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Multi-Lateral Peering Exchange

Multi-Lateral Peering Exchange (MLPE) automates peering between open networks through route servers that benefit the new peering networks and existing participants.

MLPE includes:

  • Support for IPv4 and IPv6 unicast routes
  • Redundant route servers at each location
  • Filters for false routes and participant advertisements implemented using Internet Routing Registry (IRR) tables
  • Transparently removes the MLPE ASN hop
  • BGP MD5 authentication
  • BGP community-based filtering for route announcements and AS pre-pending

Working of Multi-Lateral Peering

  1. The same VLAN and IP are shared between bilateral peering and multi-lateral peering.
  2. The peering customer establishes eBGP sessions with Equinix redundant MLPE servers.
  3. You exchange routes with the MLPE servers.
  4. MLPE server filters these routes using Internet Routing Registry Database (IRRDB) and Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI).

Request MLPE Participation

To request MLPE participation:

  1. Enter your organization’s AS-Set. You have an option to select a secure session with MD5, and a free text box for special requests.

  2. Each region is expanded to help you select the port IP address to peer with the listed locations. Multiple locations are permissible.

  3. Click on Submit MLPE Request.

To request and manage your MLPE participation, click Request MLPE participation.

For more details, click MLPE Information.

MLPE Route Server BGP Communities

All Equinix Multi-Lateral Peering Exchange (MLPE) route servers allow participants to have more control over outbound announcements of their routes using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Communities. You can allow or deny all routes, with exceptions for both, and you can allow the prepending of your ASN up to 3 times.

Tip: Using BGP Communities with the MLPE service is not mandatory. However, it is typically used by large peers to avoid taking traffic from other large peers over the MLPE.

The following sections include Community information and Cisco configuration examples.

Informational and Peer Operational Communities (sent by MLPE route server to peer)

CommunityDescriptionNotes
24115:65012RPKI Valid
24115:65023RPKI Unknown
65535:65281No ExportRFC1997
65535:65282No AdvertiseRFC1997
24115:1000:1RPKI Valid
24115:1000:2RPKI Unknown
24115:1000:3RPKI Not Checked
24115:1001:1IRRDB ValidPrefix exists in IRRDB (ASN or AS-SET)
24115:1001:2IRRDB Not CheckedStatic Prefix List
24115:1002:RSNRoute Server TracerRoute Server Marker
24115:1003:MSPeer Round Trip TimeMilliseconds
24115:1004:ASNIncoming Peer ASN

Operational Communities (received by MLPE route server from participant)

CommunityDescriptionNotes
24115:65281-65283No ExportRFC1997
65535:65281-65283No ExportRFC1997
24115:24115Default Open PolicyAnnounce to all peers
0:24115Default Closed PolicyDo not announce to any peers
24115:24115 0:ASNDefault Open except for ASNAnnounce to all peers except ASN
0:24115 24115:ASNDefault Closed Policy except for ASNDo not announce to any peers except ASN
65535:0Graceful ShutdownRFC8326
65535:666RTBH PrefixRFC7999
65501:24115Prepend 24115 1x to PrefixPrepend AS24115 to Path
65501:ASNPrepend 1x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
65502:ASNPrepend 2x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
65503:ASNPrepend 3x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
65001:40Local Preference 40
65001:50Local Preference 50
65001:140Local Preference 140
65001:150Local Preference 150
RT:0:ASNDefault Open Except for ASNAnnounce to all peers except ASN
RT:24115:ASNAllow Export to ASNAnnounce only to ASN
RT:65501:ASNPrepend Peer ASN 1x to Neighbor ASN
RT:65502:ASNPrepend Peer ASN 2x to Neighbor ASN
RT:65503:ASNPrepend Peer ASN 3x to Neighbor ASN
24115:1:24115Default Open PolicyAnnounce to all peers
24115:0:24115Default Closed PolicyDo not announce to any peers
24115:0:ASNNo Export to ASNDo not Advertise to Neighbor ASN
24115:1:ASNAllow Export to ASNAdvertise to Neighbor ASN
24115:2:MSNo Export to Neighbors above MS5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms
24115:101:ASNPrepend 1x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
24115:102:ASNPrepend 2x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
24115:103:ASNPrepend 3x to Neighbor ASNPrepend Peer AS to Path
24115:111:MSPrepend 1x for Latency above MS5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms
24115:112:MSPrepend 2x for Latency above MS5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms
24115:113:MSPrepend 3x for Latency above MS5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms

