General Information

• What is the ZebOS® Network Platform?
  
• What is the architecture of the ZebOS Network Platform?
  
• What types of customers use the ZebOS Network Platform software?
  
• What kinds of licensing are available for the ZebOS Network Platform?
  
• Can the ZebOS Network Platform be evaluated before purchasing?
  
• Which operating systems does the ZebOS Network Platform support?
  
• Which processors does the ZebOS Network Platform support?
  
• What kind of testing does IP Infusion execute to validate the functionality, performance, and interoperability of the ZebOS Network Platform?
  
• Is the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) required to run the protocol modules?
  
• Does IP Infusion support SNMP APIs?
  
• Does IP Infusion support TCP/IP stack?
  
• What are the ZebOS Basic Access, Tunneling & Transition Modules?
  
• What is the 6to4 transition protocol?
  
• What is ISATAP?
  
• What is Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)?

Customer Support

• Does the product come with documentation for users and developers?
  
• What types of support services are available for the ZebOS Network Platform?
  
• If I am already a customer of the ZebOS Network Platform, how do I get upgrades for the latest release?
  
• What are the technical support hours of operation?
  
• Do you have a Web-based technical assistance center?

MPLS Switches

• What MPLS capabilities exist in the ZebOS Network Platform?
  
• Does the BGP Protocol Module support VPN extensions for MPLS-VPN support?
  
• Which modules are required to run MPLS-VPN?
  
• Does the OSPF Protocol Module support traffic engineering extensions?
  
• Does IP Infusion support CSPF?
  
• What is CSPF? And what does it do?
  
• What is RSVP-TE?
  
• Does IP Infusion support RSVP-TE? And which RFCs does it support?
  
• Does IP Infusion support RSVP-TE Fast Reroute?
  
• What is RSVP-TE Fast Reroute?
  
• Does ZebOS support DiffServ?
  
• Does ZebOS support DiffServ extensions?
  
• What is CR-LDP?
  
• Does IP Infusion support CR-LDP? And which RFCs?
  
• Does IP Infusion support the Martini draft?
  
• Which drafts are used in the ZebOS MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit Module?
  
• Is the MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit Module independent of operating systems?
  
• Does ZebOS Network Platform support Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS)? What are the benefits of VPLS?

Unicast Routers

• Which RFCs do the protocol modules for OSPF, BGP, and RIP (IPv4 and IPv6) support?
  
• Does the ZebOS Network Platform support IPv6 protocols?
  
• Does ZebOS support OSPFv3 Traffic Engineering?
  
• Is there a BGP Protocol Module for IPv4 and another for IPv6?
  
• Does IP Infusion support Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System for IPv6 (IS-IS6)?
  
• Does ZebOS IS-IS support CSPF?
  
• Which standards are used in IS-IS?
  
• Does the IS-IS Module support Traffic Engineering extensions?
  
• Does the IS-IS Module support SNMP MIBs?
  
• Is the IS-IS module independent of operating systems?
  
• What is Virtual Routing? And what are its benefits?
  
• Does ZebOS support Virtual Routing for RIP?

Multicast Routers

• Does IP Infusion support Multicast?
  
• Does IP Infusion support Multicast for IPv6?
  
• Does the PIM-SM Module support SNMP MIBs?
  
• Does ZebOS support Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP)?
  
• Does the ZebOS Network Services Module provide High Availability support?
  
• Does IP Infusion support Redundancy?
  
• What is Routing Redundancy?

Management

• What are IMI and IMI Shell?

Layer-2

• Does ZebOS Network Platform support Layer-2 Bridging capabilities?
  
• What is the ZebOS Layer-2 Protocol Modules offering?
  
• Does IP Infusion provide Layer-2 bundling options?
  

General Information

Q: What is the ZebOS Network Platform (Network Platform)?
A: IP Infusion’s ZebOS Network Platform is one of the most widely used, advanced IP routing, multicast, Layer-2 switching and MPLS software solutions available on the market today. The Network Platform has a unique modular, scalable architecture that allows vendors to rapidly integrate routing and switching protocols into their platforms. Furthermore, ZebOS is not only one of the first routing suites that fully supports OSPFv2 and v3, BGP-4+, RIPv1 and v2, RIPng, IS-ISv4/v6, multicast, MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE, DiffServ, CR-LDP, MPLS Layer 2 Virtual Circuit, and VPLS), virtual routing and routing redundancy, but also one of the most widely used, platform-independent, portable enhanced IP services software solutions on the market.

