Building MPLS Networks

Powerful Two-day MPLS Technology Course

Course Description

MPLS will provide a cost effective and efficient Service Provider solution for bandwidth management and VPN services. In many cases the provider can work with existing equipment by designing new traffic management solutions using MPLS features and functionality as a guiding rule.

The challenge is in your understanding of the MPLS technology, now to management traffic using MPLS and how MPLS carriers and provides QoS for Converged network traffic. In order to design and deploy a proper solution you must understand the technology you are working with.

In Building MPLS Networks you will gain the skills and knowledge on MPLS necessary to allow you to design the MPLS solution that will best fit your organizations needs. You will understand the technology, now the technology works, how an MPLS frame is set up and how it carriers it payload. This knowledge and skill will become the foundation of your ability to design and than configure your MPLS solution.

Course Objectives

• Analyze and decode live MPLS traffic using a protocol analyzer and troubleshoot traffic delays
• Learn about MPLS VPNs, including L3VPN RFC 2547bis, and compare Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPNs
• Work on case studies and practical examples on MPLS using information from Riverstone, RedBack, and Cisco Systems
• Learn Label numbers and MPLS commands
• Understand how MPLS Data Flows and do Single Stacked and Stacked Label Decodes
• Examine Label Distribution including DOU and DOD
• Detail and Learn Traffic Engineering and calculate the amount of bandwidth you need
• Discover GMPLS and the GMPLS Control Plane

Intended Audience

This course is intended for service engineers, sales engineers, technical support help desk level 1, network design engineers, Account Managers selling MPLS technologies, Software Design engineers developing MPLS related software and network professional who work with or will soon be working with MPLS.

Prerequisites

Student prerequisites are as follows:

• TCP/IP and a basic understanding of Routing and Switching

Course Outline & Labs

• Chapter 1: Fundamentals of MPLS Networks and Data Flow
  • MPLS Network Construction
  • Data Flow in MPLS Networks
  • Practical Applications
  • Exercises
  • Chapter Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 2: MPLS Label Distribution
  • The Early Days of Switching
  • MPLS Label Distribution
  • Control of Label Distribution
  • Triggering of Label Distribution
  • Brief Review
  • Protocols
  • Practical Applications
  • Exercises
  • Chapter 2 Summary and Review
• Chapter 3: Advanced MPLS Signaling
  • Introduction to MPLS Signaling
  • Practical Applications
  • Exercises
  • Chapter 3 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 4: MPLS Network Reliance and Recovery
  • Introduction to MPLS Network Reliance and Recovery
  • The Need for Network Protection
  • Reviewing Routing
  • Network Protection
  • MPLS Error Detection
  • Thrashing Links
  • Practical Applications
  • Chapter 4 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 5: Traffic Engineering
  • Introduction to MPLS Traffic Engineering
  • Aspects of Traffic Engineering
  • Provisioning and Subscribing
  • Calculating How Much Bandwidth You Need
  • Practical Applications
  • Exercises
  • Chapter 5 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 6: MPLS and GMPLS
  • Introduction to MPLS and GMPLS
  • Where Networking Is Today
  • Where Networking Is Going
  • GMPLS Control Plane
  • Is That All There Is?
  • Standards
  • Chapter 6 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 7: MPLS in Virtual Private Networks
  • Introduction to Virtual Private Networks
  • VPN Concepts in MPLS
  • MPLS VPN Designs
  • L3VPN RFC 2547bis
  • Comparing VPN Types
  • Practical Applications - Riverstone’s Layer 3 Encapsulation in MPLS
  • Chapter 7 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 8: Quality of Service Meets MPLS
  • Introduction to Quality of Service
  • What Is QoS?
  • Measuring QoS in Data Networks
  • Mediation for Dropped Packets, Latency, and Jitter
  • Packet Marking
  • Reservation and Policing Protocols
  • QoS in MPLS Networks
  • Practical Applications
  • Chapter 8 Summary and Review
  • Going Further and Links
• Chapter 9: Marketing
  • Introduction to MPLS VPN Marketing
  • Who: The User’s Perspective
  • What: Money
  • How: Approaches to Marketing and Sales
  • Market Planning Overview
  • Case Example
  • Challenges
  • Chapter 9 Summary and Review
• Chapter 10 Case Studies
  • Introduction
  • Case Study One: Redback
  • Case Study Two
  • Appendix A: Answers to Exercises
  • Appendix B: Ethereal Captures
  • Appendix C: Related Articles and List of Carriers