[f-nsp] VPLS endpoint redundancy

[Eric Helm]

Hello,
We are preparing to implement the MLX series switches for PE
functionality. All of our MLXs are connected in a ring with 10GE links.
At each PE router, we need to connect to Occam FTTH Broadband Loop
Carrier gear that is in its own ring configuration. For redundancy, 2
links should run from the MLX to the FTTH ring, each to a different
'blade' in the BLC chassis. Currently, the links to the FTTH BLCs are
VPLS endpoints for multiple vlan tagged services and also are attached
to a L3 Ve for multicast routing. In the past, prior to using VPLS,
we've used MRP to achieve redundancy with port blocking, and it worked
OK, but now I cannot configure MRP for the VLANS in the VPLS and MRP for
my multicast VLAN doesn't want to work properly. I've tried using a
server trunk, and that works for the multicast VLAN, but not for the
VPLS endpoints. Currently our Occam BLCs do not support link
aggregation, and when they do, I'm not sure if they will support
aggregation on ports across separate blades, as each blade runs and is
configured independently of each other.

I'm looking for any suggestions to accomplish link redundancy.

Consider the following network design:

      +------FTTH BLC 1 --+
      |                    FTTH BLC 2
      |                    FTTH BLC 3
      |                    FTTH BLC 4
MLX PE                     FTTH BLC 5
      |                    FTTH BLC 6
      |                    FTTH BLC 7
      |                    FTTH BLC 8
      |                    FTTH BLC 9
      +------FTTH BLC 10--+

Relevant MLX config:

vlan 3 name Multicast-Video
 tagged ethe 7/2 ethe 8/2
 router-interface ve 3

interface ethernet 7/2
 port-name Occam-LAB-C1-S1
 no spanning-tree
!
interface ethernet 8/2
 port-name Occam-LAB-C1-S10
 enable
 no spanning-tree

interface ve 3
 ip ospf area 0
 ip ospf passive
 ip address 10.10.202.1/24
 ip helper-address 10.10.20.201
 ip pim-sparse

vpls Occam_VoIP_Mgnt 2
  vpls-peer 10.0.1.254
  vlan 2
   tagged ethe 7/2 ethe 8/2

 vpls PPPoE 4
  vpls-peer 10.0.1.254
  vlan 4
   tagged ethe 7/2 ethe 8/2

 vpls DHCP 9
  vpls-peer 10.0.1.254
  vlan 9
   tagged ethe 7/2 ethe 8/2

Thanks,
Eric