Nokia MPLS study plan
Nokia MPLS · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
IP routing, switching and aggregation
Explain how a Nokia SR OS router builds its RIB from OSPF and IS-IS LSAs/LSPs, and state which table (RIB, FIB, LFIB) each route type populates
Configure and verify OSPF areas, interface cost, and passive interfaces on SR OS using MD-CLI, then read the resulting output to confirm adjacency state
Trace a single prefix from an IS-IS Level 2 LSP through SPF to the forwarding entry, identifying the tie-break rules that select the best path
Draw the SR OS routing table hierarchy (route-table, unicast, ECMP) and label where route preference and ECMP hashing apply
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated SR OS routing pipeline diagram plus a lab log showing OSPF and IS-IS adjacencies up with the chosen best path for three prefixes
IP routing, switching and aggregation
Configure BGP on SR OS between two ASs, and verify peer state, received routes, and advertised routes with the correct show commands
Apply and interpret BGP path-selection steps in order on a lab topology with at least two candidate paths per prefix
Configure BGP route reflection and explain why the cluster ID and originator ID attributes prevent loops
Design an aggregation scheme that summarizes customer prefixes at the area or AS boundary without creating blackholes
Your checkpoint
A BGP lab report listing, for two prefixes, each path-selection criterion evaluated in order and the resulting active path, with the configuration snippets that produced it
IP routing, switching and aggregation
Compare SR OS service constructs (VPLS, VPRN, Epipe, IES) and select the right one for three given customer scenarios
Configure an EVPN-VXLAN or EVPN-MPLS service and verify MAC and IP learning across the overlay
Configure LAG and ECMP for aggregation, and explain how hashing and per-flow load balancing behave under failure
Diagnose a deliberately broken Layer 2 service using SR OS tools and document the fault and fix
Your checkpoint
A working multi-service lab (one VPLS or EVPN service plus one VPRN) with a written fault-injection and resolution record
IP routing, switching and aggregation & IP network automation (Network Services Platform)
Configure a model-driven interface and service on SR OS using the Network Services Platform (NSP) intent-based workflow rather than CLI
Describe how NSP discovers nodes, builds its topology model, and pushes configuration through NETCONF/YANG
Compare CLI, SNMP, and model-driven (gNMI/NETCONF) management and state which NSP functions depend on each
Automate a repetitive configuration task with a script or template and verify idempotency on a second run
Your checkpoint
An NSP-deployed service demonstrated end to end, with a before/after configuration diff and a short note on idempotency of the automated task
IP network automation (Network Services Platform)
Explain the NSP architecture layers (discovery, model, intent, assurance) and which component owns each function
Build a YANG-modelled configuration template and validate it against the device schema before deployment
Use NSP assurance or telemetry data to detect and describe a degraded service condition
Design a safe automation workflow with pre-checks, commit, and rollback for a production change
Your checkpoint
A written automation runbook covering pre-checks, deployment, verification, and rollback for one service change, validated once in the lab
IP network security
Configure and verify control-plane protection on SR OS: MD5 or TCP-AO for BGP, prefix limits, and route flap damping rationale
Harden a router management plane by restricting protocols to the management interface and applying ACLs and user authentication policy
Explain how uRPF strict and loose modes behave in a multihomed topology and choose the correct mode for two scenarios
Describe Nokia's DDoS mitigation approach and where scrubbing or filtering is applied in an ISP network
Your checkpoint
A hardened router baseline configuration with a checklist mapping each control to the threat it mitigates, plus an ACL test showing permitted and denied traffic
IP network security & Optical transport and data center interconnect
Configure an IPsec or MACsec-protected link and verify that traffic is encrypted and that a key or policy mismatch fails closed
Explain how segment routing and MPLS labels interact with security boundaries such as inter-AS or inter-provider handoff
Describe optical transport fundamentals relevant to DCI: DWDM channels, ROADM add/drop, and what a coherent transponder does
Map a DCI design requirement (latency, capacity, protection) to an optical layer choice and justify the trade-off
Your checkpoint
A DCI design note that selects an optical and encryption approach for a stated requirement, with the configuration evidence from the secured link lab
IP routing, switching and aggregation & IP network automation (Network Services Platform) & IP network security & Optical transport and data center interconnect
Re-run two timed mixed-domain practice sets and record accuracy per domain to target remaining weak areas
Redo the weakest lab from weeks 1 to 7 without notes and confirm the result matches the earlier deliverable
Summarize each domain's key facts into a condensed review sheet of no more than two pages
Walk through three end-to-end scenarios that span routing, automation, security, and DCI, stating the design decision and its justification
Your checkpoint
A two-page cross-domain review sheet plus a scored practice log showing per-domain accuracy and the specific topics scheduled for final review
Milestones
Week 2: Explain BGP best-path selection in order without notes and correctly predict the active path for two prefixes in the lab
Week 4: Deploy one service through NSP end to end and reproduce the same result by rerunning the automation, confirming idempotency
Week 6: Pass a self-graded security quiz at 80 percent or better and show a hardened baseline configuration with each control justified
Week 8: Score 80 percent or better on a timed mixed-domain practice set, with no domain below 70 percent