Chapter 13. Design Considerations: Putting it All Together

In this chapter, we examine overall design considerations when putting together an IP Next Generation Network (NGN) for the service provider (SP) or enterprise. As you learned earlier, L3VPNs require VPN Routing and Forwardings (VRF). This also implies that many other features and protocols used in designing the whole network should be VRF-aware. In this chapter, we consider VRF-aware feature deployments in addition to management and provisioning factors for overall network deployment. We further discuss scalability issues, such as equipment scalability versus network scalability, as factors for designing MPLS-based services. Additionally, we highlight Layer 2 design considerations for planning and implementing an NGN over MPLS-based networks.