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Date:      Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:21:16 +0930 (CST)
From:      Matt Baker <matt@junior.portal.net.au>
To:        freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Multi-homed - Load Balancing - No Single Point of Failure
Message-ID:  <199708161251.WAA12886@junior.portal.net.au>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.95q.970815183418.10968A-100000@obiwan.psinet.net.au> from "Adrian Chadd" at Aug 15, 97 06:40:06 pm

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> > Given two upstream providers is it possible to use a single or two FreeBSD
> > boxes to do BGP routing and load balancing? And if so, what equipment
> > should we use? T1 Cards? Routers?
> I have a 486Dx2-66, 16mb RAM with 3 ISA Ne2000's as our main gateway box.
> Currently it handles around 450kbytes/s on each interface at peak times,
> I *also* on top of that run gated with iBGP sessions and an OSPF mesh
> for internal routing, I think with the full AS1221 route map (about 5000
> routes, describing where Australia is), about 350 routes for the local
> peering traffic, and another 50 for the OSPF mesh.. its handling it
> quite nicely :)
> 
> Now, if a FreeBSD machine can do *that* with 6000 ip route lines, I
> think its doing pretty good.

Interesting.  I'm currently looking at starting to use BGP, and this
thread is proving to be a mindfield of information! (Thanks!)
I have a couple of questions, mainly due to my lack of understanding
about BGP that I was wondering if someone could help with?
Currently our main connection to the internet is handled by a Cisco 2501,
but we have recently connected a second link via another provider.
At the moment this second link is being tested on a FreeBSD box.

>From what I've heard, the 2501 won't handle a full BGP load due to the lack
of memory.  A couple of questions:

1. Is it possible to only exist with a limited set of BGP data in Australia?
   Is this the iBGP you mention?
2. Would it be possible to let the 2501 handle the serial traffic on the
   link, with a default route to a FreeBSD box which then looks after the
   full BGP dataset?  The second link could either also hang off the 2501,
   or the FreeBSD box. 

I really don't have any problem with using FreeBSD boxes as main routers,
but we've got the 2501, so I might as well use it if possible.

thanks again, 

Matthew.
-------------
matt baker
matt@portal.net.au
Adelaide,
South Australia.



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