Filtered Informational Communities (only showing in Looking Glass in IX Portal)

CommunityDescriptionNotes
24115:1101:1Prefix Length too longMaximum Length IPv4: 24, IPv6: 64
24115:1101:2Prefix Length too shortMinimum Length IPv4: 24, IPv6: 64 (RTBH only)
24115:1101:3Bogon PrefixCymru IPv4 and IPv6 bogons
24115:1101:4Bogon ASN in PathBogon ASN in Path
24115:1101:5AS Path too longIPv4: 24, IPv6: 64
24115:1101:6AS Path too shortIPv4: 0, IPv6: 0
24115:1101:7Invalid First ASNFirst AS in Path not Peer AS
24115:1101:8Invalid Next Hop AddressNext Hop address is not Peer Address
24115:1101:9IRRDB Prefix not foundPrefix was not found in Peer ASN or AS-SET
24115:1101:13RPKI InvalidInvalid ROA, Origin AS, and/or Prefix Length
24115:1101:20AS LoopAS Loop in Path
24115:1102:1Advertising Peer declines PrefixAdvertising Peer Policy excludes Recipient Peer

Example Configurations Using BGP Communities

Default Open, except with AS10, AS20, and AS30

router bgp 40  
neighbor 202.79.197.126 remote-as 24115
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-in in
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-out out

# set default-open community on outbound and
# set communities to restrict annoucnements from AS10, 20 and 30.
route-map eqixsg-out permit 10
set community 24115:24115 0:10 0:20 0:30

# reject routes received from AS 10, 20 and 30
route-map eqixsg-in deny 10
match as-path 10
ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^10_
ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^20_
ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^30_

Default Closed, except AS10, AS20, and AS100030

router bgp 40  
neighbor 202.79.197.126 remote-as 24115
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-in in
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-out out

# set default-closed community on outbound and
# set communities on announcements to AS10, AS20, and AS100030
route-map eqixsg-out permit 10
set community 0:24115 24115:10 24115:20 24115:30
set extcommunity rt 0:100030

# accept routes from AS10, AS20, and AS100030
route-map eqixsg-in permit 10
match as-path 10

ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^10_
ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^20_
ip as-path access-list 10 permit ^100030_

Local Routes to Everyone, International to/from AS10 and AS100020 only

router bgp 40  
neighbor 202.79.197.126 remote-as 24115
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-in in
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-out out

# announce local routes with default open community
route-map eqixsg-out permit 10
match community 40:4000 # local routes
set community 24115:24115

# announce international routes with default closed community
# and community to announce to AS10 and AS100020 only
route-map eqixsg-out permit 20
match community 40:5000 # international routes
set community 0:24115 24115:10
set extcommunity rt 24115:100020

Prepend AS40 1x to AS10, 2x to AS20, and 3x to AS100030

router bgp 40  
neighbor 202.79.197.126 remote-as 24115
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-in in
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map eqixsg-out out
route-map eqixsg-out permit 10
set community 65501:10 65502:20
set extcommunity rt 65503:100030

Remote-Triggered Black Hole

# signals to MLPE route-servers to set next-hop as Black Hole host for configured network/host  
router bgp 40
network 1.1.1.1 mask 255.255.255.255
neighbor 202.79.197.126 remote-as 24115
neighbor 202.79.197.126 route-map RM-RTBH-OUT out
neighbor 202.79.197.126 send-community

route-map RM-RTBH-OUT permit 10
match ip address prefix-list PL-RTBH-OUT
set community 65535:666

ip prefix-list PL-RTBH-OUT seq 10 permit 1.1.1.1/32
ip route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 Null0