HL039: Accelerated Interoperability & Troubleshooting HP Networks, Rev. 11.31

This accelerated course combines Troubleshooting HP Networks and HP Networking Interoperability into a single week to help you learn to design and implement multivendor networks that include HP A-Series, HP E-Series, and Cisco switches. The course focuses on the key differences between platforms, such as VLAN configuration, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), link aggregation, and Network Address Translation (NAT).

This accelerated course also helps you improve your troubleshooting skills on both the HP A-Series and E-Series switches by focusing on troubleshooting methodologies and practices in medium to enterprise networks. The course is built around the IETF 5 Layer Model and includes a number of labs covering topics that include troubleshooting VLANs, OSPF routing, and Spanning Tree issues.

Certification:

• HP ASE - Network Infrastructure [2011]

What You Will Learn

• Design and implement multivendor networks containing HP A-Series, HP E-Series, and Cisco switches and routers
• Identify and solve issues that can arise when combining vendor-specific proprietary protocols and industry-standard IEEE-based protocols
• Support and correct issues in LAN switching and in routed, multiple subnet network deployments
• Develop a troubleshooting methodology to isolate and correct problems in complex networks

Audience

IT professionals who design, implement, and support network solutions based on HP A-Series, HP E-Series, and Cisco switches and technologies, including systems engineers, systems designers, customer IT staff, and HP services field and call center support engineers.

Prerequistes

• HP ProCurve ASE 2006 (or later) certification
• CCNP certification
• H3CSE certification

Course Outline

1. HP Networking Interoperability

• Multivendor networks: challenges and opportunities
• Interoperability goals

2. Switch Management

• Enabling basic remote management
• Management scenario 1
  • Cisco
  • HP A-Series
  • HP E-Series
• Setting up a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on an HP A-Series switch
• IMC discovery
• Advanced and secured management
• Management scenario 2
  • Cisco
  • HP A-Series
• Information center on HP A-Series switches
  • Classification of system information
  • Eight levels of system information
  • Seven output destinations and ten channels of system information
  • Ten channels of system information
  • Default output rules of system information
  • Info-center source
• Configuring SNMP NMS
• LLDP and CDP
• IEEE 802.1AB LLDP and CDP
  • HP E-Series
  • HP A-Series
  • Cisco
• Useful show and display commands

3. VLANs

• Configuring and managing VLANs
• Terminology
  • Access, trunk, and hybrid ports on HP A-Series switches
• VLAN configuration scenario
• VLAN configuration on Cisco
  • VLAN creation and trunk ports
  • Access and voice ports
• VLAN routing on Cisco
• DHCP relay on Cisco
• VLAN configuration on HP A-Series
  • VLAN creation and trunk ports
  • Access and voice ports
• VLAN routing on HP A-Series
• DHCP relay on HP A-Series
• VLAN configuration on HP E-Series
• VLAN routing on HP E-Series
• DHCP relay on HP E-Series
• Dynamic VLAN creation: VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) and GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP)
• VTP vs. GVRP
• GVRP and VTP on the same network
• GVRP operations
• Trunk and static VLANs: A best practice?

4. Link Aggregation

• Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) regions
• MSTP BPDUs
• Common Spanning Tree
• Setup required to enable load balancing
• Mapping VLANs to MST instances
• Is MSTP "aware" of the VLAN setup?
• MSTP design options
• Setting up VLANs on uplinks
• Instances and VLAN settings: Activity
• MSTP setting: Activity
• Adding a new VLAN on a switch implementing MSTP
• Assigning a VLAN to an MST instance
• Strategies to place VLANs in MSTP instances
• MSTP: Path costs
• Configuring MSTP
• IOS requirements for MSTP on Cisco
• Cisco and HP MSTP scenario
  • HP A-Series switch configurations
  • HP E-Series switch configurations
• Troubleshooting MSTP
• Conclusion: MSTP on Cisco and HP switches

5. Implementing MSTP on Cisco and HP Switches

• Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+) and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) interoperability
• STP/Rapid STP (RSTP) vs. Cisco PVST+/Rapid PVST+
• PVST+ vs. MSTP
• Spanning Tree BPDUs
• Cisco PVST+
  • BPDUs sent on trunk ports
  • BPDUs sent on access ports
• Spanning Tree BPDUs
• BPDUs sent and interpreted
• Resulting topology
• STP: Port cost differences
• Cisco and HP scenario 1
  • PVST+/STP interoperability
  • VLAN topologies
• Considering STP port cost differences
• Cisco and HP scenario 1
  • Cisco switch configurations
  • HP A-Series switch configuration
  • HP E-Series switch configuration
• Setup required in VLAN 1
• Cisco view in other VLANs
• Cisco and HP scenario 2: Cisco switch configurations
• Other Cisco switches in the access layer
• Purpose of load balancing
• Cisco and HP scenario 3: HP in aggregation
  • With MSTP and PVST+
  • Configuration

6. Interoperability Among PVST+, Rapid PVST+, and MSTP

• Disabling STP on HP edge switches
• What happens when STP is disabled on the HP edge switch?
• Configuring the HP switch to disable STP
• Configuring smart link
• Smart link on HP A-Series switches
• Simple smart link configuration
• Smart link and load balancing
  • Topology change mechanisms
• Smart link status
• Configuring monitor link
• Monitor link on HP A-Series switches
• Monitor link configuration

