Ch.

1 – Overview of Scalable
Networks

CCNP 1 Advanced Routing

Rick Graziani
Cabrillo College
Note to instructors

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please feel free to email me at graziani@cabrillo.edu (I really don’t
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Thanks! Rick
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Overview

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The three-layer hierarchical design model

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The three-layer hierarchical design model

At the same time, layered models can be difficult to comprehend because

the exact composition of each layer varies from network to network.
Each layer of the three-tiered design model may include the following:
• A router
• A switch
• A link
• A combination of these
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The three-layer hierarchical design model

The Core Layer

• Optimized and reliable transport structure by forwarding traffic at very high
speeds.
• Switches packets as fast as possible.
• Devices at the core layer should not be burdened with any processes that
stand in the way of switching packets at top speed.
Core devices:
• No Access-list checking
• No Data encryption
• No Address translation
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The three-layer hierarchical design model

The Distribution Layer

• Provide boundary definition using access lists and other filters to limit what gets
into the core.
• Defines policy for the network.
• A policy is an approach to handling certain kinds of traffic, including the
following:
– Routing updates
– Route summaries
– VLAN traffic
– Address aggregation
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The three-layer hierarchical design model

The Access Layer

• The access layer supplies traffic to the network and performs network
entry control.
• End users access network resources by way of the access layer.
• Acting as the front door to a network, the access layer employs access
lists designed to prevent unauthorized users from gaining entry.
• The access layer can also give remote sites access to the network by
way of a wide-area technology, such as Frame Relay, ISDN, or leased
lines.
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The three-layer hierarchical design model
In te rn e t

R e m o te S ite A
A ccess
A ccess
A ccess

A ccess

D is tr ib u tio n C o re R e m o te S ite B
A ccess

C o re C o re A ccess

D is t r ib u t io n D is tr ib u tio n D is tr ib u tio n A ccess

A ccess A ccess
A ccess

R e m o te S ite C
A ccess
A ccess A ccess A ccess

A ccess

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The three-layer hierarchical design model

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Router function in the hierarchy

• Core layer – 12000, 7500, 7200, and 7000 series routers.

• Distribution layer – 4500, 4000, and 3600 series routers.

• Access layer – 2600, 2500, 1700, and 1600 series

Rickrouters.
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Router function in the hierarchy

• Core layer – 12000, 7500, 7200, and 7000 series routers.

• Distribution layer – 4500, 4000, and 3600 series routers.

• Access layer – 2600, 2500, 1700, and 1600 series

Rickrouters.
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Router function in the hierarchy

• Core layer – 12000, 7500, 7200, and 7000 series routers.

• Distribution layer – 4500, 4000, and 3600 series routers.

• Access layer – 2600, 2500, 1700, and 1600 series

Rickrouters.
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Core layer example

• Core routing is done without access lists, address translation, or other packet
manipulation.
• The most powerful Cisco routers serve the core because they have the fastest
switching technologies and the largest capacity for physical interfaces.
• The core of a network does not have to exist in the WAN, a LAN backbone
may also be considered part of the core layer.
• Campus networks, or large networks that span an office complex or adjacent
buildings, might have a LAN-based core.
• Switched Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet are the most common core
technologies, usually run over fiber.
• Note: Cisco tends to recommend Layer 3 cores in campus networks.
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Distribution layer example

Distribution layer routers bring policy to the network by using a combination of the
following:
• Access lists
• Route summarization
• Distribution lists
• Route maps
• Other rules to define how a router should deal with traffic and routing updates
Many of these techniques are covered later in the course.

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Access layer example

• Routers at the access layer permit users to access to the network.

• Access routers generally offer fewer physical interfaces than
distribution and core routers.
• Access routers generally connect to access switches for user access
to the network.
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Five characteristics of a scalable network

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Making the network reliable and available

• A reliable and available network provides users with 24 hour a day,

seven day a week access.
• In a highly reliable and available network, fault tolerance and
redundancy make outages and failures invisible to the end user.
• These features include the following:
– Support for scalable routing protocols
– Alternate paths
– Load balancing
– Protocol tunnels
– Dial backup
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Making the network responsive

• Networks must be configured to meet the needs of all applications,

especially time delay sensitive applications such as voice and video.
• The IOS supports four methods of queuing, as described in the
following sections:
– First-in, first-out (FIFO) queuing
– Priority queuing
– Custom queuing
– Weighted fair queuing (WFQ)
• Note: Other queuing methods will also be discussed in CCNP 3.
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Making the network efficient

An efficient network should not waste bandwidth, especially over costly

WAN links. Optimize a WAN connection:
• Access lists
• Snapshot routing - Snapshot routing allows routers using distance
vector protocols to exchange their complete tables during an initial
connection and then waits until the next active period on the line before
again exchanging routing information.
• Compression over WANs
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Making the network efficient