Q: What is the architecture of the ZebOS Network Platform?
A: The ZebOS Network Platform utilizes a scalable, modular architecture for routing and switching software. ZebOS protocols are built on the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM), which manages the route table and each of the enabled protocols as well as performs route conversion and redistribution. ZebOS supports a number of protocol modules for both IPv4 and IPv6 routing, which includes OSPFv2, OSPFv3, BGP-4+, RIP, and RIPng. In addition, it supports an MPLS-VPN capability through MPLS-LDP and MPLS Forwarder Modules, BGP-VPN extensions, and MPLS CR-LDP and RSVP-TE signaling protocols. Also supported is an extensive suite of Layer-2 functions, including Spanning Tree, VLAN, and Multicast support. The ZebOS NSM and each of the protocol modules run as separate processes, rather than as a single image. This provides a modular design that is more extensible, provides easier configurability, and is inherently more stable than a single process implementation. Additionally, the NSM is a platform for future IP Infusion products and features.

Q. Which types of customers use the ZebOS Network Platform software?
A. Primarily, access, edge, enterprise switch, and core equipment manufacturers that do not want to spend the extra time developing and testing network software use the source code version of our software. We also provide server versions of our software suite, the ZebOS Server Routing Suite, that are primarily used by service providers and end-users for a variety of applications, including: replacing expensive routers with server appliances, billing, provisioning, and route servers. With our new MPLS-VPN capability, ZebOS is especially suited for provider edge applications.

Q. Which kinds of licensing are available for the ZebOS Network Platform?
A. IP Infusion provides Source code licensing. Please contact your local sales representative for more information on licensing.

Q. Can the ZebOS Network Platform be evaluated before purchasing?
A. Yes, evaluation licenses are available. Please contact your local sales representative for more information on evaluation licenses.

Q. Which operating systems does the ZebOS Network Platform support?
A. ZebOS is platform-independent. Because it is provided as source codewith a Platform Abstraction layer, it can be easily adapted to support various operating systems and real-time OS. ZebOS presently supports a number of operating systems, including: Linux, MontaVista, VxWorks, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris. In addition, there is an API layer to the operating system that allows forward table updates to be sent to the operating system.

Q. Which processors does the ZebOS Network Platform support?
A. The Network Platform presently supports Intel® Pentium (IA32), MIPS, Motorola® PowerPC®, and Sun® SparcT processors. However, due to its modular architecture featuring a Platform Abstraction Layer, it can be ported to any processor on the market.

Q. What kind of testing does IP Infusion execute to validate the functionality, performance, and interoperability of the ZebOS Network Platform?
A. IP Infusion does extensive unit testing, internal interoperability testing using the Empirix ANVL tool, interoperability lab testing at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab, as well as detailed performance testing using the IXIA performance tool. In addition, we test interoperability between ZebOS, Cisco, Juniper, Foundry Networks, and other popular routers. Our Web site contains more information and technical papers on our testing methodologies. IP Infusion offers detailed performance analysis upon request from local sales representative.

Q. Is the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) required to run the protocol modules?
A. The ZebOS NSM is critical to support operating system functions and management interfaces. All of the protocol modules run on top of the ZebOS NSM. However, customers can adapt the ZebOS protocol modules to run in legacy environments either independently or with the help of IP Infusion’s Professional Services team. Contact IP Infusion for more information.

Q. Does IP Infusion support SNMP APIs?
A. Yes, this feature supports configuration of SNMP through API.

Q. Does IP Infusion support TCP/IP stack?
A. Yes, IPv4 and IPv6 dual TCP/IP.

Q. What function is provided by the Intel Interface Mapper?
A. A network processor API mapper to support the forwarding interface (NPpai) between ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) and Intel CP/PDK software on an IXP2400 platform is supported.

Q. What are the ZebOS Basic Access, Tunneling & Transition Modules?
A. ZebOS Network Platform offers a series of interfaces to configure and manage network services, such as DHCP, DNS, NAT, ACL & PPPoE (included in the Linux operating system) as well as 6to4, ISATAP, GRE and IP-in-IP encapsulation modules.

Q. What is the 6to4 transition protocol?
A. The 6to4 transition protocol is a transition mechanism that provides a way to connect IPv6 end-site networks by automatically tunneling over the intervening IPv4 Internet.

Q. What is ISATAP?
A. ISATAP is an IPv6 transition mechanism that allows IPv6-in-IPv4 tunnels to be created automatically within a site. Each host queries an ISATAP router within the site to obtain address and routing information. Packets sent to the IPv6 Internet are routed via the ISATAP router, and packets destined for other hosts within the same site are tunneled directly to the destination.

