Link Round Up - L2TPv3 FCOE Trill Wounded Warriors

I come across a lot of very interesting material each week, only some of which I write about. These are some links that I found interesting this week.

1. Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (V3) Configuration

L2TPV3 static and hairpin configuration example - my buddy Rick was nerding it out in the lab and sent a great configuration doc for L2TPv3 my way. L2TP(V3) is used to create a layer 2 pseudowire across layer 3 routed links. This is a great service provider tool that you can use in your own network, no MPLS needed :).

2. SNIA Education on FCoE

SNIA Education - Fibre Channel Over Ethernet - There is a lot of buzz going around right now about Fibre Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE). There is also a lot of misunderstanding about the fundamentals of this architecture. This Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) does an outstanding job of covering FCoE at both at an architectural level, as well as going over low level messaging structures.

3. TRILL Architecture

Trill (Rbridge) architecture - IETF internet draft - I think the last time I was this interested in an internet draft was when iSCSI was first being proposed in the IP Storage working group. Trill, in my opinion is basically a light weight version of MPLS / VPLS. It has as far as I can tell most of the advantages of this architecture, without some of the configuration and hardware requirement drawbacks. Fair warning, reading this document started a doc hunt that killed my Saturday.

4. IOS Security Update

Cisco’s Security Response to Sebastian Muniz’s IOS rootkit - Security is a very important aspect of network design. Sebastian’s IOS rootkit demonstration is going to force some customers who in the past have been “OK” with having older, possibly vulnerable IOS versions floating around to update their operational practices and start keeping their routers and switches operating systems as often as they do their servers. Thankfully, Cisco has been embracing technologies such as kernel virtual machines, in service software upgrades and more to lessen or remove the impacts of software upgrades.

5. Veterans in Technology

Turning Wounded Warriors into Network Ninjas - As a former Marine (well, always a Marine, formerly employed by the USMC) this program goes straight to the heart. Cisco is partnering with Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD, or Balboa Naval Hospital for us locals) to provide technical training to Marines and Sailors who have received service ending wounds in Afghanistan and Iraq.