JMV 10.a-R C2 MPLSFundamentals

Junos MPLS and VPNs
Chapter 2: MPLS Fundamentals
© 2010 Juniper Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. | www.juniper.net | Worldwide Education Services
Chapter Objectives
 After successfully completing this chapter, you will be

able to:
•Define common MPLS terms
•Describe the way a router forwards MPLS packets
•Describe MPLS packet flow and packet processing from
ingress to egress router
•Configure a router and interface to perform MPLS
forwarding
•Examine the Label Information Base
© 2010 Juniper Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Worldwide Education Services www.juniper.net | 2-2
Agenda: MPLS Fundamentals
MPLS Foundation
 Terminology
 MPLS Configuration
 MPLS Packet Forwarding
IGP Metric-Based Forwarding
IGP Forwarding
•Traffic is routed based on the IGP’s best path selection
•Traffic that is destined for networks attached to R6 and R7
uses the same path
R3 R6
R1 R2 1 1 R5
1
1
1 2 1
R4 R7
Downsides of IGP Metric-Based Forwarding
 Redirecting traffic from R1, destined for R7, to

traverse R4 causes traffic destined to R6 to use R4
also
•This redirecting of traffic causes some of your links to be
underutilized, while others are overutilized
R3 R6
R1 R2 1 3 R5 1
1
1 2 1
R4 R7
Additional Drawbacks of IGP Metrics
 Adjusting the IGP metric might destabilize the network

•Moves the problem to another section of the network
• Some of the links will be underutilized
• Some of the links will be congested and overutilized
•Lacks control
• All traffic flows over the IGP shortest path
Internet Growth Required Changes
 ATM switched networks also known as an Overlay
Network
 Benefits of using ATM
•ATM switches offered performance and predictable behavior
•Virtual circuits (VCs) could be reengineered without physical
network changes.
•Traffic statistics on a per-VC basis
 Downsides of ATM
•Maintain separate infrastructure
•ATM cell overhead
•Scalability issues ATM
IP
•Not well integrated
Additional Options for Connecting Sites
 Frame Relay networks

•Benefits of using Frame Relay
• Uses virtual circuits (VCs) to move traffic to its destination
• Uses Data Link Connection Identifier (DLCI) number to separate
VCs
• Built in Congestion Control
•Downsides of Frame Relay
• Maintain separate infrastructure
FR
IP
Benefits of MPLS (1 of 2)
 Some benefits of MPLS include:

•Improved route lookup time by using labels to forward traffic
•Increased scalability
•Additional control over how traffic moves through the
network using traffic engineering
R3 R6
LSP A
LSP B
R1 R2 1 3 R5 1
1
1 2 1
R4 R7
Benefits of MPLS (2 of 2)
 Service Providers can offer different technologies like

ATM, Frame Relay, Ethernet, and IPsec over the same
infrastructure
Site 6
ATM-LSP R2
Frame Relay LSP Core R5
Infrastructure ATM
Site 2
R1 R4
Site 1
ATM
R6
R3
Site 4
Site 3 Site 5
MPLS Header information
 The MPLS packet header

•MPLS header is prepended to packet with a push operation
at ingress node
•Label is added immediately after Layer 2 encapsulation
header
L2 Header MPLS Header Data
32-Bit
MPLS shim Header
•Packet is restored at the end of the LSP with a pop
operation
•Normally the label stack is popped at the penultimate
router
MPLS Shim Header Structure
 MPLS shim header consist of four fields

•Label—used to associate packet with an LSP
•Experimental bits—carry packet queuing priority (CoS)
•Stacking bit
•Time to live—limits packet lifetime within LSP
• In most cases, the IP TTL is copied into the MPLS TTL
Label (20 bits) CoS S TTL
L2 Header MPLS Header Data
32 bits
MPLS Labels
 Key things to remember about labels:

•Labels can be assigned manually or by a signaling protocol
in each LSR during path setup
•Label values will change at each segment in the path
•The LSR will swap incoming label with new unique outgoing
label
•MPLS Labels only have local significance
Reserved Labels
 Label values 0 through 15 are currently reserved