Q. What is Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)?
A. GRE is a mechanism for encapsulating any network layer protocol over any other network layer protocol. The general specification is described in RFC 1701, and the encapsulation of IP packets over IP is defined in RFC 1702 as a specific implementation of GRE Layer-2 Technology Details.

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Customer Support

Q. Does the product come with documentation for users and developers?
A. Yes. We provide an extensive set of documentation, including: Command References, and Developer, Installation, and Configuration Guides.

Q. What types of support services are available for the ZebOS Network Platform?
A. IP Infusion provides annual support contracts. Our support engineers are all highly skilled network and routing engineers with experience in all the routing protocols for IPv4 and IPv6, as well as Layer 2 switching protocols. Please see our support Web page for more details on our support services.

Q. If I am already a customer of the ZebOS Network Platform, how do I get upgrades for the latest release?
A. If you are currently under a maintenance contract, you can send an email to support@ipinfusion.com requesting the ZebOS verison.

Q. What are the technical support hours of operation?
A. IP Infusion technical support is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (US Pacific Time), and Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.pm. (Indian Standard Time), and is closed on IP Infusion holidays (New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day). Please see our support site for more details on the list of holidays.

Q. Do you have a Web-based technical assistance center?
A. Yes, IP Infusion offers an Online Support Website that is accessible with a secure account and password. As a customer, you can request technical support, and check the status of your cases via the web-based ClearQuest call tracking system; obtain maintenance updates; and access product documentation.

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MPLS Switches

Q. What MPLS capabilities exist in the ZebOS Network Platform?
A. Network Platform has LDP and MPLS Forwarder Modules that are integrated with our BGP-VPN extensions to provide full MPLS-VPN support. ZebOS also supports CR-LDP and RSVP-TE signaling for MPLS.

Q. Does the BGP Protocol Module support VPN extensions for MPLS-VPN support?
A. Yes, please see the BGP-4+ Protocol Module spec sheet for more details on BGP-VPN extensions and MPLS-VPN support. The BGP-VPN extensions are an optional feature of the BGP-4+ Protocol Module.

Q. Which modules are required to run MPLS-VPN?
A. Basically, you need the ZebOS Network Services Module, the ZebOS BGP-4+ Protocol Module with the optional BGP-VPN extensions, the ZebOS MPLS-LDP Module, and the ZebOS MPLS Forwarder Module. Please refer to our application note on MPLS BGP-VPN for more details on this exciting feature.

Q. Does the OSPF Protocol Module support traffic engineering extensions?
A. Yes, the Network Platform supports the draft-katz-yeung-ospf-traffic-04 traffic engineering extensions. In addition, the OSPFv2 Protocol Module supports the Opaque LSA Option. With our MPLS Traffic Engineering capability, the OSPF-TE features interact with a CSPF based Traffic Engineering Database to provide dynamic link information to RSVP-TE and other signaling protocols.

Q. Does IP Infusion support CSPF?
A. Yes.

Q. What is CSPF? And what does it do?
A. CSPF stands for the Constrained Shortest Path First algorithm. The CSPF module calculates, on demand, an optimum explicit route (ER) based on the specified constraints, using TED (Traffic Engineering Database) and pre-existing LSPs. The resulting ER is used by a signaling protocol (RSVP-TE or CR-LDP) for setting up Label Switched Paths (LSP).

Q. What is RSVP-TE?
A. Resource ReSerVation Protocol with Traffic Engineering extension is a signaling protocol used for establishment of LSPs.

Q. Does IP Infusion support RSVP-TE? And which RFCs does it support?
A. Yes. RFC2205, RFC2210, & RFC3209.

Q. Does IP Infusion support RSVP-TE Fast Reroute?
A. Yes. Starting from release 7.1, the Network Platform supports an optional Fast Reroute module for RSVP-TE.

Q. What is RSVP-TE Fast Reroute?
A. Fast Reroute is a mechanism that facilitates fast local repair of LSPs, in case of link or node failures. It extends RSVP to request link or node protection by appending a Fast Reroute object in the Path message, which indicates to downstream LSRs that a locally generated backup LSP should be setup to back up this Protected LSP, in case the downstream link or node fails.

