BGP and Peering 101 training course description

A technical overview course exploring the Internet, BGP, and peering for engineers interested in comprehending network interconnection. The course provides a foundational insight into Internet structure, Internet Exchange (IX) architectures, and BGP routing principles. Participants will learn about routing tables, BGP metrics, and how traffic is routed across networks, along with what is needed to peer at an Internet exchange. The training combines theoretical sessions with practical demonstrations that delegates can follow along with, focusing on the technical fundamentals of peering and IX services.

What will you learn

• Explain the difference between transit and peering.
• Describe how BGP works.
• Explain the methods BGP can use to influence Internet traffic.
• Use traceroute, peeringdb, route collectors and looking glasses to analyse traffic flows.
• Explain how IXs connect ISPs and the benefits of using IXs..

BGP and Peering 101 training course details

BGP and Peering 101 training course contents

• The Internet

What is a network? Types of network, LANs, WANs, connecting networks together with IP and routers. What is the Internet? The cloud. How Kenya is connected to the rest of the world.
Hands on: ipconfig, ping and traceroute on the Internet.

• Routers and routing tables

What is a router, routing tables, static routes, routing protocols. When an ISP uses static routes and when they use BGP. IP addresses, prefixes, groups of IP addresses. IPv6.
Hands on: Analysing Internet routing tables.

• The Internet and peering

ASs, AS numbers, Internet structure, ISP types, Tier 1 ISPs, eyeballs, content providers, IXs, peering vs. transit, public/private peering. Peering policies. peeringdb. The importance of keeping peeringdb up to date.
Hands on: AS information gathering. Using peeringdb.

• Basic BGP

What’s BGP? BGP versus other routing protocols, ASs, AS numbers. AfriNIC database.
Hands on: Finding AS numbers. Showing simple BGP configuration and routing tables in an EVENG example.

• How BGP works

Simple walk through of BGP incremental updates and how routes change when links go down.
Hands on: Showing packets and route changes when a link goes down/comes up.

• BGP path selection

Transit, peering, routing policy and route filtering. Longest matching rule in routing tables, route selection order, Local preference, AS prepend, MEDs. IRRs.
Hands on: Seeing BGP influencing traffic. Looking at routing policies in AfriNIC .

• IX architecture and services

Ethernet switching, data centres, redundancy. IPv4, IPv6 ports. Looking glass. DNS root servers. Private VLAN. Closed User groups. Cloud services, MAPS. DDOS protection and Remote Triggered Black Hole services.
Hands on: Looking glasses.

• Connecting with an IX

Kit needed, Locations, Interface specifications. Link aggregation. The racks and space provided, access to the racks, connecting WANs into the IX. Allowed traffic. Port security. Preparing for peering, the peering template, setting up the peering, the AfriNIC database, contacts.

• Peering configuration hints

Example Cisco BGP configuration, Example Juniper BGP configuration.

• Route servers

What are route servers? route server policy control and communities, Bi and multi lateral peering. What are route collectors, Looking glasses. Template for peering with the route server.
Hands on: Seeing the LINX route server details in peeringdb, using a looking glass.

Learning path

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