•0 = IPv4Explicit NULL
•1 = Router Alert Label
•2 = IPv6 Explicit NULL
•3 = Implicit NULL
•4 through 15 = for future use
Label Information Base
 Label Information Base

•The LIB is stored in the mpls.0 table
• The mpls.0 table is automatically created, with label values for 0,
1, and 2, when you configure the MPLS protocol
• This table is used by transit routers to make forwarding decisions
• The mpls.0 table maps the incoming labels with the outgoing
label and next hop to forward the packets
user@R3> show route table mpls.0
mpls.0: 4 destinations, 4 routes (4 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

+ = Active Route, - = Last Active, * = Both
0 *[MPLS/0] 01:13:17, metric 1

Receive
1 *[MPLS/0] 01:13:17, metric 1
Incoming Label Receive
2 *[MPLS/0] 01:13:17, metric 1 Outgoing Label
Receive
1000050 *[MPLS/6] 01:13:16, metric 1
> to 172.20.100.14 via ge-1/0/6.0, Swap 1000515
 MPLS Foundation
Terminology
Label-Switching Routers
 The LSR performs:
•MPLS packet forwarding
•LSP setup
 All M Series Routers, T Series Routers, and MX Series
Ethernet Services Routers support LSR capabilities
•Simply called routers in this course
LSP A LSR R3 R6
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
Label-Switched Path
 LSP
•Unidirectional path through network
•Generally within a single MPLS domain
LSP A R3 R6
LSP
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
MPLS Router Functions: Ingress
 Ingress router
•Packets enter LSP at ingress
•Also called a head-end router
•Upstream from other routers
•Performs label push operation
LSP A R3 R6
Ingress
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
label push
Layer 2 1000050 COS S TTL Data FCS
MPLS Router Functions: Transit
 Transit router
•There can be zero or more transit routers
•Perform label swap operations
•Forward traffic to next hop in LSP
Transit
LSP A R3 R6
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
label swap
Layer 2 1000515 COS S TTL Data FCS
MPLS Router Functions: Penultimate
 Penultimate router
•Second-to-last router
•Normally pops the label stack
•Unlabeled packets sent to egress
LSP A R3 R6
Penultimate
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
label pop
Layer 2 Data FCS
MPLS Router Functions: Egress
 Egress router
•Packets exit LSP at egress
•Also called tail-end router
•Downstream from other routers
•Forwards packets based on IP address Egress
LSP A R3 R6
R1 R2 R5
R4 R7
Layer 2 Data FCS

 MPLS Foundation
 Terminology
MPLS Configuration
Interface Configuration
 Interface Configuration
•Default behavior of an interface is to accept only IP packets.
• Protocol family inet
•Configure interface to accept MPLS packets
• Protocol family mpls
[edit interfaces]
user@R2# show
ge-1/0/0 {
unit 0 {
family inet {
address 172.20.100.21/30;
}
family mpls;
}
}
Protocol Configuration
 Configured under protocols hierarchy

•Specify the interfaces that are running MPLS
[edit protocols]
user@R2# show
mpls {
interface ge-1/0/0.0;
}
•You may also configure MPLS to include all interfaces

[edit protocols]
user@R2# show
mpls {
interface all;
interface fxp0.0 {
disable;
}
}
Configuring the Ingress Router for Static
LSPs
 Configure a Static LSP on the ingress router
•Define a static-label-switched-path name
•Use the ingress configuration to identify the router as the
ingress LSR
• You must also configure the to and next-hop statements
• Configure the push statement with the outgoing label number
protocols {
mpls {
static-label-switched-path <lsp-name> {
ingress {
next-hop <address or interface of next-hop router>;
to <address of egress router>;
push <label>;
}
}
}
}
Configuring the Transit Router for Static
LSPs
 Configuring a static LSP on the Transit router
•Use the transit configuration to identify the router as a
transit LSR
• On the penultimate router you will configure the pop action.
• There’s no need to configure the egress router since we only
support penultimate hop popping.
protocols {
mpls {
static-label-switched-path <lsp-name> {
transit <incoming-label> {
next-hop <address or interface of next-hop router>;
swap <outgoing label>;
}
}
}
}
Additional information on Static LSPs
 The static-label-switched-path name
should be unique
 Static label values (1,000,000 through 1,048,575)
•You can also send a label of 0 to tell the next router to pop
the label.
Mapping BGP Next Hops to LSPs
 Routes associated with signaled LSPs are installed in