Q. Does ZebOS support DiffServ?
A. Yes. By implementing RFC3270, ZebOS now supports DiffServ extensions for RSVP-TE.

Q. Does ZebOS support DiffServ extensions?
A. Yes, to provide Quality of Service (QoS) in today's networks, many QoS methods and models have been proposed, such as Integrated Services (Intserv) and Differentiated Services (Diffserv). ZebOS provides two methods to take advantage of DiffServ:
1) RSVPTE-DS - ZebOS implementation of RFC 3270 provides a flexible solution for support of Differentiated Services over MPLS networks. The extensions enable RSVP-TE to set up a DiffServ LSP using RSVP signaling. The DiffServ Object is added into the RSVP Path message, and passed on into the next node. ZebOS supports both the EXP-Inferred PHB Scheduling Class LSP (E-LSP) and Label-Only-Inferred PHB Scheduling Class LSP (L-LSP).
2) RSVPTE-DSTE - ZebOS implementation of draft-ietf-tewg-diff-te-proto-04.txt allows achieving a finer-grained optimization of transmission resources and further enhanced network performance and efficiency; it is desirable to perform traffic engineering at a per-diffserv-class level, instead of at an aggregate level, unlike RFC3270. By mapping the traffic from a given Diffserv class of service to a separate LSP, it allows this traffic to utilize resources available to the given class on both shortest paths and non-shortest paths, and follow paths that meet engineering constraints, which are specific to the given class. This technique is what we refer to as "Diff-Serv aware Traffic Engineering (DSTE)".

Q. What is CR-LDP?
A. Constraint-based Routing using Label Distribution Protocol (CR-LDP) provides the signaling mechanism for path setup, teardown, and maintenance in traffic engineering of service provider backbone networks.

Q. Does IP Infusion support CR-LDP? And which RFCs?
A. Yes, RFC3212.

Q. Does IP Infusion support the Martini draft?
A. Yes, The ZebOS Network Platform supports an IETF draft Martini in its MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit Module.

Q. What drafts are used in the ZebOS MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit Module?
A. Draft-ietf-l2circuite-encap-mpls-04.txt and draft-ietf-l2circuite-trans-mpls-08.txt.

Q. Is the MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit Module independent of operating systems?
A. There are two parts to the Martini draft, control-plane and data-plane. The control-plane has no OS dependencies, but the data-plane only runs on Linux.

Q. Does ZebOS Network Platform support Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS)? What are the benefits of VPLS?
A. Yes, ZebOS Network Platform provides an IETF-compliant implementation of VPLS. The ZebOS VPLS Module includes VPLS control plane and MPLS Layer-2 Virtual Circuit (VC) support. The VPLS technology allows service providers to easily configure multipoint-to-multipoint Layer-2 Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels between customer sites. VPLS, in conjunction with MPLS Layer 2 VC, allows multiple customer sites connected across a MPLS network to share a single bridged domain. So, all customer sites appear to be on the same Local Area Network (LAN), regardless of their geographical location. The ZebOS VPLS Module complies with the IETF drafts draft-lasserre-vkompella-ppvpn-vpls-03.txt, draft-martini-l2circuit-trans-mpls-9.txt and draft-martini-l2circuit-encap-mpls-04.txt.

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Unicast Routers

Q. Which RFCs do the protocol modules for OSPF, BGP, and RIP (IPv4 and IPv6) support?
A. Detailed spec sheets are available for each of the protocol modules, as well as the ZebOS Network Services Module. See our products page on the Web site to download the PDF versions.

Q. Does the ZebOS Network Platform support IPv6 protocols?
A. Yes. It is the first commercially available package that fully supports OSPFv3, BGP-4+, and RIPng. Because of the modularity of the Network Platform, customers can deploy subsets of the protocol modules. For example, a customer can start with the IPv4 Protocol Modules, and then add the IPv6 Protocol Modules later, as they are required.

Q. Does ZebOS support OSPFv3 Traffic Engineering?
A. Yes, in fact, IP Infusion CTO, Kunihiro Ishiguro, wrote the draft-ietf-ospf-ospfv3-traffic-01.txt. IP Infusion is the first to have source code available in the market.

Q. Is there a BGP Protocol Module for IPv4 and another for IPv6?
A. No, the way the RFCs are written, the IPv6 extensions are added directly to the BGP-4 Protocol Module. Therefore, IP Infusion provides a BGP-4+ Protocol Module that includes both IPv4 and IPv6 support. In the case of RIP and OSPF, separate protocol modules are provided for IPv4 and IPv6 support.

Q. Does IP Infusion support Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS)?
A. Yes. The ZebOS Network Platform supports an IETF-compliant implementation of IS-IS.

Q. Does IP Infusion support Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System for IPv6 (IS-IS6)?
A. Yes. The ZebOS Network Platform supports an IETF-compliant implementation of IS-IS for IPv6.

Q. Does ZebOS IS-IS supports CSPF?
A. Yes. Constraint Shortest Path First (CSPF) is supported for IS-IS, as well as for OSPF.

