[j-nsp] EX Switches - DHCP Server

[Paul Stewart]

Hi there.

 

At a customer site currently, we have a Cisco 3825 router that needs to be
replaced.  The reason for replacing it is age, lack of coverage, and also
that we must hand off a layer2 circuit there shortly.

 

We are looking at deploying an EX4200 switch which will serve a few
purposes.  One of those purposes is to bring layer3 routed traffic back from
two sources and the other is to transport the layer2 path.  I was looking at
using three VLAN's on a trunk as that seemed like the simplest way.

 

At the other end of this connection will be an M10i box making the layer2 a
bit of a challenge possibly.  We could stick another EX4200 in front of the
M10i and peel off the layer2 transport but that seems inefficient.

 

So I see MPLS options entering the equation.  As we do not have our lab
built yet and I'm scrambling to understand the various aspects of MPLS
better I have some (hopefully) rather simple questions:

 

Can I run layer3 between the switch and the M10i and use CCC to carry the
layer2 traffic?  For the time being I would peel off the layer2 VLAN into
the existing Cisco core which can carry it on existing VLAN trunks to it's
final destination.  The longer term will be MX boxes which are almost
deployed and then from the MX it'll go to an ERX where the VLAN will exit on
an existing VLAN trunked interface to another telco.

 

I've done some reading at
http://www.juniper.net/techpubs/en_US/junos9.5/information-products/topic-co
llections/config-guide-mpls-applications/mpls-configuring-layer-2-switching-
cross-connects-using-ccc.html

 

This probably makes me dangerous so asking for some guideance on "best way"
to accomplish this new setup.

 

One other question with the EX4200, I can it can act as a DHCP server.  The
Cisco 3825 is currently doing this task so I'd like to use the EX4200 for
this - this involves approximately 1200 leases at any given time. anyone
done that many leases on a EX4200 platform?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Paul