normally at the CE end. Even when multi-homed, nothing 
much changes on the CE.

The ISDN could stay in place as a backup/failover system if necessary. At 
least in the US ISDN is a time-dependant service; if not used, the charges 
are lower.

Roger Williams

>X-MindSpring-Loop: rogerw@nordlink.com
>Resent-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 05:04:59 -0500
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>From: "Aleksandar Dzambaski" <dzambo@mt.net.mk>
>To: <mpls-ops@mplsrc.com>
>Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 10:51:11 +0100
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>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 19 Nov 2003 09:51:11.0606 (UTC) 
>FILETIME=[A9E84960:01C3AE82]
>Subject: [MPLS-OPS]: IP VPN over MPLS backbone
>Resent-From: mpls-ops@mplsrc.com
>X-Mailing-List: <mpls-ops@mplsrc.com> archive/latest/6503
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>
>Hi,
>
>I currently have a Frame Relay network with central site and 22 remote
>locations, coupled with ISDN backup. The system works fine, but now our
>telecom provider has new service.
>
>
>
>They have MPLS backbone, and they are offering IP VPN connections as a
>replacement for our current network.
>
>
>
>I spent several days in research for this new opportunity and I see that
>obviously this is a better offer. We will start a test period in which we
>are supposed to connect several locations just to compare with the Frame
>Relay.
>
>
>
>Now here are the questions:
>
>1. I have problem with understanding the configuration of the customer
>(mine) router. I have read many papers about configuring the PE and P
>routers in the MPLS backbone, and the PE interface to the CE router, but I
>haven't found a paper describing the configuration of the CE interface to
>the PE router, nor I have found an example of it. Can someone point me or
>explain the configuration of the IP VPN interface. Are there any examples of
>it or comparison with the Frame Relay configuration?
>
>
>
>2. The current situation is with ISDN backup lines which are configured with
>static routes and Frame Relay end-to-end keepalive parameters. This
>eliminates using dynamic routing protocols (ex. RIP, OSPF...). Regarding the
>previous question and this statement, are there any possibilities of keeping
>the static routing or should we definitely turn to a dynamic routing
>protocol.
>
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>Aleksandar
>
>
>
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