Q. What standards are used in IS-IS?
A. The ISO-10589 and RFC-1195 are used in IP Infusion's IS-IS Module.

Q. Does the IS-IS Module support Traffic Engineering extensions?
A. Yes, it is an implementation of "draft-ietf-isis-traffic-04.txt".

Q. Does the IS-IS Module support SNMP MIBs?
A. Yes, SNMP MIBs have been implemented since release 5.0.

Q. Is the IS-IS Module independent of operating systems?
A. For the most part it is independent of the OS, but it relies on a hardware Ethernet driver to forward packets.

Q. What is Virtual Routing? And what are its benefits?
A. Virtual Routing (VR) allows service providers to provision existing dedicated services to customers, without incurring related overhead cost, by consolidating multiple routers into a single router. VR helps with equipment footprints and all their associated costs, as well as ease of management. Each VR is a separate instance of the routing protocols, and has its own management interface.

Q. Does ZebOS support Virtual Routing for RIP?
A. Yes, similar to OSPFv2 and BGP-4, ZebOS supports Virtual Routing for RIPv1/v2.

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Multicast Router

Q. Does IP Infusion support Multicast?
A. Yes, ZebOS Network Platform supports PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast - SpNetwork Platforme Mode).

Q. Does IP Infusion support Multicast for IPv6?
A. Yes, ZebOS Network Platform 7.1 (and later) supports PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast - SpNetwork Platforme Mode) for IPv6.

Q. Does the PIM-SM Module support SNMP MIBs?
A. Yes, SNMP MIBs have been implemented since 5.0.

Q. Does ZebOS support Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP)?
A. Yes, ZebOS DVMRP runs as a separate daemon serviced by the ZebOS NSM daemon. The DVMRP Routing Information Block (DRIB) is a system-wide structure, encompassing all multicast routes in a DVMRP-enabled router.

Q. Does the ZebOS Network Services Module provide High Availability Support?
A. Yes, the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) supports an optional VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) module. When configured with the NSM, this allows a backup router to take over for the primary router, in case of any failures. In addition, BGP graceful restart capability is available in our BGP-4 Protocol Module.

Q. Does IP Infusion support Redundancy?
A. Yes, via the Routing Redundancy Protocol.

Q. What is Routing Redundancy?
A. The Routing Redundancy protocol provides a synchronization mechanism between primary and backup routing blades in a router.

Q. What is IMI and IMI Shell?
A. Integrated Management Interface (IMI) and IMI Shell Modules provide complete, unified management of the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) and the individual ZebOS Network Platform routing protocols. ZebOS IMI allows a system administrator to start, stop, reconfigure and monitor all of the ZebOS daemons during one continuous Telnet session. The ZebOS IMI Shell is a client that connects to the IMI, and provides advanced I/O functions. ZebOS IMI and IMI Shell enable hardware manufacturers to easily add a complete management system, with an industry-standard CLI, to their routing and switching equipment.

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Layer-2 Modules

Q. Does ZebOS Network Platform support Layer-2 Bridging capabilities?
A. Yes, ZebOS Network Platform offers Ethernet bridging and Spanning Tree, Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP) and Multiple Spanning Tree (MSTP) protocols for the Linux operating system. The Layer-2 Modules leverage the command line interface and the kernel management tools of the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM) to provide a full Layer-2 bridging solution.

Q. What is the ZebOS Layer-2 Protocol Modules offering?
A. The ZebOS Layer-2 Protocol Modules are a family of Ethernet bridging, Spanning Tree, Multicast and VLAN software packages that provide advanced Layer-2 functionality for vendors building routing and switching equipment. Each Layer-2 Protocol Module leverages the command line interface and the kernel management of the ZebOS Network Services Module (NSM). The Layer-2 family includes Ethernet MAC bridging, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP), VLAN and hardware forwarding APIs, IGMP Snooping, GARP Multicast Registration Protocol (GMRP), GARP VLAN Registration protocol (GVRP), Port and Protocol VLAN classification (802.1v), VLAN Stacking, 802.1x Port Authentication, and Link Aggregation (802.3ad).

Q. Does IP Infusion provide Layer-2 bundling options?
A. Yes. In addition to the individual protocol modules, the ZebOS Layer-2 family offers Core, Advanced, and Advanced VLAN bundled options. 1) The Core Bundle includes the Rapid Spanning Tree Module and the VLAN & Prioritization with SVL and IVL Module. 2) The Advanced Bundle includes the Multiple Spanning Tree Module, IGMP Snooping Module, and the GMRP Module. 3) The Advanced VLAN Bundle includes the Port and Protocol VLAN Classification Module, GVRP Module, and VLAN Stacking Module.