MPLS-TE Tunnel

[Mesho7]

Is MPLS-TE Tunnel considered as Uni- or Bidirectional ?

Can the user configure MPLS-TE Tunnel in forward direction different than in backward direction ?

[balaji.bandi]

I have not deployed but i have tested normal MPLS Links -

If you have 2 link from MPLS Provider - connecting side A and Site B

Link 1 used for upload and Link2 use for download - is this what you looking.  ? as long as NAT and FW not in place where the traffic terminating there is no issue here . you can have  do many ways, best way is BGP always good choice here.

[Mesho7]

I was rather referring to the structure of the MPLS-TE Tunnel.

I mean, to configure the MPLS-TE Tunnel we need to configure the TE Tunnel Interface and this need to be done in both directions. Is it possible to configure tunnel in one direction different than in opposite direction ? I mean attributes like bandwidth, setup or hold priority, lockdown, affinity value because the source and destination is of course different. 

[pigallo · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mesho7 ,

yes of course it is possible. MPLS-TE tunnels are built from an head-end to a tail end (source/destination) as an unidirectional path.
Each request for attribute is enforced via RSVP which travels along the way and guarantees the reservation by maintaining communication state up to the head-end.
If opposite endpoint need to setup mpls te path, then a new tunnel should be configured.

Regards

[Mesho7]

Just additional question: if these two MPLS-TE Tunnels are different from each other (one of the attributes bandwidth, setup or hold priority, lockdown, affinity value is different) then is it possible to route one bidirectional Pseudowire over them ?

[pigallo]

@Mesho7 ,

yes it is possible.

You can manipulate the traffic through the pw-class policy within the L2vpn configuration context.

Regards,

[Sanjeewa Alahakone]

MPLS-TE is uni-directional, you need to create another tunnel in reverse path to have bi-directional operation

However, flex-lsp is among many other available technologies to address this requirement

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/ncs4000/software/configure/guide/configurationguide/configurationguide_chapter_011110.html

Regards

Sanjeewa