Reducing BGP Timers for Network Convergence - Factors to Consider

Factors to Consider When Adjusting BGP Timers for Network Convergence

Question

A senior network designer suggests that you should improve network convergence times by reducing BGP timers between your CE router and the PE router of the service provider.

Which three factors should you to consider when you adjust the timer values? (Choose three.)

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D. E.

ABC.

When considering reducing BGP timers between the CE and PE routers of a service provider network, there are several factors that need to be taken into account to ensure that the network's overall performance is not negatively affected. The three most important factors to consider are:

  1. Access bandwidth: This is the speed of the connection between the CE and PE routers. If the bandwidth is low, reducing the BGP timers may cause a high volume of BGP updates to flood the network, which could potentially cause congestion and impact network performance. It is important to consider the bandwidth when deciding on the optimal BGP timer values.

  2. Service provider agreement: The service provider may have specific requirements for BGP timer values that they will support. If the values are not within their acceptable range, the provider may not guarantee the quality of service or support the network. It is important to check with the provider to ensure that the BGP timer values you choose are acceptable.

  3. Number of routes on the CE router: The more routes that the CE router has, the longer it will take to converge. This is because each route update must be processed and propagated throughout the network. If the BGP timers are too short, the CE router may not be able to keep up with the volume of updates, and network performance may suffer. It is important to consider the number of routes when choosing optimal BGP timer values.

Other factors that may be relevant include the number of VRFs on the PE router, as well as the service provider's scheduling of changes to the PE. However, these are typically less critical than the three factors mentioned above. Ultimately, it is important to carefully consider all of these factors when deciding on the optimal BGP timer values for your network to ensure that it performs optimally and that your service provider supports your chosen values.