Metro ethernet design considerations

[eric_tomb]

First, if this is in the wrong area, please let me know and I will repost it in the right place.

I am planning on implementing a metro ethernet circuit to replace a more expensive circuit to connect my office and data center.  This circuit will be configured  by the provider in a 'transparent' manner, which will allow us to pass vlans freely over the circuit without having to create a QinQ tunnel.  This is a layer 2 only metro ethernet circuit.

Planning on connecting the office end to a 3750 (switch A) and the data center end to a 2960 (switch B).  The data center end will have a couple of other 2960s hanging off of it for server connectivity (switches C & D).

I plan to use a 2811 (router A)for layer 3 connectivity in the data center.  Switch B will plug into router A and switches C & D will plug into switch B using two port-channelled links.  I can post a diagram if needed.

I will use rpvst here and configure switch B as the root bridge.

There are about 10 vlans that I use between the office and data center.  Router A is also used to connect to other environments such as staging, production and also to the internet.

Here is my questions: are there any holes in this architecture?  I think this should be a straight-forward configuration since it is mostly layer 2.
Should switch B be the root bridge?
Am I making this too difficult?

Thanks for your help,
Eric

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Eric,

>> I plan to use a 2811 (router A)for layer 3 connectivity in the data center

you should use the C3750 for performing inter vlan routing too, as it has much higher performance then 2811.

You should use the C2811 for internet access only, because NAT is not supported on C3750

>> I will use rpvst here and configure switch B as the root bridge

It sounds good

>> by the provider in a 'transparent' manner, which will allow us to pass vlans freely over the circuit without having to create a QinQ tunnel

the SP will do this job for you either using 802.1 Q in Q in his side and/or port based EoMPLS

It is very handy.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[eric_tomb]

Hello Giuseppe,

So, regarding using intervlan routing on the 3750 - create L3 vlans there and subinterfaces on the 2811 router?  Since the provider is forwarding based on mac address, will this still work?

Not using nat anywhere except for the pix.

Should I have the provider move back to using q in q tunneling?  How do I implement this on my end?

Anything else I am missing here?

Thanks for your help so far.  We will implement our new circuit by the end of the month.

-Eric

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Eric,

>> So, regarding using intervlan routing on the 3750 - create L3 vlans there and subinterfaces on the 2811 router?

only on the C3750, on one or two Vlans also the C2811 to make them to route between each other

you just need to define the same set of Vlans on the remote C2960 (that is only L2 capable) and to allow them on both sides of the metro ethernet link.

No need to involve the C2811 on these Vlans as I have noted inter vlan routing should be  done on C3750.

>> Should I have the provider move back to using q in q tunneling?  How do I implement this on my end?

I'm sorry if I have been unclear:

there is nothing wrong with the proposed setup, I had just tried to guess how the SP gives you the service.

Hope to help

Giuseppe