© 2008 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 1

Layer 2 Extensions for Data Center Interconnect with Catalyst 6500

Belmont ChiaBelmont Chia

Consulting System EngineerConsulting System EngineerData Center Network ArchitectureData Center Network Architecture

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Agenda

Problem Statement

Transport Options

1. Dark Fiber

2. MPLS

3. IP

Encryption

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Problem Statement

Why Layer 2 across Data Centers

1. Geocluster

2. Legacy applications (hard-coded IP)

3. Redundant configurations (HSRP/VRRP, heartbeats, etc)

Provide layer 2 connectivity between data centers with:

1. Redundant Paths

2. STP Isolation

3. Failover within <4 seconds

4. Load balancing

5. Scalable

6. Encryption (optional)

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DC Core

Aggregation

Access

DC Interconnect – Transport Options

Site A

Site D

Site B

Site C

Dark FiberMPLS

IP

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L2 Extension Transport Options

Dark Fiber – Applicable for Short Distances (< 100km)

MPLS– Applicable if Enterprise is ready to deploy MPLS in core

– MPLS service can be self-deployed or as managed service from SP (directly attached L2VPN or Carrier supporting Carrier)

IP– Applicable for majority of customers with no Dark Fiber or

MPLS

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Agenda

Problem Statement

Transport Options

1. Dark Fiber

2. MPLS

3. IP

Encryption

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DC Core

Aggregation

Access

DC Interconnect – Dark Fiber

Site A

Site D

Site B

Site C

• Assumes dark fiber between sites

• Distance limitations are given by DWDM

• Number of sites can be 2 or more

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DC Interconnect – Dark Fiber

Site A

Site D

Site B

Site C

• Add 2 switches in main data centers

• Switches use separate lambda to interconnect

• These switches will form a VSS

• Use DWDM X2 to build VSL*

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A B

DC Interconnect – Dark Fiber

Site A

Site D

Site B

Site C

• Repeat similar principle for all sites

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Agenda

Problem Statement

Transport Options

1. Dark Fiber

2. MPLS

3. IP

Encryption

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DC Core

Aggregation

Access

DC Interconnect – MPLS

Site A

Site D

Site B

Site C

EoMPLS / VPLSMPLS

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L2 extension Loop Prevention EoMPLS PW

LocalSTP

Backup PW into Core

LocalSTP

Site A Site B

EoMPLS PW-redundancy

Loop-free interconnexion for dual sites VLAN extension

Native Port xconnect

New solution under validation

with EEM to enable the backup PW

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Per VLANalternate path

LocalSTP

Only Local STPPW redundancy into PE

LocalSTP

Site A

L2 Core L2 Core

Per VLANVFI

L2 extension Loop Prevention VPLS

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Layout for multiple DCs

MPLS/VPLS

Core

Agg

Access

Core

Agg

Access

Core Agg Access

Data Center A

Data Center B

Data Center C

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Agenda

Problem Statement

Transport Options

1. Dark Fiber

2. MPLS

3. IP

Encryption

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DC Core

Aggregation

Access

DC Interconnect – IP

Site A Site B

EoMPLSoGRE / VPLSoGREGRE Tunnels

IP

Requires Whitney 2

SIP-400 for WAN uplinks

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IP CoreIP Core

DC Interconnect using EoMPLSoGRE

GRE Tunnels

12.2(33)SXI feature

Edge only functionality using SIP400

Site A

Site BEoMPLSLSoGRE

EoMPLSoGRE

SIP-400

SIP-400

SiSi

SiSi

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IP CoreIP Core

DC Interconnect using VPLSoGRE

GRE

Tunnels

12.2(33)SXI feature

Edge only functionality using SIP400

Site A

Site C

Site BVPLSoGRE

VPLSoGRE

VPLSoGRE

SIP-400

SIP-400

SIP-400

SiSi

SiSi

SiSi

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Agenda

Problem Statement

Transport Options

1. Dark Fiber

2. MPLS

3. IP

Encryption

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Encrypted L2 extension using ATOMoGRE

Nowadays IPSec is the main encryption mecanism

IPSEC requires IP packets

L2 are not IP packets

Today, no native L2oIP solution is existing

L2oGRE is acting as L2oIP and so can be encrypted

EoMPLS for point to point solution

VPLS for multipoint solution

Requires either:

Two boxes solution (one for L2VPNoGRE, one for IPSec)

One box solution with a wrap cable

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VPLS o GRE o IPSEC in one box with wrap-cable

Crypto

GREVPLS PW

Core port

any Ethernet port

Wrap ports• ingres is SIP-400• egress is any port

SIP-400

VPN-SPA

VRFedge

VRFcore

To integrate both function in one box:1. Use VRFs to isolate routing

• One VRF for edge link• One VRF for Core links

2. Wrap cable to connect SIP-400 toward VRF

GREL3

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Key Takeaways

The Key Takeaways of this presentation are: Catalyst 6500 offers multiple solutions for extending

Layer 2 between multiple Data Centers

VSS with DWDM on Catalyst 6500 offers a 10G multipoint solution

ATOMoGRE with SIP-400 offers a 1G multipoint solution for L2 extensions over a WAN with IP or MPLS core

L2 extension options on Catalyst 6500 are redundant, scalable and secure.