Sprint - MPLS & VPN

[Phil Schuman]

hi -
Just catching up since we rolled out Frame Relay several years ago.
With something like Sprint's MPLS offering,
what is required in the router to connect and support a MPLS network.
I can see how the firmware must be upgraded
to understand the new tags used by MPLS.
But why does it seem that MPLS and VPN are mentioned together,
and yet we didn't need a VPN when using our Frame network.

Any other considerations for migrating from a Frame network
up to a MPLS network ?

Also - I didn't see a MPLS newsgroup, but there was an old Frame group.

[stephen]

"Phil Schuman" <pschuman_...@interserv.com> wrote in message
news:ne8Cg.5596$kO3....@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...

> hi -
> Just catching up since we rolled out Frame Relay several years ago.
> With something like Sprint's MPLS offering,
> what is required in the router to connect and support a MPLS network.
> I can see how the firmware must be upgraded
> to understand the new tags used by MPLS.

The MPLS tags dont normally get to your routers - they are within the
carrier cloud, and are there to let the telco use a common backbone for lots
of different customers.

A lot of MPLS services support more modern types of QoS etc - but there is
no real reason you need up to the minute code versions. MPLS has been around
for several years now, so obviously worked with IOS releases current when it
1st came out.

> But why does it seem that MPLS and VPN are mentioned together,

I dont know what Sprint do specifically, but it is common practice for some
carriers to use Frame Relay encap between PE and CE router - ie on the link
from customer site to the carrier cloud.

So - in theory Sprint could swap you from F/R to MPLS, and all you need is
some changes to the config on the routers.

We use it at work because you can use multiple PVCs to carry different VRFs
to give multiple logical VPNs on 1 access link.

> and yet we didn't need a VPN when using our Frame network.

A specific customer F/Relay set of PVCs and ports sort of make up a layer 2
cloud. They didnt call it a VPN as that wasnt the "in vogue" term at the
time :).

>
> Any other considerations for migrating from a Frame network
> up to a MPLS network ?
>

One advantage of MPLS is alternate access link support - Ethernet at
10/100/1000 Mbps for example.

QoS is pretty much standard (although usually with some extra costs), and
other things such as multicast, IP voice breakout in the cloud, Internet
feeds and hosting integration all come up frequently.

Multiple VPNs can be useful e.g. to segregate a live and test network, or
internal net and an extranet, but without needing separate access lines.

I suggest you start writing down requirements without worrying about MPLS
capabilities and then check how closely the carrier services map to that.

> Also - I didn't see a MPLS newsgroup, but there was an old Frame group.
>

--
Regards

stephe...@xyzworld.com - replace xyz with ntl

[Phil Schuman]

tnx for the update -
MPLS tags -> was using that as a generic term for the Frame PVC/LMI
concept.
and VPN now is just a PVC with encryption :) for all the HIPAA, SOX, etc
folks

"stephen" <stephe...@xyzworld.com> wrote in message
news:Qu8Cg.6368$oW3....@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

[www.BradReese.Com]

Hi Phil,

You may wish to investigate Cisco's extremely active and robust:

MPLS Newsgroup

http://forum.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/NetProf?page=netprof&forum=Service%20Providers&topic=MPLS&CommCmd=MB%3Fcmd%3Ddisplay_messages%26mode%3Dnew%26location%3D.ee8558c

Found at Cisco Systems Technical Forums:

http://www.bradreese.com/cisco-technical-newsgroups.htm#FORUMS

Hope this helps.

Brad Reese
BradReese.Com - Cisco Power Supply Headquarters
http://www.bradreese.com/cisco-power-supply-inventory.htm
1293 Hendersonville Road, Suite 17
Asheville, North Carolina USA 28803
USA & Canada: 877-549-2680
International: 828-277-7272
Fax: 775-254-3558
AIM: R2MGrant
BradReese.Com - Cisco Jobs
http://www.bradreese.com/hot-jobs.htm

[cri-...@verizon.net]

mpls is within the carrier cloud is correct;
one advantage of this type of typology is the
any to any connectivity, vs a hub and spoke type of typology.
this allows better use of a network to roll out
services such as voip.

Paul

[Phil Schuman]

<cri-...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:bsdCg.11410$rd1.2175@trnddc01...

> mpls is within the carrier cloud is correct;
> one advantage of this type of typology is the
> any to any connectivity, vs a hub and spoke type of typology.
> this allows better use of a network to roll out
> services such as voip.
>

We are migrating from an existing Frame network to a MPLS network,
along with upgrading our current 2501 and 1600 routers to 2801 -

[www.BradReese.Com]

Phil,

You may find the Sprint-Cisco MPLS White Paper of interest:

http://www.bradreese.com/sprint-cisco-mpls-white-paper.pdf

Sincerely,

Brad Reese
Cisco Global Pre-Sales Support
http://www.bradreese.com/contact-us.htm#CISCO

[Phil Schuman]

"www.BradReese.Com" <Re...@BradReese.Com> wrote in message
news:1155086123.4...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...

> Hi Phil,
>
> You may wish to investigate Cisco's extremely active and robust:
>
> MPLS Newsgroup
>
>
http://forum.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/NetProf?page=netprof&forum=Service
%20Providers&topic=MPLS&CommCmd=MB%3Fcmd%3Ddisplay_messages%26mode%3Dnew
%26location%3D.ee8558c
>
> Found at Cisco Systems Technical Forums:
>
> http://www.bradreese.com/cisco-technical-newsgroups.htm#FORUMS
>
> Hope this helps.
>

tnx for all the pointers and white papers