MPLS+MPLS VPN Training

MPLS + MPLS VPN COURSE

**For Lab setup, required software (including the instructions) would be shared by the trainer to each individual student.**

9:00 PM – 11:30 PM PDT ( FRI & SAT) from 16th April 2021

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM IST  (SAT & SUN) ) from 17th April 2021

Fundamentals of MPLS

• Definition of MPLS  
• Pre-MPLS Protocols  
• Benefits of MPLS  
• Peer-to-Peer VPN Model Versus Overlay VPN Model  
• History of MPLS in Cisco IOS (TDP)  
• Tag Switching to MPLS  
• MPLS Applications  
• How was switching happening before MPLS – We Will configure Frame-Relay Lab in GNS3 –  Understand DLCI switching. 

MPLS Architecture

• Introducing MPLS Labels  
• Label Stacking  
• Encoding of MPLS  
• MPLS and the OSI Reference Model  
• Label Switch Router  
• Label Switched Path  
• Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC)  
• Label Distribution  
• Piggyback the Labels on an Existing IP Routing Protocol  
• Running a Separate Protocol for Label Distribution  
• Label Distribution with LDP  
• Label Forwarding Instance Base  
• MPLS Payload  
• MPLS Label Spaces  
• Different MPLS Modes  
• Label Distribution Modes  
• Label Retention Modes  
• LSP Control Modes  
• Practical: Will show things practically in the lab.  

Forwarding of Labelled Packets

• Label Operation  
• IP Lookup Versus Label Lookup  
• Load Balancing Labelled Packets  
• Unknown Label 
• Reserved Labels  
• Implicit NULL Label  
• Explicit NULL Label  
• Router Alert Label  
• OAM Alert Label  
• Unreserved Labels  
• Push/PoP/Swap operations  
• TTL Behaviour of Labelled Packets  
• TTL Behaviour in the Case of IP-to-Label or Label-to-IP 
• TTL Behaviour in the Case of Label-to-Label 
• TTL Expiration  
• MPLS MTU  
• MPLS MTU Command  
• Giant and Baby Giant Frames  
• Giant Frames on Switches  
• MPLS Maximum Receive Unit  
• Fragmentation of MPLS Packets  
• Path MTU Discovery  
• Practical: GNS3 Lab of 4 routers  

Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)

• LDP Overview  
• LDP Operation  
• The Discovery of LSRs That Are Running LDP
• LDP Session Establishment and Maintenance
• Number of LDP Sessions  
• Advertising of Label Mappings  
• Label Withdrawing  
• Targeted LDP Session  
• LDP Authentication  
• Controlling the Advertisement of Labels via LDP 
• LIB/LFIB  
• Practical: GNS3 Lab and a Troubleshooting Lab also. 

Cisco Express Forwarding

• Overview of Cisco IOS Switching Methods  
• Process Switching  
• Fast Switching  
• CEF Switching  
• Why Is CEF Needed in MPLS Networks?  
• What Are the Components of CEF?  
• The Adjacency Table  
• The CEF Table  
• Operation of CEF  
• Distributed CEF (DCEF)  
• CEF Switching Packets in Hardware  
• Load Balancing in CEF  
• Unequal Cost Load Balancing  
• Labelling IP Packets by CEF  
• Load Balancing Labelled Packets  
• Troubleshooting CEF  
• Practical: GNS3 Lab to show why CEF is important using various scenarios. What will happen  if CEF is disabled to understand Importance of CEF.  

How to Configure a basic MPLS VPN?

• Step by step process of configuration.  

Advanced MPLS – MPLS VPN

• Introduction to MPLS VPN  
• Definition of a VPN  
• VPN Models  
• MPLS VPN Model  
• Architectural Overview of MPLS VPN  
• Virtual Routing Forwarding  
• What is RD  
• What is RT  
• MPLS VPN Control Plane  
• MPLS VPN Data Plane  
• VPNv4 Route Propagation in the MPLS VPN Network  
• Packet Forwarding in an MPLS VPN Network  
• BGP vs BGP Multiprotocol Extensions and Capabilities  
• BGP Extended Community: RT  
• VPNv4 Routes  
• BGP Carrying the Label  
• RRs 
• BGP Route Selection  
• BGP Multipath  
• Using Multiple RDs  
• Packet Forwarding  
• Practical: GNS3 Lab of 7 Routers – Very Important – Also a refresh of BGP concepts.  

PE-CE Routing Protocols

• Connected Routes  
• Static Routing  
• RIP Version 2  
• OSPF  
• OSPF VRF Configuration  
• OSPF Metric Propagation  
• BGP Extended Communities for OSPF – Very Imp Topic  
• OSPF Network Design  
• Sham Link  
• Down Bit and Domain Tag  
• Practical: Dedicated GNS3 Lab for this part – very imp.  
• EIGRP  
• IS-IS  
• eBGP  
• Autonomous System Override (AS-Override)  
• Allowas-in  
• Hub-and-Spoke  
• SOO (Site of Origin) – Dedicated Lab for this.  
• MCS setup (Major Critical Site – 2 CEs – 2 PEs – Kind of Hub Site) – Dedicated Lab for this.  
• Practical: GNS3 Lab upto 12 routers to understand working of all CE-PE protocols. Will use 3  different customers with 2 sites each in different locations. Each site running with a different  CE-PE protocol.  

MPLS VPN Applications

• VRF Access  
• Internet Access  
• Internet in a VPN  
• Internet Access Through the Global Routing Table  
• Internet Access Through the Global Routing Table with Static Routes  
• Internet Access Through a Central VRF Site 
• Multi-VRF CE  
• OSPF VRF-Lite Command  
• CE Management – Controlnet  
• A 20 Routers Lab in GNS3 – Very Important 

Added Advantage

• Will share real-time practical experience of MPLS VPN working in a Real time Service  Provider. Not just Theoretical Learning.  
• Interview Questions Asked. How to crack MPLS VPN interview.  
• Overview of Cisco 3 Layer model running in service provider Core – What Router Models  running at which layer.  
• Will learn what is running on the wire using the Wireshark tool. – Very Important for MPLS  Control plane and Data plane.