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
- The same VLAN and IP are shared between bilateral peering and multi-lateral peering.
- The peering customer establishes eBGP sessions with Equinix redundant MLPE servers.
- You exchange routes with the MLPE servers.
- MLPE server filters these routes using Internet Routing Registry Database (IRRDB) and Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI).
Request MLPE Participation
To request MLPE participation:
-
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.
-
Each region is expanded to help you select the port IP address to peer with the listed locations. Multiple locations are permissible.
-
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)
| Community | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24115:65012 | RPKI Valid | |
| 24115:65023 | RPKI Unknown | |
| 65535:65281 | No Export | RFC1997 |
| 65535:65282 | No Advertise | RFC1997 |
| 24115:1000:1 | RPKI Valid | |
| 24115:1000:2 | RPKI Unknown | |
| 24115:1000:3 | RPKI Not Checked | |
| 24115:1001:1 | IRRDB Valid | Prefix exists in IRRDB (ASN or AS-SET) |
| 24115:1001:2 | IRRDB Not Checked | Static Prefix List |
| 24115:1002:RSN | Route Server Tracer | Route Server Marker |
| 24115:1003:MS | Peer Round Trip Time | Milliseconds |
| 24115:1004:ASN | Incoming Peer ASN |
Operational Communities (received by MLPE route server from participant)
| Community | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24115:65281-65283 | No Export | RFC1997 |
| 65535:65281-65283 | No Export | RFC1997 |
| 24115:24115 | Default Open Policy | Announce to all peers |
| 0:24115 | Default Closed Policy | Do not announce to any peers |
| 24115:24115 0:ASN | Default Open except for ASN | Announce to all peers except ASN |
| 0:24115 24115:ASN | Default Closed Policy except for ASN | Do not announce to any peers except ASN |
| 65535:0 | Graceful Shutdown | RFC8326 |
| 65535:666 | RTBH Prefix | RFC7999 |
| 65501:24115 | Prepend 24115 1x to Prefix | Prepend AS24115 to Path |
| 65501:ASN | Prepend 1x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 65502:ASN | Prepend 2x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 65503:ASN | Prepend 3x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 65001:40 | Local Preference 40 | |
| 65001:50 | Local Preference 50 | |
| 65001:140 | Local Preference 140 | |
| 65001:150 | Local Preference 150 | |
| RT:0:ASN | Default Open Except for ASN | Announce to all peers except ASN |
| RT:24115:ASN | Allow Export to ASN | Announce only to ASN |
| RT:65501:ASN | Prepend Peer ASN 1x to Neighbor ASN | |
| RT:65502:ASN | Prepend Peer ASN 2x to Neighbor ASN | |
| RT:65503:ASN | Prepend Peer ASN 3x to Neighbor ASN | |
| 24115:1:24115 | Default Open Policy | Announce to all peers |
| 24115:0:24115 | Default Closed Policy | Do not announce to any peers |
| 24115:0:ASN | No Export to ASN | Do not Advertise to Neighbor ASN |
| 24115:1:ASN | Allow Export to ASN | Advertise to Neighbor ASN |
| 24115:2:MS | No Export to Neighbors above MS | 5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms |
| 24115:101:ASN | Prepend 1x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 24115:102:ASN | Prepend 2x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 24115:103:ASN | Prepend 3x to Neighbor ASN | Prepend Peer AS to Path |
| 24115:111:MS | Prepend 1x for Latency above MS | 5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms |
| 24115:112:MS | Prepend 2x for Latency above MS | 5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms |
| 24115:113:MS | Prepend 3x for Latency above MS | 5ms increment from 5ms to 200ms |
Filtered Informational Communities (only showing in Looking Glass in IX Portal)
| Community | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 24115:1101:1 | Prefix Length too long | Maximum Length IPv4: 24, IPv6: 64 |
| 24115:1101:2 | Prefix Length too short | Minimum Length IPv4: 24, IPv6: 64 (RTBH only) |
| 24115:1101:3 | Bogon Prefix | Cymru IPv4 and IPv6 bogons |
| 24115:1101:4 | Bogon ASN in Path | Bogon ASN in Path |
| 24115:1101:5 | AS Path too long | IPv4: 24, IPv6: 64 |
| 24115:1101:6 | AS Path too short | IPv4: 0, IPv6: 0 |
| 24115:1101:7 | Invalid First ASN | First AS in Path not Peer AS |
| 24115:1101:8 | Invalid Next Hop Address | Next Hop address is not Peer Address |
| 24115:1101:9 | IRRDB Prefix not found | Prefix was not found in Peer ASN or AS-SET |
| 24115:1101:13 | RPKI Invalid | Invalid ROA, Origin AS, and/or Prefix Length |
| 24115:1101:20 | AS Loop | AS Loop in Path |
| 24115:1102:1 | Advertising Peer declines Prefix | Advertising 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