MPLS TE/FRR on ME 3600X

[pipatpong_samranpit]

Hi,

Can ME 3600X provides 50-ms rerouting time upon link failure with MPLS TE/FRR?

There are many failure detection mechanisms cause the routers to switch LSPs onto their backup tunnels:

1.Interface Down Notification

(When a router’s link or neighboring node fails, the router often detects this failure by an interface down notification.

  On a Packet over SONET (POS) interface, this notification is very fast.)

2.Loss of Signal

(Unlike POS interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet does not have any alarms to detect link failures. If a link is down

due to a cut cable or because the remote end shuts its laser, the optics module (GBIC or SFPs) on the

Gigabit Ethernet card detects a loss of signal (LOS). The LOS is used as a mechanism to detect the

failure and begin the switchover.)

3.Notification from the RSVP hello that a neighbor is lost

4.Notification from the Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) protocol that a neighbor is lost

5.Notification from the Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) that the adjacency is down

6.For point-to-point link, PPP or HDLC keepalives

I know the 1st and 6th failure detection mechanism can't be applied with ME 3600X. Which failure detection mechanisms

cause ME 3600X to switch LSPs onto their backup tunnels to achieve 50-ms rerouting time upon link failure with MPLS TE/FRR?

My customer want to implement Ring Topology with ME 3600X to provide MPLS L2/L3 VPN services with MPLS TE/FRR.

What is the best pracetice design for Ring Topology with MPLS TE/FRR to provide link protection?

Regards,

Pipatpong

[Vinit Jain]

Hello Pipatpong

Below are the answers to your questions:

2. Should be able to detect and cutover.

3. Should be able to detect based on timer configuration. However the recommended value for RSVP hellos is 200 msec

From the config guide :

(http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/metro/me3600x_3800x/software/release/12.2_52_ey/configuration/guide/swmpls.html#wp1183359)

To prevent false detection of a down neighbor and unnecessarily triggering fast reroute, we recommend configuring a minimum frequency of 200 ms.

4. BFD support not yet available

5.Dont think IGP will be able to do 50ms on any platform.

[pipatpong_samranpit]

Hi Vinijain,

Thank you so much for your answer. My customer want to implement "ring topology" for the access layer with ME 3600X to provide MPLS L2/L3 VPN services.

What is the best practice design for "ring topology" with MPLS TE/FRR to provide link/node protection for MPLS L2/L3 services to achieve fast convergence?  Please explain about the concept and design architecture of MPLS TE/FRR for ring topology.

You can imagine that my customer access layer form ring topology with 12 units of ME 3600X. There have 12 ring for the access layer and each ring is connected to a pair of Cisco Router 7600 which is the aggreagation layer for my customer networks.

.

Regards,

Pipatpong