Alex Library for mini link TN 4.4FP

[spatkad]

Hi all,

if you have got alex library for mini link TN 4.4FP, please share it with us. i specifically want to know how DCN over VLAN is configured. Having read the release pdf of 4.4FP, i understand there is a flash video embedded in this alex library and it gives a visual of how to implement DCN over VLAN using mini-link TN.

thanks,
spatkad

[Wizeguy]

Hi all,

if you have got alex library for mini link TN 4.4FP, please share it with us. i specifically want to know how DCN over VLAN is configured. Having read the release pdf of 4.4FP, i understand there is a flash video embedded in this alex library and it gives a visual of how to implement DCN over VLAN using mini-link TN.

thanks,
spatkad

I don't have the files to share.
What do you need to know about DCN over VLAN?
Do you have to use this setup, my personal recommendation is to use routed DCN instead of switched.

[spatkad]

I don't have the files to share.
What do you need to know about DCN over VLAN?
Do you have to use this setup, my personal recommendation is to use routed DCN instead of switched.


Wizeguy,

1st of all, i want to learn how DCN is done via VLAN since e******* has introduced this feature on TN 4.4FP.
secondly implementing it on 5 hops will make me feel more confident. Also i want to know the advantages of this feature compared to the existing ones(put this DCN over VLAN feature to the test/try it out as requested by my boss).

That is why i need the alex library of mini link TN 4.4FP

Any kind person out there with this library. Please assist us all.

thanks,
spatkad

[Yaaqob1982]

Hi all,

if you have got alex library for mini link TN 4.4FP, please share it with us. i specifically want to know how DCN over VLAN is configured. Having read the release pdf of 4.4FP, i understand there is a flash video embedded in this alex library and it gives a visual of how to implement DCN over VLAN using mini-link TN.

thanks,
spatkad

that's what we need
thanks brother

[Wizeguy]

Wizeguy,

1st of all, i want to learn how DCN is done via VLAN since e******* has introduced this feature on TN 4.4FP.
secondly implementing it on 5 hops will make me feel more confident. Also i want to know the advantages of this feature compared to the existing ones(put this DCN over VLAN feature to the test/try it out as requested by my boss).

That is why i need the alex library of mini link TN 4.4FP

Any kind person out there with this library. Please assist us all.

thanks,
spatkad

I don't have the time right now, but will try as soon as possible to give you some quick hints how to get it up and running.

But I would like to share some of my own experiences first.

DCN over VLAN has been available since several releases back, at least I think it was already in 4.3FP.
So any alex library with DCN guideline would due after 4.3FP.

DCN over VLAN will result in using a switched DCN instead of a routed one.
The DCN over VLAN will be (most likely) configured to go in parallel with (same trunk) as the conveyed traffic.
The Service channels available in the µW hop overhead will not (Should not be used in parallel with DCN over VLAN) be used any longer, they require PPP terminated by the Node embedded IP router.
-> Drawback, the setup is not as robust as it will be using PPP.

PPP links are on by default and connection between two nodes will be automatically up as soon as the µw hop is up and running.
A DCN over VLAN will not work before being setup and is a bit more complex to get right.

Loss of traffic due to Ethernet miss configuration or other reasons will most likely lead to loss of DCN.

The vendors own recommendation in DCN guidelines are to only use DCN over VLAN for connection to the first MINI-LINK TN connection point and then use a routed network in the MINI-LINK TN net.

[spatkad]

I don't have the time right now, but will try as soon as possible to give you some quick hints how to get it up and running.

But I would like to share some of my own experiences first.

DCN over VLAN has been available since several releases back, at least I think it was already in 4.3FP.
So any alex library with DCN guideline would due after 4.3FP.

DCN over VLAN will result in using a switched DCN instead of a routed one.
The DCN over VLAN will be (most likely) configured to go in parallel with (same trunk) as the conveyed traffic.
The Service channels available in the µW hop overhead will not (Should not be used in parallel with DCN over VLAN) be used any longer, they require PPP terminated by the Node embedded IP router.
-> Drawback, the setup is not as robust as it will be using PPP.

PPP links are on by default and connection between two nodes will be automatically up as soon as the µw hop is up and running.
A DCN over VLAN will not work before being setup and is a bit more complex to get right.

Loss of traffic due to Ethernet miss configuration or other reasons will most likely lead to loss of DCN.

The vendors own recommendation in DCN guidelines are to only use DCN over VLAN for connection to the first MINI-LINK TN connection point and then use a routed network in the MINI-LINK TN net.


Well Wizeguy,

since you have mentioned that the DCN over VLAN is abit more complex to get right, then i believe the Alex library 4.4FP will do us good in exposing more details.

That is why i need it. Because the moment i watch the embededd flash video DCN over VLAN howto and back it up with thorough reading, then the complexicity will be solved.

So brothers out there if you have this ale library 4.4FP. Please share it with us.

Thanks,
spatkad

[Wizeguy]

Well Wizeguy,

since you have mentioned that the DCN over VLAN is abit more complex to get right, then i believe the Alex library 4.4FP will do us good in exposing more details.

That is why i need it. Because the moment i watch the embededd flash video DCN over VLAN howto and back it up with thorough reading, then the complexicity will be solved.

