Does MPLS relay on BGP?

[gpan667788]

Greeting,

My company is going to upgrade some circuits from at&t basical internet circuits to MPLS circuits accross the global (due to some countries that at&t does not have MPLS present). Currently, we use GRE/IPSec tunnels (Spoke/hup) to connect to each other along with EIGRP. I was wondering if the MPLS needs BGP (as EBGP)? What will be the best practice for GRE/IPSec over MPLS? And what will be the options to interconnect MPLS network with existing at&t MIS circuit?

thanks,

Perry

[swaroop.potdar]

If I understand your post correctly, now you have Hub n Spoke with GRE/IPSEC VPN over the internet connecting your sites all over.

In future you are going for MPLS VPN service from ATnT to connect the same.

In this case, if you are concerned about the security on a shared infrastrastructure like MPLS VPN then you may use IPSEC over the MPLS VPN connectivity.

If you are going to have a partial MPLS VPN and partial Internet circuits then you can have Border type routers at a common location exchanging routing information between your Internet IPSEC VPN's and MPLS VPN's.

Since you are the User of MPLS VPN, EBGP for you is to exchange routing information with your service provider (ATnT). You can also check with then for Eigrp which you are currently running. (EBGP,OSPF,EIGRP,RIP,Static all can be used to exchange routing info with your SP)

Finally recommendation would be to discuss with your service provider your typical topology and your needs, and they would surely give a concrete solution for business needs as they are the sole provider connecting majority of your sites.

HTH-Cheers,

Swaroop

[gpan667788]

Thanks for your help. Am I correct that I don't need the EBGP; all I need is an IBGP such as EIGRP, which at&t will support?

Also for this border router, do you have any sample config or link that can support both MPLS VPN and Internet IPSec VPN? IS router 3825 above will do the work?

thanks,

Perry

[mohammedmahmoud]

Hi there,

Yes, you don't have to use EBGP, you can use any IGP (please note the RIP, OSPF and EIGRP are called IGPs not IBGP), as long as your provider supports it, but it is a matter of scalability, EBGP would be the most scalable solution.

As for the MPLS configuration on the CE side (your side), there is no specific configuration, the CE side shouldn't even be MPLS aware, the CE side works with simple routing, the MPLS is done on the provider side, so you can configure your IPSec normally with no difference, you'll just need a router that have both MPLS and Internet connectivity to route between the internet only sites and the MPLS sites.

And yes the 3825 would do the job.

HTH, please rate if it does help,

Mohammed Mahmoud.