Bandwidth optimization features:

• Dial-on-demand routing (DDR)
• Route summarization
• Incremental updates
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Making the network adaptable

• An adaptable network will handle the addition and coexistence of

multiple routed and routing protocols.
• EIGRP is an exceptionally adaptable protocol because it supports
routing information for three routed protocols:
– IP
– IPX
– AppleTalk The IOS also supports route redistribution
• A network delivering both routable and non-routable traffic has
some unique problems
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Making the network accessible but secure

• Accessible networks let users connect easily over a variety of

technologies.
• These services include all of the following:
– Dialup or circuit-switched networks
– Dedicated or leased lines
– Packet-switched networks
• Circuit-switched networks are dialup while leased lines that are
dedicated.
• Security PAP, CHAP, VPNs, AAA, etc.
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Fast Switching and Process Switching
The following information is taken from Routing TCP/IP Volume I by Jeff Doyle.

• Load sharing or Load balancing allows routers to take advantage of

multiple paths to the same destination.
• Equal-cost load balancing:
– Distributes packets equally among multiple paths with equal
metrics
– RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS and BGP
• Unequal-cost load balancing:
– Distributes packets among multiple paths with different metrics,
inversely proportional to the cost of the routes.
– EIGRP
• Load sharing can be either:
– Per Destination (Fast Switching)
– Per Packet ( Process Switching)

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Fast Switching
– Per Destination Load Balancing
Router(config-if)# ip route-cache

ping 10.0.0.2 ping 10.0.0.1

• The default for most interfaces is Fast Switching.

• Load balancing is distributed according to the destination IP address.
• Given two paths to the same network, all packets for one destination IP
address will travel over the first path, all packets for a second destination will
travel over the second path, all packets for the third destination will again travel
over the first path, and so on.
• To enable fast switching:
Router(config-if)# ip route-cache
• To enable distributed or process switching:
Router(config-if)# no ip route-cache
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Fast Switching
– Per Destination Load Balancing
Router(config-if)# ip route-cache

ping 10.0.0.2 ping 10.0.0.1

Fast Switching
2. Router switches first packet to a particular destination, a routing table lookup
is performed and an exit interface is selected.
3. The necessary data-link information to frame the packet for the selected
interface is retrieved including any ARP cache information.
4. The route and data-link information is stored in fast switching cache.
5. The router uses the cache to look up subsequent packets.
6. All other packets to the same destination are immediately switched out the
same interface without the router performing another routing table lookup,
including any recursive lookups. (Also no ARP cache lookup).
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Process Switching
– Per Packet Load Balancing
Router(config-if)#no ip route-cache

ping 10.0.0.2 ping 10.0.0.1

Process Switching
• Given equal cost paths, per packet load sharing means that one packet to a
destination is sent over one link, the next packet to the same destination is
sent over the next link, and so on.
• If the paths are unequal cost, the load balancing may be one packet over the
higher-cost link for every three packets over the lower-cost link, or similar
ratio.
• With process switching, for every packet, the router performs a route table
lookup and selects an interface, and looks up the data-link information.
• To enable distributed or process switching:
Router(config-if)# no ip route-cache
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 Which one?

Fast Switching Process Switching

ping 10.0.0.1 ping 10.0.0.2 ping 10.0.0.1

ping 10.0.0.2

Router(config-if)# ip route-cache Router(config-if)#no ip route-cache

Fast Switching or Process Switching

• Process switching (per packet load balancing) has a price, load
balancing may be distributed more evenly but the lower switching time
and processor utilization of fast switching are lost.

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 Using debug ip packet with
Fast Switching and Process Switching
Router# debug ip packet 
IP: s=192.168.3.2 (FastEthernet0), d=10.0.0.1 (Serial0/0), 
       g=192.168.1.2, forward 
IP: s=192.168.3.2 (FastEthernet0), d=10.0.0.1 (Serial0/1), 
       g=192.168.2.2, forward 
IP: s=192.168.3.2 (FastEthernet0), d=10.0.0.1 (Serial0/0), 
       g=192.168.1.2, forward 
IP: s=192.168.3.2 (FastEthernet0), d=10.0.0.1 (Serial0/1), 
       g=192.168.2.2, forward 

• debug ip packet can be used to observe packets sent

and received and the interfaces that are involved.
• IMPORTANT: The debug ip packet command allows
only process switched packets to be observed. Fast switch
packets are not displayed (except for the first packet in the
flow).
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The International Travel Agency

• The labs in this course reference the fictitious International Travel

Agency (ITA), which maintains a global data network.
• The ITA business scenario provides a tangible, real-world application
of the concepts introduced in the labs.
• Use the diagram of the ITA WAN topology to become familiar with the
company and its network.
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Summary

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