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3.6.2 Inbound Performance Optimization
The Inbound Performance Optimization capability was added to the Intelligent Routing Platform starting with version 4.0. The feature is based on IRP’s automated network performance metrics identification algorithm and the use of customer traffic engineering (TE) capabilities of the client’s providers.
How Inbound performance works: Inbound performance optimization
3.6.2.1 Inbound Performance Feed #
Inbound Performance Feed displays a list of inbound network performance improvements (per single IRP instance) that have been suggested, automatically applied, or manually enabled by a GMI user according to the pre-established set of Inbound Optimization rules. Each active/suggested inbound improvement entry contains the following details:
- Status indicating whether the improvement is active/inactive
- Improvement Type indicating if the improvement is Automated (suggested and activated by the system), Moderated (suggested by the system but not yet enabled by the user) or Manual (manually enabled by the user)
- Description contains the name of the rule which triggered a particular action
- TE Mark represents the Traffic Engineering community used within a particular rule
- AS Path Match / BGP Community offers details on the selection criteria of the prefixes that are due to be improved as per the rule
- Confirmation shows the time until the next improvement actuality verification
- Initial Stats displays the packet loss and latency values for the provider in the rule before the improvement
- Improvement Results displays the packet loss and latency values for the provider in the rule after the improvement activation
- Enabled On displays the time and date the improvement was activated
- Actions provides the options to enable/disable or completely delete an individual improvement.
Figure 3.6.7: Inbound Performance Feed
3.6.2.2 Inbound Performance History #
The Inbound Performance History tab displays a list of past (non-actual) improvements, with details of the time and date the improvement was deactivated.
Figure 3.6.8: Inbound Performance History
3.6.2.3 Inbound Performance Rules #
Inbound Performance Rules tab displays a list of the inbound network performance rules (per single IRP instance) created by a GMI user according to the user’s network specific needs and requirements. Each rule can be turned on/off, to enable or disable the subsequent validation of inbound traffic characteristics and the detection of possible inbound routing improvements. There are also options to instantly apply the improvement as per the rule manually, edit or delete it.
Figure 3.6.9: Inbound Performance Rules
To create a rule, click the NEW RULE button. Introduce details in the corresponding fields:
- Description – introduce the meaningful details for the rule you are about to create
- Provider – select the provider that the rule will apply to
- Provider TE marker – indicate the traffic engineering marker (a list of BGP communities) which has special meaning in context of traffic engineering capabilities of a specific provider
- Improvement Activation Threshold (Packet Loss) – indicate the packet loss value threshold (% delta worsening from the initial statistical model values)
- Improvement Activation Threshold (Packet Latency) – indicate the packet latency value threshold (% delta worsening from the initial statistical model values)
- AS Path Match / BGP Community specify the selection criteria (filter expression) of the prefixes that are due to be improved as per the rule
Filter expression
Filter expression is a boolean expression of sub-expressions:
as-path matches as-path-regex
for example:as-path matches 1 2 10-20 [40 50-60]+ (. 200)*community contains bgp-community
for example:community contains 55:66
Boolean expression supports just ‘and’ and ‘or’ operators.
For example, filter expression “
as-path matches .* 20 [^40 50] and community contains 55:66” would match an external prefix, the RIBIN record for which denotes:- as-path “90 20 60”
- community set “2:3 55:66 40:50”
As-path regex
As-path regex implements subset of juniper as path regex, relaxing group operator ‘()’ to support any expression within it. EBNF grammar:
regex = expr;expr = seq | subexpr;subexpr = repeat | term | group;seq = (subexpr, seq) | subexpr;repeat = ((group | term), "*")| ((group | term), "+")| ((group | term), "{", uint8, ",", uint8, "}";any_of = "[", {range | atom}-, "]";none_of = "[^", {range | atom}-, "]";group = "(", expr, ")";term = range | atom | wildcard | any_of | none_of;wildcard = ".";range = atom, "-", atom;atom = uint32;
Examples
Regex matches input’s start and end, as if “^regex$”. If you need to skip numbers from start or end, use combination of ‘repeat zero or more times’ with ‘wildcard’, for example
- “9 5” matches only entire as-path “9 5”, whereas
- “.* 9 5 .*” can match “1 2 10 9 5 30”
- Group and repeat on or more times operators “(. 5 6)+” can match “1 5 6 2 5 6 3 5 6”
- Repeat at least m and at most n times operator “2{3,4}” can match “2 2 2”
- Range “5-10” can match “6”
- Any of operator “5 [6 8]” can match “5 8”
- None of operator “5 [^6 8]” can match “5 9”
- The complex regex “5-10 [1 20-30]{1,2} (5 7{3,4})+ [^10]” can match “6 1 2 5 7 7 7 11”, or “6 1 25 5 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 7 11”, but not “6 1 25 5 7 7 7 10” because the path can’t end with 10
Figure 3.6.10: Creating an Inbound Performance Rule
Refer to: Inbound performance optimization configuration for the Inbound Performance configurations.
3.6.2.4 Inbound Performance Report #
Inbound Performance Report contains two graphs showing the effect of the inbound improvements on bandwidth as well as packet loss and packet latency values. The presented data is displayed in accordance with a single inbound rule and IRP instance selected.
Figure 3.6.11: Inbound Performance Report Bandwidth Graph
Figure 3.6.12: Inbound Performance Report Loss/Latency Graph