MPLS

 

Pantel offers unified, easy-to-use, resilient IP/MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) based VPN sercice globally. IP VPN serice enables seamless data communication among any customer sites that are connected to Pantel’s MPLS network via dedicated access lines. All sites are equipped with CPE (routers). Customer VPN and all relevant networking elements are constantly monitored and managed from a central NOC (Network Operation Centre) to ensure reliable high quality operation.

 

The service is based on RFC 4364 that obsoletes 2547bis.

 

 

Main Services


Main features of Pantel’s MPLS services.

  • Providing user VPNs separated logically
  • Preserving data integrity and security
  • Enabling all sites to communicate by default
  • Support for overlapping customer IP address ranges
  • QOS support on local tails

 

 

Geographical Coverage


International data service is available in Europe.

 

 

 

Customer Network Topology


Customer networks can be set up in three logical topology according to actual networking needs:

  1. Any-to-any is the default behaviour of MPLS VPNs, all sites have the ability to directly communicate.
  2. Hub-and-spoke where hub and spoke sites are directly connected but spoke sites are not allowed to communicate with each other. Multiple hub sites are enabled to be present.
  3. Partial mesh includes hub-and-spoke in which some sites are not allowed to directly communicate.

 

 

 

CPE Management


MPLS service is a bundled service when procurement, installation, configuration, fault handling of CPE are provided by Pantel.

List of supported CPEs

  • Cisco 1800, 1900, 2800, 2900, 3800 series routers

 

 

Local Loop


Local loop is intended to connect customer site to Pantel’s network with various physical media.

  1. Terrestrial copper
  2. Terrestrial microwave on licensed frequency bands
  3. Fibre optic


List of preferred transmission methods is as follows.

  1. Leased line
  2. Transparent and switched Ethernet
  3. xDSL


List of preferred WAN protocols between PE and CE.

  1. HDLC/PPP
  2. MLPPP
  3. Ethernet


List of preferred routing protocols between PE and CE.

  1. RIPv2
  2. OSPF
  3. BGP


Access links among Pantel’s backbone and customer sites are dedicated and kept non-oversubscripted. There are no data limits.



Bandwidth options:

  • N× 64 kbps, up to 2 Mbps
  • N× 2 Mbps up to 100 Mbps
  • 155 Mbps
  • 1 Gbps


Physical interface options are

  • G.703/BNC for DS0, E1, E3 services
  • 100BaseTX for IEEE 802.3u FastEthernet
  • SC/PC or LC/PC for OC-3 and OC-12
  • 1000BaseSX or 1000BaseLX for IEEE 802.3z GigabitEthernet

 

 

Value-added Services


There are supplementary services that help customer to customize basic MPLS service to fit best networking needs.

 

Back up

Back up feature means additional access line to primary link to enhance resiliency. Secondary link is independent from primary. Levels of redundancy are:

  • Primary and secondary links are terminated in the same CPE and in the same MPLS POP. CPE and PE switch the traffic from primary to secondary link if primary link is failed. Load sharing/balancing between primary and secondary links is not available. This option is called Backup – dual access line.
  • Primary and secondary links are terminated in different CPEs and MPLS POPs. This option privodes more resilient operation and is called Backup – dual service.

Access speed of primary and secondary links may be different. Primary and secondary links are not to share the same technology, telecommunication media or terrestrial route.

Typical secondary links: ISDN BRI, ADSL, satellite and leased line.

 

Quality of service – QOS

Since backbone is kept non-oversubscribed, QOS is present on access links only. Please refer to the following table for relevant service classes and bit settings.

Queueing method for EF class is strict PQ (Priority Queueing) embedded in CBWFQ (Class Based Weighted Fair Queueing). Out of contract traffic is considered as best-effort.

 

 

 

Service Level Agreement – SLA


SLA is interpreted as:

  • Monthly availability of service of a particular customer site
  • Guaranteed upper limit of time of service restoration for a particular customer site.

SLA is calculated under authority of accepted trouble tickets.

 

 

 

VPN Service Features


IP addressing between PE and CE is provided by Pantel by default, however original addressing scheme in customer network can be preserved.