How to verify VPLS mac-address forwarding

Question

I think VPLS know how to forward by mac-address. but how to verify it ?
for example I show mac-address vlan 100. But I can not find a command to verify How mac-address is forwarding ?
at 6509:
PA_C76_1>sh mpls l2transport vc
Local intf Local circuit Dest address VC ID Status
VFI PA-LA-test VFI 203.160.227.88 100 UP
VFI PA-LA-test VFI 203.160.227.95 100 UP
PA_C76_1>show mac-address-table vlan 100
Legend: * - primary entry
age - seconds since last seen
n/a - not available
vlan mac address type learn age ports
------+----------------+--------+-----+----------+--------------------------
* 100 000b.45b6.bc40 dynamic Yes 95 Router
* 100 0012.d946.59c1 dynamic Yes 10 Gi4/1

Answer 1

Hi,
VPLS provides the medium to for a E-LAN, and in Cisco implementations, the MAC learning is not actually done by a VPLS instance.
This can be best explained by an example.
PE(SW)-A ---- PE(SW)-B
PE(SW)-C
Now these three PE nodes under VPLS, are only provided the medium to connect to each other using P2P PW forming a full mesh.
For simplicity you can assume they are three switches connected in the above manner using copper. So this copper connecitivity is provided by VPLS.
And at the end of the day the end nodes learn mac addresses using the conventional method of flooding and learning. So you wont find any VPLS specific commands to see what mac address is the VPLS instance flooding. As its only providing a medium for connectivty. And the flooding is done by the end nodes. as they treat the VPLS VC as one of the outgoing port.
HTH-Cheers,
Swaroop