Interconnecting Data Centers Using VPLS (Ensure Business Continuance on Virtualized Networks by Implementing Layer 2 Connectivity Across Layer 3)

As data centers grow in size and complexity, enterprises are adopting server virtualization technologies such as VMware, VMotion, NIC teaming, and server clustering to achieve increased efficiency of resources and to ensure business resilience. However, these technologies often involve significant expense and challenges to deal with complex multisite interconnections and to maintain the high availability of network resources and applications.

Interconnecting Data Centers Using VPLS presents Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) based solutions that provide high-speed, low-latency network and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) isolation between data centers resulting in significant cost savings and a highly resilient virtualized network. The design guidance, configuration examples, and best practices presented in this book have been validated under the Cisco Validated Design (CVD) System Assurance program to facilitate faster, more reliable and more predictable deployments. The presented solutions include detailed information about issues that relate to large Layer 2 bridging domains and offer guidance for extending VLANs over Layer 3 networks using VPLS technology.

Implementing this breakthrough Data Center Interconnect (DCI) strategy will evolve your network to support current server virtualization techniques and to provide a solid foundation for emerging approaches. The book takes you from the legacy deployment models for DCI, problems associated with extending Layer 2 networks, through VPN technologies, to various MST-, EEM-, and GRE-based deployment models and beyond. Although this book is intended to be read cover-to-cover, it is designed to be flexible and allow you to easily move between chapters to develop the solution most compatible with your requirements.

• Describes a variety of deployment models to effectively transport Layer 2 information, allowing your virtualization solution to operate effectively
• Explains benefits and trade-offs of various solutions for you to choose the solution most compatible with your network requirements to ensure business resilience
• Provides detailed design guidance and configuration examples that follow Cisco best practice recommendations tested within the CVD

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

Nash Darukhanawalla, CCIE No. 10332, has more than 25 years of internetworking experience. He has held a wide variety of consulting, technical, product development, customer support, and management positions. Nash’s technical expertise includes extensive experience in designing and supporting complex networks with a strong background in configuring, troubleshooting, and analyzing network systems. Nash has been with Cisco for more than 10 years and is currently an engineering manager

in the Enhanced Customer Aligned Testing Services (ECATS) group in the Advanced Services organization. Nash graduated with a bachelor of science degree in physics and computer science from the University of Bombay, India, and is a CCIE in routing and switching. He has written several white papers on various technologies and recently wrote the System Assurance Guide on High Availability Campus Network Design – Routed Access Using EIGRP or OSPF.

Patrice Bellagamba has been in the networking industry for more than 25 years and has spent more than 10 years in engineering development. He is a consulting engineer and a recognized expert in IP and MPLS technologies. He is one of the influencers in the development of MPLS and has led MPLS techtorials at Networkers in Europe since its

inception. He is also the inventor of the Embedded Event Manager (EEM) semaphore concept and is the designer of the VPLS-based solutions that this book describes. Patrice holds an engineering degree from the E´cole Supérieure d’Electricité, one of France’s prestigious Grandes E´coles and a top institution in the field of electrical and computer engineering. He has written several Cisco white papers on the use of MPLS technology.