What is a dual port configuration?

[alainflecha]

Hi!!!

I have a doubt while reading about some features of MPLS equipment! In many of them it appears that it allows a dual-port configuration, which rises the availability offered by the provider. My questions are:

- A dual port configuration is between the PE and the CE of the customer?

- Does the dual port configuration mean that you have two cables connecting the two equipment in order the principal one breaks??

Thanks in advance!

Alain

[Mahesh Gohil]

Hi,

I have not heard this term in MPLS. But I assume dual port means you have one physical link

connecting between PE to CE and you divide it in two parts (based on vlan if it is ethernet or based on dlci value if it is

serial link) and configure both port (part of one physical link) with two different vrf. Sp that link configured under one vrf will not talk to another link configured under another vrf.

If you share more details of where you read this and for which product..so that people here can have more ideas to share.

Regards

Mahesh

[rsimoni]

I agree with Mahesh.. 'dual port configuration' does not sound any bell to me either without putting it in the right context.

More info from your side might help us understand what is that.

Riccardo

[alainflecha]

Hi!!Thanks for your answers!

The thing is that I found it in Level3 Communications SLA for Packet delivery and MPLS and I don't really get the point.

http://unifiedcommunicationstech.com/level3/level3-mpls-vpls.pdf

The term "dual port" appears in the last chart, in Availability.

Thanks again!

Alain

[Mahesh Gohil · Accepted solution]

Hi Alain,

They are talking about 1+1 redundancy. If you order single port (one physical link) then have SLA of 99.98% and if you order 1+1 then they have higher figure (99,998% of availability) of circuit. They are talking about 1+1 physical port so that one port is routed to some fiber ring and other port will be routed to alternate path,,,that's why you will have higher availability.

Regards

Mahesh

[rsimoni]

Mahesh beated me to it...  I think he is right and that is what Level3 means by dual port configuration. A way to have better SLA.

Riccardo