Alcatel-Lucent 7450 ESS Series, Configuration Manual, Page: 60 / 540

Page 60 7450 ESS OS Router Configuration Guide
Router Configuration Overview
In an Alcatel-Lucent router, an interface is a logical named entity. An interface is created by
specifying an interface name under the
configure>router
context. This is the global router
configuration context where objects like static routes are defined. An IP interface name can be up
to 32 alphanumeric characters long, must start with a letter, and is case-sensitive; for example, the
interface name “1.1.1.1” is not allowed, but “int-1.1.1.1” is allowed.
To create an interface, the basic configuration tasks that must be performed are:
• Assign a name to the interface.
• Associate an IP address with the interface.
• Associate the interface with a network interface or the system interface.
• Configure appropriate routing protocols.
A system interface and network interface should be configured.
System Interface
The system interface is associated with the network entity (such as a specific Alcatel-Lucent
router), not a specific interface. The system interface is also referred to as the loopback address.
The system interface is associated during the configuration of the following entities:
• The termination point of service tunnels
• The hops when configuring MPLS paths and LSPs
• The addresses on a target router for BGP and LDP peering.
The system interface is used to preserve connectivity (when routing reconvergence is possible)
when an interface fails or is removed. The system interface is used as the router identifier. A
system interface must have an IP address with a 32-bit subnet mask.
Network Interface
A network interface can be configured on one of the following entities a physical port or LAG:
• A physical or logical port
• A SONET/SDH channel