the inet.3 routing table
•Only BGP can view the contents of inet.3
 BGP installs an LSP as the physical next hop for
transit destinations
•Internal destinations are not associated with a BGP next hop
and therefore do not use LSPs by default
Route Resolution Example
Core
R2 AS65512
Loopbacks
192.168.1.x R5 Site 2
AS65511
64.25.1/24
R1 R4
Site 1 182.19.200.0/30
AS65510
84.25.1/24 R6
172.18.100.0/30
R3
Unusable BGP Next Hop
Core
R2 AS65512
Loopbacks
192.168.1.x R5 Site 2
AS65511
64.25.1/24
R1 R4
Site 1 182.19.200.0/30
AS65510
84.25.1/24 R6
172.18.100.0/30
R3
Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement
user@R1> show route 64.25.1/24 all
inet.0: 13 destinations, 13 routes (12 active, 0 holddown, 1 hidden)

64.25.1.0/24 [BGP/170] 00:18:54, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5

AS path: 65511 I
Unusable
The Problem
user@R1> show route 64.25.1.0/24 all extensive

64.25.1.0/24 (1 entry, 0 announced)
BGP Preference: 170/-101
Next hop type: Unusable
Next-hop reference count: 1
State: <Hidden Int Ext>
Local AS: 65512 Peer AS: 65512
Age: 26:59
Task: BGP_65512.192.168.1.5+60163
AS path: 65511 I
Accepted
Localpref: 100
Router ID: 192.168.1.5
Indirect next hops: 1
Protocol next hop: 182.19.200.2
Indirect next hop: 0 -
 R1 does not have a route to 182.19.200.0/30

Network
Suggested Resolution
Core
R2 AS65512
Loopbacks
192.168.1.x R5 Site 2
AS65511
64.25.1/24
R1 R4
Site 1 182.19.200.0/30
AS65510
84.25.1/24 R6
172.18.100.0/30
R3
Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement
 Add an export policy on R5 to change next-hop to self

when advertising this route into IBGP.
Verifying the Route is Usable
 Route now has valid next hop
user@R1> show route 64.25.1/24 extensive

64.25.1.0/24 (1 entry, 1 announced)
TSI:
...
Indirect next hops: 1
Protocol next hop: 192.168.1.5 Metric: 0
Indirect next hop: 8f00870 1048576
Indirect path forwarding next hops: 1
Next hop type: Router
Next hop: 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0 weight 0x1
192.168.1.5/32 Originating RIB: inet.3
Metric: 0 Node path count: 1
Forwarding nexthops: 1
Nexthop: 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0
Configure the Static LSP (1 of 2)
Core
R2 AS65512
my-lsp Loopbacks
192.168.1.x R5 Site 2
AS65511
64.25.1/24
R1 R4
Site 1 182.19.200.0/30
AS65510
84.25.1/24 R6
172.18.100.0/30
R3
[edit protocols mpls]

user@R1# show Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement
static-label-switched-path my-lsp {
ingress {
next-hop 172.20.0.2;
to 192.168.1.5;
push 1000050;
}
}
…
Configure the Static LSP (2 of 2)
user@R2# show
transit 1000050 {
next-hop 172.30.0.2;
swap 1000515;
}
}
…
user@R4# show
transit 1000515 {
next-hop 172.40.0.2;
pop;
}
}
…
 Since the penultimate router is popping the label we

do not have to configure the LSP on the egress router
Lowest Preference Wins
user@R1> show route 192.168.1.5

192.168.1.5/32 *[OSPF/10] 01:34:32, metric 3

> to 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0
[BGP/170] 00:46:34, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5
AS path: I
> to 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0, Push 1000050

192.168.1.5/32 *[MPLS/6/1] 01:47:44, metric 0

> to 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0, Push 1000050
BGP Installs LSP as Next Hop
Core
R2 AS65512
my-lsp Loopbacks
192.168.1.x R5 Site 2
AS65511
64.25.1/24
R1 R4
Site 1 182.19.200.0/30
AS65510
84.25.1/24 R6
172.18.100.0/30
R3
user@R1> show route 64.25.1.0/24 Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement

