Configuring Mpls L2Vpn; Hardware Compatibility; Overview; Basic Concepts Of Mpls L2Vpn - HP 10500 Series Configuration Manual

Configuring MPLS L2VPN

MPLS L2VPN provides point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections. This chapter describes only the
MPLS L2VPN technologies that provide point-to-point connections. For information about the MPLS
L2VPN technologies that provide point-to-multipoint connections, see

Hardware compatibility

To establish MPLS L2VPNs, an HP 10500 switch must have an EA, EB, SE, or SF card that connects to the
customer and provider networks.

Overview

MPLS L2VPN is an implementation of Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3). It offers Layer 2
VPN services over an MPLS or IP backbone. MPLS L2VPN can transparently transmit Layer 2 data for
different data link layer protocols, including Ethernet, VLAN, ATM, FR, and PPP.
From a user's perspective, the MPLS or IP backbone is a Layer 2 switched network. For example, when
two Ethernet networks are connected through MPLS L2VPN over an MPLS backbone, Ethernet users are
unaware of the MPLS backbone, and think that they are connected directly through an Ethernet.

Basic concepts of MPLS L2VPN

Customer edge—A CE is a customer device directly connected to the service provider network.
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Provider edge—A PE is a service provider device connected to one or more CEs. It provides VPN
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access by mapping and forwarding packets between user networks and public tunnels.
Attachment circuit—An AC is a link between a CE and a PE, such as an FR DLCI, ATM VPI/VCI,
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Ethernet interface, VLAN, or PPP connection.
Pseudowire—A PW is a virtual bidirectional connection between two PEs. An MPLS PW comprises
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a pair of LSPs in opposite directions.
Public tunnel—A public tunnel is a connection that carries one or more PWs across the MPLS or IP
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backbone. It can be an LSP tunnel, an MPLS TE tunnel, or a GRE tunnel.
Cross-connect—A cross-connect concatenates two physical or virtual circuits such as ACs and PWs.
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It switches packets between the two physical or virtual circuits. Cross-connects include AC to AC
cross-connect, AC to PW cross-connect, and PW to PW cross-connect.

MPLS L2VPN network structure

As shown in Figure 59, MPLS L2VPN connects two CEs through a PW on an MPLS or IP backbone.
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"Configuring VPLS."