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VPLS MTU requirement

anilrs3
Level 1
Level 1

Hi All,

We are planning to run VPLS over the DSL link and i think MTU cab be an issue in such scenario as the MTU size will depends uppon the DSL provider settings. So i am not sure how to acheive this solution in terms of MTU issues and also can some one please guide me how to calculate the required MTU for running VPLS in DSL access media ?

MTU on interface to CE ?

MTU on interface to the Core ?

Thanks in advance guys.

Sree

2 Accepted Solutions

Accepted Solutions

rsimoni
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

Hi Sree,

the rule for MPLS (hence for VPLS too) is to have the highest MTU you can configure on the core interfaces. Usually ISPs have nowaday 9000.

If this is not possible for VPLS you need to take into consideration the following for Max Frame Size:

Max Frame Size = Link Header + Tunnel label + VC label + Control Word +Transported L2 Header + Payload.

Link Header is the one of your DSL circuit (likely using ATM link header.. anyway it something you should know/ask your provider).

Tunnel label + VC label + Control Word = 12 Bytes (4 bytes per label + 4 bytes for control word which is optional as it sepends on underlying transport media and on vendor implementation... anyway you should consider it)

Transported L2 Header = it depends on what you transport. For Ethernet II encapsulation with dot1q consider 18 bytes (or 14 bytes if customer vlan id is not transported. This depends on implementations once again).

So in the worst scenario where you have CW and you transport customer vlan id you need at least 1530 Bytes + the DSL link header on the core facing interface.

On the customer facing interface I would leave the interface MTU you have (1500 if it is Ethernet - even though the actual value is higher as it considers the L2 link overhead already). Or else you need to change the MTU on every host.. not too handy.

Riccardo

View solution in original post

Hi Anil,

yes, the assumption is that you have an ethernet interface (with MTU 1500) on the CE facing the customer.

Riccardo

View solution in original post

4 Replies 4

rsimoni
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

Hi Sree,

the rule for MPLS (hence for VPLS too) is to have the highest MTU you can configure on the core interfaces. Usually ISPs have nowaday 9000.

If this is not possible for VPLS you need to take into consideration the following for Max Frame Size:

Max Frame Size = Link Header + Tunnel label + VC label + Control Word +Transported L2 Header + Payload.

Link Header is the one of your DSL circuit (likely using ATM link header.. anyway it something you should know/ask your provider).

Tunnel label + VC label + Control Word = 12 Bytes (4 bytes per label + 4 bytes for control word which is optional as it sepends on underlying transport media and on vendor implementation... anyway you should consider it)

Transported L2 Header = it depends on what you transport. For Ethernet II encapsulation with dot1q consider 18 bytes (or 14 bytes if customer vlan id is not transported. This depends on implementations once again).

So in the worst scenario where you have CW and you transport customer vlan id you need at least 1530 Bytes + the DSL link header on the core facing interface.

On the customer facing interface I would leave the interface MTU you have (1500 if it is Ethernet - even though the actual value is higher as it considers the L2 link overhead already). Or else you need to change the MTU on every host.. not too handy.

Riccardo

Hi Riccardo,

Many thanks for the  detailed info.

So just to confirm in the example MTU calculation you mentioned you too kthe payload size as 1500 bytes , right ?

Thanks,

Anil

Hi Anil,

yes, the assumption is that you have an ethernet interface (with MTU 1500) on the CE facing the customer.

Riccardo

Many thanks Riccardo  

-Anil