So brothers out there if you have this ale library 4.4FP. Please share it with us.

Thanks,
spatkad


I don't think the complexity lies within the MINI-LINK, more of having control of the combined DCN and traffic network.

[Wizeguy]

Short how to configure DCN over VLAN in TN4.x releases:

1. Go in to the configure DCN setup.
Select DCN mode "VLAN" instead of "Front connector"
If you look under LAN interfaces, you will find a new interface called "LAN-DCN"
This is the internal LAN port connected to the DCN router.
The front connector LAN will be released for traffic use as any other LAN port.

2. Configure /enable the Ethernet Switch, customer mode in TN4.4FP and 802.1Q mode in previous releases.

3. You will need to configure a port number to the LAN-DCN, set port role UNI for the port.

4. Configure a VLAN that this port belongs to.
The port used for the LAN-DCN must be set to untagged.
If you use QOS settings, never use highest prio (p-bit = 7).
This will interfere with internal protocols.

Remember now, that you change from a routed DCN to a switched and might create Ethernet loops when doing so.
RSTP or clever design will make sure that no loops are made.
Vendor guides have (at least in earlier releases) recommended to only use DCN over VLAN for the north bound node in a network.
Never setup DCN over VLAN in parallel with DCN over PPP between the same two nodes.

[spatkad]

I don't have the time right now, but will try as soon as possible to give you some quick hints how to get it up and running.

But I would like to share some of my own experiences first.

DCN over VLAN has been available since several releases back, at least I think it was already in 4.3FP.
So any alex library with DCN guideline would due after 4.3FP.

DCN over VLAN will result in using a switched DCN instead of a routed one.
The DCN over VLAN will be (most likely) configured to go in parallel with (same trunk) as the conveyed traffic.
The Service channels available in the µW hop overhead will not (Should not be used in parallel with DCN over VLAN) be used any longer, they require PPP terminated by the Node embedded IP router.
-> Drawback, the setup is not as robust as it will be using PPP.

PPP links are on by default and connection between two nodes will be automatically up as soon as the µw hop is up and running.
A DCN over VLAN will not work before being setup and is a bit more complex to get right.

Loss of traffic due to Ethernet miss configuration or other reasons will most likely lead to loss of DCN.

The vendors own recommendation in DCN guidelines are to only use DCN over VLAN for connection to the first MINI-LINK TN connection point and then use a routed network in the MINI-LINK TN net.


Wizeguy,

you said the vendor recommends we use DCN over VLAN for connection to the first MINI-LINK TN connection point and then use a routed network in the MINI-LINK TN net.

Does this mean or implies that E******* mini-link TN has no layer 3 switch since it can not fully implement a DCN over VLAN that entiles many traffic nodes.
In other wards you cannot append ip addresses to created vlans that are mean't to participate in the DCN neither can one route the created VLANs.

Will e******* ever upgrade the TN IOS software to enable the ML Traffic Node switch be a full L3 switch and do routing capabilities?

Thanks,

spatkad

[Wizeguy]

Wizeguy,

you said the vendor recommends we use DCN over VLAN for connection to the first MINI-LINK TN connection point and then use a routed network in the MINI-LINK TN net.

Does this mean or implies that E******* mini-link TN has no layer 3 switch since it can not fully implement a DCN over VLAN that entiles many traffic nodes.
In other wards you cannot append ip addresses to created vlans that are mean't to participate in the DCN neither can one route the created VLANs.

Will e******* ever upgrade the TN IOS software to enable the ML Traffic Node switch be a full L3 switch and do routing capabilities?

Thanks,

spatkad

I don't know what E******* is planning to do or not in future.
But the MINI-LINK TN equipment up to 4.4FP and from what I have seen in coming 5.0, the following is implemented.
Ethernet traffic is connected via an Ethernet L2 capable switch (from broadcom after what I have seen under the cooling plates) on NPU types NPU1C, 3B, 3C and ETU2.
There is a router functionality for the DCN, implemented in the control processor OS of every NPU.
This does not seem to work with any VLAN at all, the VLANs are probably added by the switch port to which the NPU processor are connected internally. (To me it is SW features that could be added, but I don't find this in documentation)
This means that only one VLAN can connet to the DCN of each NPU.
There are no way to get the NPU work as a router between VLAN:s if this is what you seek.
If you plan to use secondary IP-addresses for the DCN as Cisco can, I guess you can find some CLI to do this. But I have not seen anything in documentation regarding this.

I would think that the DCN over VLAN primarily was intended to transport DCN together with Ethernet traffic over a L1/L2 transport networks and not to build a switched DCN network.
The Ethernet traffic transported are today (4.4FP) only at bridged L1 or switched L2 and no MINI-LINK TN resources are available for L3 routing the non DCN traffic.

If you seek a Ericssson product with L3 routing capacity, I would suggest to look for the Redback routers or use a Cisco.

[SolMX]

Hello

About this thread I just would like to ask you if by default the MiniLink handles the Layer 1 synch or need to be enabled.

Also what protocol is being handled in Layer 1? is synchE, 1588 v2 or any other protocol?

Thank you.