Multi Protocol Label Switching Current State of ... · European Advanced Networking Test Center...

European Advanced Networking Test Center

Multi Protocol Label SwitchingCurrent State of Interoperability and

Performance Testing

CeBIT, Network Information Center 2002

Gabriele SchrenkManaging Director

EANTC AG


Topics! Introduction to EANTC! Current state of MPLS interoperability ! Future test areas for the development

of full interoperable multi vendor networks

! Examining the work of the EANTC interoperability initiative

! Conclusion


About EANTC

EANTC, Berlin-Charlottenburg

Highly specialised Provider of Services inthe field of Network Technologies

Vendor-IndependentNetwork Quality Assurance

EANTC Business Areas! Test and certification of network

components for manufacturers! Test of high-speed enterprise /

service provider networks andnetwork design consultancy

! Research and development of test methods and analysis tools

! Vendor-neutral technology seminars (both ATM & MPLS)


Interoperability Test EventsEANTC periodically invites all

manufacturers of networking equipment to join

MPLS Group Testing Events:November 2001: MPLS Virtual Private Networks

/ Traffic Engineering09/2000: MPLS (RSVP-TE, LDP, CR-LDP)April 2000: ATM Hierarchical PNNI 1.01999: ATM PNNI 1.0, MPLS, MPOA1998: ATM Signalling Performance,

Traffic Management (ABR), MPOA1997: ATM Signalling / Routing

PNNI 1.0, UNI 4.01996: LAN Emulation 1.01995: ATM Signalling UNI 3.0 / 3.1

MPLS Participants since 1999:3Com, Agilent, Alcatel, Avici Systems, Cabletron, Cisco Systems, Data Connection, Juniper Networks, NetTest/GN Nettest, Inverness, Ixia, Marconi/Fore Systems, NortelNetworks/Bay Networks, Riverstone, Radcom, Siemens,Spirent Communications


Examining the current state of MPLS interoperability

Deployment of MPLS networks


MPLS – Ready for Use?Preferred technology to implement large “IP-only” networksBuilding Blocks to implement Service Level Agreements for

IP Service ProvidersEasy implementation of IP VPNs

Site 1 of business

unit 2

Site 2 of business

unit 2Service Provider Network

Site 1 of business

unit 1

Site 2 of business

unit 1

Site 3 of business

unit 1

Customer Edge (CE)

Provider Edge (PE)


Last EANTC Interop Event More information at

www.eantc.de! Agilent Technologies! Alcatel Networks! Avici Systems! Data Connection! NetTest! Ixia! Riverstone Networks! Spirent

Communications


Current State of Interoperability

Not fully tested yetImplementations are still proprietary to some extent

Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE / CR-LDP)

Standards still under developmentLayer 2 VPNs

Only basic interoperability achieved; more implementations and protocol features become available

MPLS/BGP VPNs

Good interoperability achieved for basic protocol functions

Signalling protocols LDP and RSVP-TE

StatusArea


Current State SummaryBasic Interoperability between different vendors -

demonstrated at several events! Basic interoperability tests necessary only to

guarantee that existing and new implementationswork together

How to realize services?! A lot of options in the MPLS standards –

Not all vendors support all of them! Which options and test scenarios are important for the

users of MPLS?


Deployment of MPLS NetworksRecent service provider deployments include

AT&T, Equant / Global One, British Telecom and many other Service Provider

Currently deployed MPLS networks are usually! Single-vendor networks! Sometimes dual-vendor

(different core / edge products)

! Using MPLS VPNs! Rarely implementing real MPLS Quality of Service

throughout the core network


Hot Topics and future test areas for the development of full interoperable multi vendor networks


Hot Topics of MPLS Testing (1)Virtual Private Networks:

! Build multi-vendor VPNs on IP layer! Focusing specifically on inter-carrier connections

(Autonomous System Border Routers)! Establish

interoperable Ethernet, FrameRelay, ATM tunnels (layer 2 VPNs)


Hot Topics of MPLS Testing (2)Traffic Engineering

! Achieve multi-vendor agreement about traffic engineering goals! Preferred methods of fast rerouting! How will devices with ATM-QoS

and Ethernet-CoS interoperate?! Verify redundancy, rerouting, protection switching

function and performance! Check traffic engineering at the edge: DiffServ

interworking with MPLS! How to run VPNs together with traffic engineering?

IPPacket

IPPacket

IPPacket

IPPacket

IPPacket

MPLS Network


Hot Topics in MPLS Testing (3)Generalized MPLS Signalling

! Implement MPLS in TDM, Lambda and Fiber switching

! Achieve interoperability for GMPLS signalling! Verify interworking with packet-based MPLS switches! Prove that hierarchical tunnel models are

interoperable! Determine GMPLS scalability and performance


Examining the work of theEANTC interoperabilityinitiative! Goals! Benefits


Goals of Standardized TestingStatus today:

! Different test plans and approaches! Results of current interoperability tests cannot be compared

! Quality of results depends very much on test plan and test report

We see the need for standardized interoperability test guidelines

Benefit for! Users and manufacturers

! Comparable results! Less testing is needed


Interoperability Initiative Benefits … for participants

! Tests against latest MPLS implementations of other vendors check readiness for heterogeneous environments

! Allow manufacturers of network equipment to verify implementations against different flavors of MPLS implementations

! Vendors demonstrate their commitment to product quality assurance

… for network operators (users)! Get an impression whether protocol implementations are

mature! Receive information about readiness of different features! Gain confidence that products will work in heterogeneous

environment


Interoperability Initiatives EANTCEANTC is member of the

MPLS Forum is an international forum! Members: Service Providers, Manufacturers,

Test labs! Advancing the successful deployment of

multi-vendor MPLS networks! Works on a guideline for Interop Testing


Test Areas Being StandardizedInteroperability test areas

! Signalling Protocols! Rerouting Mechanisms! Virtual Private Networks

Joint Contribution of EANTC and the University of New HampshireInteroperability Lab (IOL)


ConclusionStatus of MPLS implementations:

! Substantial number of large single-vendor BGP/MPLS VPNs in production use

! Interoperability of basic protocols achievedFuture test areas:

! Evaluate VPN and Traffic Engineering interoperability in detail! Focus on service / application view for all test areas!! Performance and robustness tests become more and more

important! Coordinated interoperability test methods will improve the benefit

of test events worldwide

! We expect that MPLS interoperability of important services –Layer 2 / 3 VPNs and TE – will be improved a lot in 2002


Thanks! Any Questions?

Please visitour web site for more information

www.eantc.com

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