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[rmason]

I know that this subject has been discussed to no end. I am in search of hardware limitations on the Cisco 7600 series of routers for implementing VPLS. I have read that I must have specific line cards facing the core of my network in order to make VPLS operate properly. Here is my setup:

I have 8 7600 routers in a ring topology(SUP720-3BXL redundant). They are each connected to the next via a 10GE port on a WS-X6704-10GE line card(CFC on board). I have MPLS running across the network.

Can someone tell my why I need to spend more money to have different cards in my routers? Is it a mac-learning issue? Will a DFC-3BXL on my line cards enable them to perform VPLS functions? I have 12.2(33)SRD for IOS.

All I want is for someone that has some experience with this issue to give me an answer with more details than just saying I can't use the cards I have. I would like a reason. Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Very Frustrated

[rmason]

Can anyone give me details regarding this issue? Much appreciated.

[evan]

Rmason,

The 7600 (or do i mean 6500) is just a big ethernet switch with routing built in. The 6704 card you mentioned is a "LAN card" that does not have enhanced processing capabilities (you can do ethernet trunking/switching or routing on this, which really extends an internal vlan to your sup, see show vlan usage internal). You can accomplish VPLS on a 7600 by using either an ES20/ES40 card or a SIP with an ethernet SPA. The switching happens locally on these cards (using its network processor) by attaching an SVI to the VFI (Cisco speek for VPLS instance) to allow mac learning.

[chads]

Rmason,

Evan knows exactly what he is talking about, you should listen to him.

ChadS

[rmason]

That is the kind of answer I was looking for. Does that mean that this card won't do VPLS even if I install DFC3BXL on the card? I understand that the DFC allows on-board processing instead of pushing everything to the SUP.

Again, thanks for the information. I think we will be going with good old vlan trunking and spanning-tree until we can spend more money on equipment.

[evan]

Let me tell you a little secret - If its a "smallish" deployment, take a small crossover cable and connect it between 2 ports of the same card. configure one as an xconnect to the other node and the other port as a trunk port. (make sure the mtu is bigger than the largest frame from your dot1q trunk). Repeat on the other end. Let spanning-tree take care of loop-avoidance. There you go, poor man's VPLS.