Overview
The Configuring BGP on Cisco Routers (BGP) v4.0 course provides in-depth training on the essential foundations of the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a key component of internet and enterprise networking. Learners will develop the expertise to design, implement, and troubleshoot BGP networks using Cisco routers.
Key topics include BGP theory, configuration, and network design principles, as well as best practices for deploying BGP in customer and service provider environments. Hands-on labs and troubleshooting exercises ensure learners gain practical experience configuring and maintaining BGP networks.
Prerequisites
To successfully complete this course, learners should have:
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Cisco IOS Software configuration
- Experience configuring and troubleshooting RIP, EIGRP, OSPF, and IS-IS
- Skills and knowledge equivalent to those gained in the following Cisco courses:
- Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA)
- Implementing Cisco Enterprise Advanced Routing and Services (ENARSI)
- Implementing Cisco Service Provider Network Core Technologies (SPCOR)
Target audience
This course is designed for networking professionals who need to configure and manage BGP in enterprise or service provider environments, including:
- Network administrators
- Network engineers
- Network managers
- Systems engineers
Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot basic BGP for interdomain routing across multiple domains
- Use BGP policy controls to influence the route selection process when connecting to multiple ISPs
- Apply BGP attributes to manage routing policies for networks with multiple connections
- Implement customer-to-provider connectivity in networks requiring multiple connections to the internet
- Configure a service provider network to function as a transit autonomous system (AS)
- Enable route reflection to improve BGP scalability in a service provider network
- Optimise the scalability and performance of BGP routing
Outline
BGP overview
- Introduction to BGP and its role in interdomain routing
- BGP message types and neighbour relationships
- Configuring basic BGP on Cisco routers
BGP transit autonomous systems
- Configuring BGP for transit AS networks
- Managing BGP route advertisements and filtering
- Implementing route aggregation and summarisation
Route selection using policy controls
- Understanding BGP route maps, prefix lists, and filter lists
- Implementing inbound and outbound BGP policies
- Controlling route advertisements and suppressing unwanted routes
Route selection using attributes
- Overview of BGP attributes and their role in path selection
- Configuring and manipulating BGP attributes, including AS path, local preference, and MED
- Implementing traffic engineering techniques with BGP
Customer to provider connectivity with BGP
- Establishing BGP peering with internet service providers
- Implementing dual-homed and multi-homed BGP configurations
- Managing customer BGP routing policies
Scaling service provider networks
- Implementing route reflectors for improved BGP scalability
- Understanding BGP confederations and their role in large-scale networks
- Managing BGP peering in large service provider environments
Optimising BGP scalability
- Techniques for improving BGP convergence time and stability
- Implementing graceful restart and fast failover mechanisms
- Troubleshooting BGP scalability and performance issues
Exams and assessments
This course does not include a formal certification exam. However, learners will complete knowledge checks, troubleshooting scenarios, and hands-on lab exercises to reinforce their understanding of BGP configuration and best practices.
Hands-on learning
Learners will participate in practical exercises and real-world lab scenarios, including:
- Configuring BGP peering and route advertisement policies
- Applying BGP filtering, attributes, and policy-based routing
- Troubleshooting common BGP issues using Cisco IOS tools
- Implementing route reflectors and optimising BGP scalability
What's included
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