MPLS and VRF

typfromdacotypfromdaco Member Posts: 96 ■■■□□□□□□□
I was told a couple of days ago that I need to familiarize myself with these protocols and that I will be using them at work within the next couple of months. I am going to take ICND2 next month and I am understanding EIGRP and OSPF pretty well already. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations for learning these new technologies (for me) fairly painlessly?
2015 certification goals: [ X] ICND2

Comments

  • higherhohigherho Member Posts: 882
    Understand BGP prior to learning MPLS and VRF's. These technologies are typically on the service provider track (CCIP). I went to a Juniper Course (JMV) to learn MPLS & VPNS and learned a lot on MPLS / VRFs. A lot of fun!

    CBTnuggets, juniper bytes, and youtube videos. Signaling protocols (LDP / RSVP), MP-BGP, etc. Start by understanding how MPLS works (basics). It's a lot of fun and I think you will enjoy it.
  • DevilWAHDevilWAH Member Posts: 2,997 ■■■■■■■■□□
    MPLS is very much a two sided technology. Do you need to.learn it as the client or the provider? For client it can be almost transparent. While I have never used either in a live situation, I picked up the basics of both from CBT nuggets and you tube. And a few labs I played with in GNS3. Once you get your head round the idea of how they work setting them up is not so hard.
    • If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Albert Einstein
    • An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties. It means that its going to launch you into something great. So just focus and keep aiming.
  • SecurityThroughObscuritySecurityThroughObscurity Member Posts: 212 ■■■□□□□□□□
    There is a solution for you.
    MPLS Fundamentals by Keith Barker.
    He walks you through the concepts, implementation and verification of an MPLS.
  • JackaceJackace Member Posts: 335
    Like others have said, neither is terribly difficult to understand the basics and figure out what is happening. The Wikipedia pages on both are pretty good for understanding what they are and why we use them. From there you should be able to start learning the commands to use the technologies. Like others have said you should probably sit down and get a decent understanding of BGP as well because that is how the VRF information is learned and shared by the routers.
  • networker050184networker050184 Mod Posts: 11,962 Mod
    DevilWAH wrote: »
    MPLS is very much a two sided technology. Do you need to.learn it as the client or the provider? For client it can be almost transparent.

    My thoughts exactly. MPLS is a very big topic. Figure out what you are actually going to need to know and then formulate a plan of attack.
    An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made.
  • phoeneousphoeneous Member Posts: 2,333 ■■■■■■■□□□
    From the client side there isnt much you'll see to do with mpls, it's mainly on the provider side. You should learn bgp instead which I use on all of my ce mpls routers.
  • typfromdacotypfromdaco Member Posts: 96 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I will be working on it from the provider side. Thanks Security, I just went to Amazon and picked up a copy of the book that you suggested! I subscribed to a few youtube channels to get familiarized with BGP per the suggestion by everyone, thanks for the advice!
    2015 certification goals: [ X] ICND2
  • SecurityThroughObscuritySecurityThroughObscurity Member Posts: 212 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I was talking about cbt nuggets course.
    :)
    But that book is also good :)
  • typfromdacotypfromdaco Member Posts: 96 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Ha ha... oh well, I can take a book in the facility, not a computer. I will look for the CBT nuggets as well... thanks!
    2015 certification goals: [ X] ICND2
Sign In or Register to comment.