64.25.1.0/24 *[BGP/170] 00:52:23, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5

AS path: 65511 I
> to 172.20.0.2 via ge-1/0/6.0, Push 1000050
Ingress Router Behavior
 Ingress router
•RSVP/LDP/Static:
• Signal LSPs to egress router
• Install IP prefix to egress router into the inet.3 routing table
– Specifies LSP’s egress interface and label assigned by the
downstream router
OSPF IS-IS BGP RSVP LDP Static
IP MPLS
Routing Table Routing Table
(inet.0) (inet.3)
IP Forwarding Table
Ingress Resolves BGP Next Hop
 BGP performs recursive lookup to resolve BGP next

hop
•BGP also looks in the inet.3 MPLS routing table
•BGP looks in the inet.0 IP routing table
•BGP selects route with lowest preference
OSPF IS-IS BGP RSVP LDP Static Contains IP

prefix to egress
router with LSP
next hop.
IP MPLS
Routing Table Routing Table Only BGP uses
(inet.0) (inet.3)
this routing
table.
IP Forwarding Table
Ingress Installs LSP for Forwarding
 BGP favors routes in inet.3
•MPLS preference is better than IS-IS and OSPF
•For preference ties, BGP selects inet.3
 LSP to egress router copied to inet.0 as a
forwarding next hop
•Specified LSP’s egress interface and label to push
OSPF IS-IS BGP RSVP LDP Static
inet.0 inet.3
to: 64.25.1.0/24
192.168.1.5  my-lsp 192.168.1.5  my-lsp

Push label 1000050 Push label 1000050
IP Forwarding Table
64.25.1/24  my-lsp Push label 1000050
Route Resolution Summary
 LSPs installed in ingress router’s inet.3 table
•Points to the IP addresses specified as egress
• Normally identifies the egress router’s loopback address
• Address appears as if it were directly connected
•When LSP is up, next hop is usable and attractive to BGP
•When LSP is down, LSP next hop is unusable
• Can still use normal IP routing to reach next hop
 Only BGP is aware of LSPs
•Other protocols can use this information with additional
configuration
Routing Table Summary
 MPLS uses three tables:

• inet.0
• Primary IP unicast routing table
• Can install additional prefixes per LSP with
install prefix active;
• inet.3
• MPLS routing table
• Houses signaled LSPs at ingress node
• Can install additional prefixes per LSP with
install prefix;
• mpls.0
• MPLS label-switching table
• Used by transit and egress routers
 MPLS Foundation
 Terminology
MPLS Packet Forwarding
MPLS Forwarding (1 of 2)
 Ingress router
•Performs forwarding lookup based on destination IP address
• Resolves in inet.3 or inet.0 routing table
•After the next hop is determined to be the LSP ,the MPLS
header is added and the packet is forwarded with the
corresponding label
user@R2> show route table inet.3

192.168.1.5/32 *[MPLS/6/1] 00:25:52, metric 0

> to 172.20.100.22 via ge-1/0/5.0, Push 1000050
MPLS Forwarding (2 of 2)
 Transit router
•Performs forwarding lookup based on incoming label
• Resolves in mpls.0 routing table
•Label handling depends on LSR type
• Transit swaps out the incoming label with the outgoing label and
forwards the packet to the next router
• If the transit router is also the penultimate router, it usually pops
the label and forwards it to the egress router in its native form
 Egress router
•Performs forwarding lookup based on destination IP address
• Resolves in the inet.0 or inet.3 routing table
MPLS Label Mapping
 The mpls.0 table contains the mapping information
of incoming labels to outgoing labels and next-hop
information used to forward MPLS packets, also
known as the LIB

…
Receive
1000050 *[MPLS/6] 01:13:16, metric 1
> to 172.20.100.14 via ge-1/0/6.0, Swap 1000515
Next-hop address and outgoing

Incoming MPLS label values interface Label Operation
Outgoing MPLS label values
Penultimate Hop Popping
 Penultimate hop popping (PHP) is the default

behavior in the Junos OS
•Penultimate router pops the MPLS label
•Forwards the native IP packet to the egress router, which
makes the forwarding decisions based on the IP header

