Stream of Knowledge

  Cisco SD-WAN Overlay Management Protocol (OMP): A Comprehensive Guide Cisco SD-WAN Overlay Management Protocol (OMP): A Comprehensive Guide Cisco SD-WAN has revolutionized modern networking by offering scalable and intelligent network management solutions. A key component that drives the Cisco SD-WAN architecture is the Overlay Management Protocol (OMP) . This protocol plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining the SD-WAN control plane, ensuring seamless communication across the network. What is OMP in Cisco SD-WAN? OMP is a TCP-based protocol, much like BGP, that enables communication between Cisco vEdge routers and vSmart controllers. It is responsible for managing the following critical functions: Transport Locator (TLOC) Distribution: Shares TLOC information across SD-WAN sites. Helps in route reachability by defining WAN transport characteristics. Service-Side Reachability: Distributes routing information from local interfaces, static routes, and dynamic protocols ...

 Why do we need i-BGP for the routes when we have the IGP protocols (OSPF, IS-IS) for internal communication within the AS? IGPs like OSPF or ISIS, are link-state protocols that give us all the information of the network and allow for very interesting convergence options and traffic engineering options. Whereas, BGP knows a very limited view of the network as a whole because BGP handles very well filtering and modifying routing information. See, the traffic in a network can be divided into 4 categories. • Ingress: traffic arriving from outside the network, destined for hosts within the network. • Egress: traffic originating inside the network destined for hosts outside the network. • Internal: traffic where both the origin and destination are within the network. • Transit: traffic where both the origin and destination are outside the network. The IGP normally carries internal routes, so it can be used to directly route ingress and internal traffic, but what about egress and transit...

  TROUBLESHOOTING BGP/MPLS ON CISCO AND JUNIPER DEVICES Mastering the Basics: Troubleshooting BGP/MPLS on Cisco and Juniper Devices Introduction: In the intricate world of networking, BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) and MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) are fundamental technologies that enable efficient, scalable, and robust communication across vast and diverse infrastructures. Understanding how to troubleshoot these protocols in Cisco and Juniper devices is essential for maintaining a smooth operational network. Today, we’ll dive into some practical tips to help you navigate common issues with these technologies. Understanding BGP/MPLS Basics: BGP : As the backbone of the internet, BGP makes routing decisions based on paths, network policies, or rule sets, which allows it to be very flexible and robust. However, it can also be complex and challenging to troubleshoot. MPLS : MPLS enhances the flow of traffic on a network by making data forwarding decisions based on short path la...