[j-nsp] AS path rewriting (remove one AS)

[Jonathan Disher]

> On Sun, 20 Nov 2005, Michael Loftis wrote:
> 
> > --On November 18, 2005 2:23:08 PM +0200 Cougar 
> <cougar at random.ee> wrote:
> > 
> > > One (AS1) customer asked me could I eliminate our AS 
> (AS2) from AS 
> > > path that they get from us. Topology something like this:
> > > 
> > > AS1 --- AS2 --- AS3 --- AS4 ...
> > > 
> > > Currently they get prefixes with AS path "AS2 AS3 AS4 
> ..." but they 
> > > would like to see "AS3 AS4 ..." ie it should look like they are 
> > > directly connected with AS3 and not via us. Is it 
> possible to do and 
> > > if yes then who should remove AS2 from this path? We 
> (AS2) or customer (AS1) itself?
> > > 
> > > I heard that it is possible with quagga to do that 
> (transparent-as) 
> > > but is  it possible with Junos? Haven't found anything so far..
> > 
> > My answer to the customer would be if you don't know how or 
> can't do 
> > it on your gear then you don't know enough to know why you 
> want to do 
> > it and thus don't need to do it.  More diplomatically of course.  
> > Seriously.  If they can't, or don't know how on their own, 
> I wouldn't 
> > enable them, because they probably don't have enough $clue 
> to really 
> > be needing what they think they're needing.
> > 
> > Find out why they want it before you continue.  I don't know how 
> > immediately offhand in JunOS but I'd bet it's easily possible.
> 
> I just wanted to be sure that it is not possible to do that. 
> Case is that customers wants to see directly Tier-1 (they 
> think that they are so big that talking with Tier-2 
> discredits them). Of course I'm happy if it is not possible 
> and I can say to sales that they should accept us or just 
> look for another provider (not easy for them) :-)

I wonder if they understand that this will only affect the AS path that
they see, and not the AS path that, say, I would see?

I will still see "MYAS AS4 AS3 AS2 AS1", not "MYAS AS4 AS3 AS1".

I believe my approach would be "I'm sorry, if my AS in your path offends
your delicate sensibilities, then please feel free to find another
carrier."

-j