…
1000515 *[MPLS/6] 01:28:33, metric 1
> to 172.20.100.2 via ge-1/0/8.0, Pop
1000515(S=0) *[MPLS/6] 01:28:33, metric 1
> to 172.20.100.2 via ge-1/0/8.0, Pop
Label Operation
Implicit and Explicit NULL Labels
 Implicit NULL
•Default operation in the Junos OS
•Egress router signals the penultimate to perform the label
pop
 Explicit NULL
•Configured on the egress router
•Signals the penultimate router to forward the packet with a
MPLS header
•Egress router pops the label before forwarding it in its native
IP form
Summary
 In this chapter, we:

•Discussed common MPLS terms (label, LSR, LSP, LIB,
ingress, egress, push, pop, swap, penultimate-hop popping,
implicit-null, explicit-null)
•Described the way a LSR forwards MPLS packets
•Discussed MPLS packet flow and packet processing from
ingress to egress router
•Explained how to configure a router and interface to perform
MPLS forwarding
•Examined the LIB
Review Questions
1. How does the ingress LSR make forwarding

decisions?
2. What is the default behavior in the Junos OS for
popping labels?
3. What routing table does a transit router use to make
forwarding decisions?
Lab 1: MPLS Fundamentals
 Configure the network interfaces.

 Configure protocols OSPF.
 Configure a static LSP, verify uni-directional LSP.
 Configure the return LSP, verify bi-directional LSP.
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Junos MPLS and VPNs

Chapter 2: MPLS Fundamentals

 After successfully completing this chapter, you will be

 Redirecting traffic from R1, destined for R7, to

 Adjusting the IGP metric might destabilize the network

 Frame Relay networks

 Some benefits of MPLS include:

 Service Providers can offer different technologies like

 The MPLS packet header

 MPLS shim header consist of four fields

Label (20 bits) CoS S TTL

L2 Header MPLS Header Data

 Key things to remember about labels:

 Label values 0 through 15 are currently reserved

 Label Information Base

mpls.0: 4 destinations, 4 routes (4 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

0 *[MPLS/0] 01:13:17, metric 1

Layer 2 Data FCS

 Configured under protocols hierarchy

•You may also configure MPLS to include all interfaces

 Routes associated with signaled LSPs are installed in

Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement

user@R1> show route 64.25.1/24 all

inet.0: 13 destinations, 13 routes (12 active, 0 holddown, 1 hidden)

64.25.1.0/24 [BGP/170] 00:18:54, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5

inet.0: 13 destinations, 13 routes (12 active, 0 holddown, 1 hidden)

 R1 does not have a route to 182.19.200.0/30

Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement

 Add an export policy on R5 to change next-hop to self

inet.0: 14 destinations, 21 routes (14 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

[edit protocols mpls]

 Since the penultimate router is popping the label we

inet.0: 14 destinations, 21 routes (14 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

192.168.1.5/32 *[OSPF/10] 01:34:32, metric 3

inet.3: 1 destinations, 1 routes (1 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

192.168.1.5/32 *[MPLS/6/1] 01:47:44, metric 0

user@R1> show route 64.25.1.0/24 Network 64.25.1.0/24 route advertisement

inet.0: 14 destinations, 21 routes (14 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

64.25.1.0/24 *[BGP/170] 00:52:23, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5

OSPF IS-IS BGP RSVP LDP Static

 BGP performs recursive lookup to resolve BGP next

OSPF IS-IS BGP RSVP LDP Static Contains IP

192.168.1.5  my-lsp 192.168.1.5  my-lsp

 MPLS uses three tables:

user@R2> show route table inet.3

inet.3: 1 destinations, 1 routes (1 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

192.168.1.5/32 *[MPLS/6/1] 00:25:52, metric 0

mpls.0: 4 destinations, 4 routes (4 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

Next-hop address and outgoing

Outgoing MPLS label values

 Penultimate hop popping (PHP) is the default

user@R5> show route table mpls.0

mpls.0: 5 destinations, 5 routes (5 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)

 In this chapter, we:

1. How does the ingress LSR make forwarding

 Configure the network interfaces.

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