CRS - Configuration Commit Database

Configuration Commit Database - all commit operatations are saved to the configuration commit database up to 100 entries. Once 100 entires have been reached then the oldest entry is deleted. Header information is still retained up to a 1000 entries.

CRS - Interface Naming

Interface Naming

r/s/m/p naming

rack/slot/module/port

show platform

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# show platform

CRS - CLI Modes

CRS has new modes IOS-XR Modes (some may be familiar to you and others are new)

CLI Modes

Exec Mode - This is where you begin when logging in

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1#

Configure Mode - This is where you modify the IOS-XR 

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1#config terminal

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#

Controller Sonet Mode

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#controller sonet0/2/0/1

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config-sonet)# (there are additional sub modes such as "path mode")

Interface Mode 

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#interface pos 0/2/0/1

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config-if-pos)#

Routing Protocols Mode

EX: Multicast Routing

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#multicast-routing

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config-mcast-ipv4)#interface all enable

EX: Router OSPF

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#router ospf

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config-ospf)#

EX: Router ISIS

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config)#router ISIS

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:CRS-1(config-isis)#

Feel free to provide additional examples

VSS

VSS Benefits

-Single Configuration
-Single Node to manage
-Only 1 gateway IP address needed
-No need for HSRP/VRRP/GLBP
-MEC (Multi-chassis Etherchannel) simplified loop-free topologies
-Physical switches can be located provided they do not exceed to 10Gb Ethernet distance requirements
-Nonstop communications, Inter-chassis stateful fail-over, Eliminate L2/L3 protocol re-convergence if a VSS member switch fails
-Deterministic sub-second VSS recovery
-802.3ad and PagP for deterministic sub-second L2 recovery
-Scales to 1.4Tbps

If you like an example configuration let me know in the comments section and I will write a blog about VSS configurations

JunOS - Control and Forwarding Plane

JunOS separates the control plane and the forwarding (data) plane. The control plane contains the processes that control routing and switching protocols and the forwarding plane processes and forwards the frames and/or packets.

Routing Engine (RE): responsible for performing protocol updates and system management. JunOS runs these protocols and processes in protected memory. RE maintains the routing tables, bridging table, and the primary forwarding table which connects to the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE)

Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE): Runs on ASICs for increased performance. PFE is focused on forwarding operations and not protocol updates and system management which provides reliability and high performance. The forwarding table (FT) is recieved from the RE through an internal link.

This architecture allows for high availability features such as graceful routing engine switch-over (GRES), nonstop active routing (NSR), unified in-service software upgrades (ISSU).

JunOS - Configuration - Basics 101

Juniper has a powerful command line and it allows for configuration changes to be verified before committing. JunOS performs a Sanity Check before committing (writing) the configuration and creates a backup of the running-config with each validated commit. This empowers the administrator to rollback the configuration with ease.

Nexus - vPC

vPC is a technology offered by the Nexus platform to allow virtual port channels between Nexus switches without having to use stack-wise technology.

vPC peer switches: Switches Nexus7K-1 and Nexus7K-2 need to run Cisco NX-OS and have the "feature vPC" enabled to run the vPC protocol.

vPC peer link: Must run a portchannel using 10G links using 802.3ad. This link runs a modified Spanning Tree Protocol weight and tags packets as having originated on the local peer using the peer link.

vPC peer keepalive link: The peer keepalive link is a logical link that often runs over an out-of-band management network. It provides a Layer 3 communications path that is used as a secondary test to determine whether the remote peer is operating properly. No data or synchronization traffic is sent over the vPC peer keepalive link, just a frame that indicates that the originating switch is operating and running vPC.

vPC member port: A vPC member port is a physical port on one of the vPC peer switches that is a member in a vPC. To have a running vPC instance, at least one PortChannel is needed with a member port on each peer switch.

Cisco Fabric Services: The Cisco Fabric Services protocol is a reliable messaging protocol designed to support rapid stateful configuration message passing and synchronization. vPC services use Cisco Fabric Services to transfer a copy of the system configuration for a comparison process and to synchronize MAC and Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) state information between the two vPC peer switches.

New to Networking

I have seen many questions in regards to networking and where to start. Juniper has some great tutorials and some incentives to certify on their products.To get an agnostic understanding of networking basics then click Network Fundamentals

BTW: I could not find the same offering from Cisco :(

MMR

MMR (meet me room) - is a location within a collocation facility or Tel-co Hotel where telecommunications (carriers) and enterprise customers can connect there physical connectivity to one another. This allows them to eliminate the cost of local loop fees and gives them the ability to exchange data between one another. This is the room where the cross-connect happens. Some of the services offered include remote hands (smart hands), power, cooling, and cross-connects.

ASR 9922 and 9000v

Highlights


ASR 9922
-High Capacity, High Performance Platform
-Best in class highly scalability and reliability for Service Providers
-Application Level Intelligence
-IPv6 Capabilities
-10Gig-E/100Gig-E
-Increase Capacity
-Reduces Costs

ASR 9000V
-nV Network Virtualization
 -Deploy and manage 1000's of 9000v though a single device
  -Managed as a virtualized distributed line card from any 9000 series ASR
  -Allows scalability up to 10 of thousands of Gigibit Ethernet ports in a single manged ASR system
  -Carrier class

Speeds and Feeds SONET/SDH

Windows Fighting Back - Tablet

Can it compete with the PlayBook or iPad?