7. Redundancy without STP

• Spanning Tree problems
• Hardening STP
• Spanning Tree hardening features
• Setting edge ports and non-edge ports
• UDLD and DLDP
  • Interoperability
• Why unidirectional links cause problems
• STP hardening on edge ports
• BPDU guard = BPDU protection
• HP loop protect (HP E-Series)
• TCN guard
• BPDU filter: Disabling STP on individual ports
• STP hardening on Cisco
• STP hardening on HP A-Series
• STP hardening on HP E-Series
• STP hardening on uplinks
• Root guard
  • Spanning Tree root guard configuration
• Loop guard
  • Spanning Tree loop guard configuration

8. Link Aggregation

• Link aggregation and interoperability
• Link aggregation modes
  • Interoperability between modes: What works?
• Link aggregation load balancing options
• IRF, link aggregation, and interoperability
  • IRF in the distribution layer
  • IRF in the distribution and access layers
  • IRF in the core and distribution layers
• Static link aggregation configuration
• Static LACP link aggregation configuration
• VLAN trunking and link aggregation
• Troubleshooting link aggregation

9. Virtual IP Protocols

• Virtual IP concepts
• HSRP, GLBP, and Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) comparison
  • Interoperability
  • Authentication
  • Preempt delay
  • Load balancing
  • Tracking interface and remote IP
  • Stateful NAT
  • Virtual MAC
  • Multicast IP
• Comparing IRF to virtual IP protocols
• VRRP on Cisco
• Virtual IP design cases
• Default gateway redundancy with HSRP and VRRP
• Default gateway redundancy with IRF
  • Operational planes (control, management, and forwarding)
  • Operational planes in IRFv2
• Load balancing with GLBP and VRRP (HP A-Series devices)
• Load balancing with IRF
• Next hop router in static rout

  Course Labs

  Lab 1: Managing VLANs on HP A-Series, HP-E-Series, and Cisco switches

  • Center (IMC) to discover HP A-Series, HP-E-Series, and Cisco switches
  • Create templates in IMC to secure access to HP A-Series, HP-E-Series, and Cisco switches

  Lab 2: Configuring VLANs

  • Configure VLANs, trunk ports, and access ports
  • Configure IP addresses, IP routing, and DHCP
  • Configure VTP and GVRP

  Lab 3: Implementing MSTP on Cisco and HP Switches

  • Configure MSTP on Cisco and HP switches
  • Test the MSTP operations on Cisco and HP switches
  • Verify that switches in different regions can interoperate through RSTP
  • Understand the implications of MSTP not being VLAN-aware

  Lab 4: Configuring PVST+/MSTP Interoperability: Cisco at the Aggregation Layer

  • Configure interoperation in an environment in which HP switches implement MSTP at the edge and Cisco switches implement PVST+ at the aggregation layer (or core)
  • Test interoperability between MSTP on HP-Edge switches and PVST+ on Cisco aggregation switches
  • Verify that switches interoperate in VLAN 1 using standard STP and RSTP

  Lab 5: Configuring PVST+/MSTP Interoperability: HP at the Aggregation Layer

  • Configure interoperation in an environment in which Cisco switches implement PVST+ at the edge and HP switches implement MSTP at the aggregation layer (or core)
  • Test interoperability between PVST+ on Cisco edge switches and MSTP on HP aggregation switches
  • Verify that switches can use STP and RSTP to interoperate on VLAN 1

  Lab 6: Implementing Redundant Links Without STP

  • Implement redundant links on HP switches without using STP
  • Configure smart links groups on HP A-Series switches
  • Implement monitor link groups on HP A-Series switches

  Lab 7: Configuring Spanning Tree Hardening

  • Harden Spanning Tree functions on Cisco and HP switches
  • Test the hardening features and understand their effects

  Lab 8: Configuring Link Aggregation and IRF

  • Configure IRF on HP A-Series switches
  • Create a link-aggregation between a Cisco switch and the HP IRF virtual device

  Lab 9: Configuring VRRP

  • Configure VRRP on HP A-Series switches
  • Migrate access layer switches from Cisco aggregation layer switches to HP distribution switches
  • Migrate the PCs from using the HSRP virtual IP address for their default router to using the VRRP virtual IP address

  Lab 10: Configuring OSPF Areas

  • Define an OSPF area
  • Configure router summarization for OSPF areas

  Lab 11: Configuring OSPF Redistribution

  • Enable OSPF redistribution
  • Configure filters to control which routes are redistributed

  Lab 12: Layer 2 Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution

  • Using the troubleshooting methodology described in this course
  • Analyzing and isolating VLAN switching problems
  • Correcting issues with VLAN switching

  Lab 13: Layer 3 Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution

  • Using the Layer 3 troubleshooting tools
  • Analyzing, isolating, and correcting OSPF routing problems
  • Analyzing, isolating, and correcting addressing problems
  • Analyzing, isolating, and correcting interVLAN and VRRP problems

  Lab 14: Troubleshooting Routing Protocol Issues

  • Scenarios and practice with Layer 3 tools
  • Trouble tickets regarding OSPF routing issues
  • Trouble tickets regarding addressing issues
  • Trouble tickets regarding interVLAN issues

  Lab 15: VLAN Routing Issues

  • Build skills in identifying common issues with interVLAN routing
  • Reinforce usage of a structure approach to trouble shooting

  Lab 16: Layer 4 Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution

  • Troubleshooting TCP, UDP, and PAT network problems
  • Distinguishing between Layer 3 networking and Layer 4 transport issues
  • Resolving common transport layer problems

  Lab 17: Layer 5 Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution

  • Troubleshooting common Layer 5 application problems
  • Common problems around application unavailability, poor application performance, and poor quality (VoIP)
  • Utilize the HP troubleshooting methodology for problem solving

  Lab 18: Troubleshooting a Complex Integrated Multiprotocol Network

  • Troubleshooting HP network problems at all layers
  • Utilize the HP troubleshooting methodology for problem solving
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