A workshop for those building or operating a wide area TCP/IP based ISP network or Internet eXchange Point (IXP) with international and/or multi-provider connectivity.
Date: 4th June 2024
Venue: CCEC @ NEXUS (Spectrum Room)
Time: 09:30am – 05:30pm
Workshop Fees: RM100
Instructor: Aftab Siddiqui (ISOC)
This workshop is proudly supported by
Target Audience
This technical workshop, featuring both theoretical aspects and hands-on lab activities. The workshop is suitable for those with existing connections to an IXP, those planning to connect, or anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how internet connectivity works on a broader scale.
Pre-requisites
Participants are expected to have mid-level proficiency with a router command line interface, have some understanding and experience with using BGP in an operational network. We will be using Industry Standard CLI (Cisco like).
Participants are required to bring laptops with a modern web browser installed (Chrome/Firefox/Safari/Opera/Edge) and also SSH/Telnet client such as Putty.
What you will learn
Strategies for designing, establishing, and managing ISP and enterprise networks . This encompasses configurations using BGP, traffic engineering and playing with the routing policies.
Methods for multihoming, which include establishing connections to both IXPs and ISPs.
Techniques to get maximum performance and efficiency while covering aspects like routing scalability, network architecture, and configuration best practices.
Technologies Covered
Topics covered include IPv4 and IPv6, BGP (iBGP and eBGP), BGP scaling and policies, route reflectors, best practices for BGP, essentials of BGP configuration, and IXP design. Along with RPKI (ROA/ROV and ASPA).
Each session is customized to meet the specific needs of the participants. Attendees are encouraged to communicate any special requirements to the instructors during the workshops. Our instructors are leading Internet engineers with extensive knowledge and experience in a variety of current technologies.
Workshop Outlines
1. Interconnect Basics – Transit and Peering: Introduction to the core concepts of interconnection, understanding Transit and Peering. Economic and performance implications of each type of interconnection
2. BGP Fundamentals – How it works and what it can do for you: Discuss the role of the Border Gateway Protocol in the Internet eco-system, its operational mechanism such as redundancy, load balancing, and optimized path selection.
3. BGP Attributes – What are they, how they can be used and for what: Detailed explanation of BGP attributes like AS Path, Local Preference, MED, Community, and others. Understand how manipulating these attributes can influence routing decisions and policy implementations.
4. Lab Exercise – Setup BGP connection with Transit: Hands-On Activity: Participants set up a BGP session with a simulated transit provider.
5. BGP Multihoming – When and why you need it: Understanding the concept of multihoming and its benefits for increasing redundancy and optimizing traffic.
Review configuration scenarios that help achieve multihoming.
6. BGP Traffic Engineering – Using the path you need: Learn different methods of traffic engineering, including AS path prepending, route filtering, and attribute manipulation. Review real-world scenarios where each technique would be beneficial.
7. How IXP works – Peering relationships: IXP Overview: Discuss the function and benefits of Internet Exchange Points. Explore how relationships are formed at IXPs and the technical and social protocols involved.
8. Lab Exercise – Connect with an IXP: Hands-On Activity: Participants configure devices to connect with an IXP environment.
Objective: Practice the steps of establishing peering relationships and exchanging routing information.
9. Remote Peering: Conceptual Understanding: Introduce remote peering, including its advantages and potential drawbacks. Discuss a case study on how remote peering has been implemented in different networks.
10. IXP Best Practices: Best practices for engaging with an IXP, covering both technical configurations and relationship management. Understand basic maintenance and monitoring practices to optimize IXP benefits.
11. Securing BGP: Outline the security vulnerabilities associated with BGP. Mitigation Techniques: Learn BGPsec and RPKI (ROA/ROV and ASPA), review how these technologies help secure BGP against common threats.
Other Requirements
- Participants are required to bring their own laptop. It is recommended that computers have minimum Intel i5 or i7 processor, 8GB RAM or more and 30GB of free hard disk space.
- Software required: SSH Client, Telnet Client (Putty)