Chesapeake NetCraftsmen

This is part 3 of a series about Layer 2 over Layer 3, although I changed the titling somewhat. This blog takes a look at a very practical application of some of the Layer 2 (L2) over Layer 3 (L3) techniques discussed in prior articles. Specifically, how L2 over L3 can help with server relocation and re-addressing, especially in VMotion form. 

Comment (0) Read More...

This article continues and builds upon my prior blog Understanding Layer 2 over Layer 3 (Part 1), which sets the necessary context and background. (And provides a bunch of good links!)

Comment (0) Read More...

I've had Layer 2 on the brain for a while. Or rather, mitigating Layer 2. Several prior blog articles reflect aspects of this:

Comment (0) Read More...

I've run into some interesting situations in working with customer VPNs. I am hoping a couple of them might be of general interest, and so will discuss them in this blog / article.

Comment (0) Read More...

This article continues the discussion started in a prior blog titled Configuring the Customer Side of an MPLS VPN WAN, Part 1 (of course). It can be found at http://www.netcraftsmen.net/resources/blogs/configuring-the-customer-side-of-an-mpls-vpn-wan-part-1.html.

Comment (0) Read More...

I've recently been doing a lot of consulting work involving variations on a common theme. The general theme is how do I configure my routers to work with the MPLS VPN service I have bought or am about to buy from Provider X. If the service is to be your sole WAN connection, there's little problem or complexity. Do get the carrier to hand routes off to you in your IGP, unless you happen to want EBGP in your life. If you are going to have two WAN connections, well, things can get more interesting. Which is what this article is about. 

Comment (0) Read More...

I've been reading and re-reading various Cisco documents, looking for clarity about Non-Stop Forwarding / High Availability / Resiliency and how it interacts with Fast Re-Routing. To some extent, the more I read, the more puzzled I got. The explanations of each topic are pretty good. How they interact, good but apparently a little incomplete. 

Comment (0) Read More...

I think I have a love / hate relationship going with the Cisco 6500 Sup720-10G module ports. On the one hand, they're darn handy and cost-effective. On the other hand, they represent one more set of one-off gotchas that make the whole 6500 complex. I won't say unnecessarily complex, but definitely taxing to track the idiosynracies of, the capabilities and limitations of the various modules, etc. Bleeding edge technology (or what once was), cost effective, however it seems like it could all be a lot more user friendly. (Take QoS for example ... but that's another rant.)

Comment (2) Read More...

I am posting the PDF of a presentation I prepared for the Business IPv6 Exchange on Tuesday 1/26/2010. The contents represent my thoughts together with what I found after conducting light research ("Google") about the topic -- to see if anyone had anything to say on the subject that fell outside what I knew or considered relevant.

Comment (0) Read More...

A previous article took a look at Port-Based EoMPLS on a 6500. See http://www.netcraftsmen.net/resources/blogs/working-with-eompls.html?blogger=Pete+Welcher. In particular, the MTU and LDP (MPLS label protocol) setup is discussed there. It is not repeated with the configlets below.

Comment (2) Read More...