Scaling and Optimizing BGP

Course Overview

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of advanced BGP routing scalability and performance techniques essential for managing large-scale networks. You will gain practical knowledge of migrating to and configuring BGP route reflectors to overcome the limitations of traditional iBGP full-mesh architectures, significantly reducing the number of required sessions while maintaining efficient route propagation. The course also covers Cisco IOS performance enhancements—including PMTU discovery, BGP PIC, BFD, NSF awareness, and route dampening—designed to optimize router CPU resources and accelerate network convergence. Unique to this program is its detailed focus on configuring and monitoring BGP features with real Cisco IOS commands, enabling hands-on proficiency of route reflectors, peer groups, and advanced scalability mechanisms. You will understand how to implement peer groups to minimize administrative overhead and how route dampening controls instability at AS borders to improve routing reliability. By course completion, you will be equipped to design and operate scalable, high-performance BGP networks, preparing you for challenges faced in large service provider environments and full internet routing scenarios. With its blend of theory, configuration practice, and performance optimization, this course stands out as an essential resource for network engineers seeking to enhance network stability and scalability in dynamic, real-world settings.