Re: Layer 2 vs. Layer 3 to TOR

[Jonathan Lassoff <jof () thejof com>]

Excerpts from David Coulson's message of Thu Nov 12 13:07:35 -0800 2009:
> You could route /32s within your L3 environment, or maybe even leverage 
> something like VPLS - Not sure of any TOR-level switches that MPLS 
> pseudowire a port into a VPLS cloud though.

I was recently looking into this (top-of-rack VPLS PE box). Doesn't seem
to be any obvious options, though the new Juniper MX80 sounds like it
can do this.  It's 2 RU, and looks like it can take a DPC card or comes
in a fixed 48-port GigE variety.

I like the idea of doing IP routing to a top-of-rack or edge device, but
have found others to be skeptical.

Are there any applications that absolutely *have* to sit on the same
LAN/broadcast domain and can't be configured to use unicast or multicast
IP?

--j