BGP Route Reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc.

 Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to
perform the following tasks:
• Understand the motivation behind BGP route reflectors
• Describe how BGP route reflectors modify IBGP split
horizon rules
• Describe BGP route reflection implementation
• Describe route reflector design rules
• Plan IBGP backbone migration toward route reflector-
based backbone
• Configure and monitor BGP route reflector implementation

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-2

 Introduction to BGP
Route Reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. www.cisco.com BGP Route Reflectors-3

 Objectives
Upon completion of this section, you will be able to
perform the following tasks:
• Understand the need for BGP route reflectors
• Understand and describe modified IBGP split
horizon rules
• Describe additional BGP attributes associated with
route reflectors
• Describe the concept of route reflector clusters
• Describe route reflector loop-prevention
mechanisms

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-4

 IBGP Transit AS - Problems

IBGP requires full-mesh between all

BGP-speaking routers
• Large number of TCP sessions
• Unnecessary duplicate routing traffic
Solutions
• Route reflectors modify IBGP split horizon
rules
• BGP confederations modify IBGP AS Path
processing

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-5

 Route Reflectors - Modification of
Split Horizon Rules
Route reflector

e EBGP route
out
r
B GP
E

Classic BGP - IBGP routes are Route reflector can propagate

not propagated to other IBGP IBGP routes to other IBGP peers.
peers. Full mesh of IBGP peers is Full mesh of IBGP peers is no
therefore required longer required

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-6

 Route Reflector Split Horizon
Rules
Autonomous system

Client Reflector EBGP peer

Client Reflector Reflector EBGP peer

EBGP peer Client Client

Routes received
Client
from a client
are propagated to all other
peers
Routes received from external peers
are propagated to all internal peers
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-7
 More Route Reflector Split
Horizon Rules
Routes received from non- All IBGP and EBGP routes
client IBGP neighbors are are sent to EBGP peers
sent to clients and EBGP
peers
Autonomous system

Client Reflector EBGP peer

Client Reflector Reflector EBGP peer

EBGP peer Client Client Client

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-8

 Route Reflectors Reduce the
Number of IBGP Sessions
Autonomous system

Client Reflector EBGP peer

Client But the reflector

could be a single
point of failure
Reflector Reflector EBGP peer
Client

EBGP peer Client Client

Design requirement:
reflectors must be redundant
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-9
 Redundant Route Reflectors
Redundant reflectors solve
Autonomous system high availability requirement

Client Reflector EBGP peer

Client

Reflector Reflector EBGP peer

Client But they might also
cause routing loops

EBGP peer Client Client

The concept of “clusters” is introduced to

prevent IBGP routing loops with route reflectors
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-10
 Route Reflector Clusters
• A group of redundant route reflectors and
their clients form a cluster
• Each cluster must have a unique cluster-ID
• Each time a route is reflected, the cluster-ID is
added to cluster-list BGP attribute
• The route that already contains local cluster-
ID in the cluster-list is not reflected

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-11

 Redundant Route Reflectors in
a Cluster
Route is rejected since the
cluster-ID is already in
A uto nomous system cluster-list

Client Ref lec tor EBGP peer

Client

Ref lec tor Ref lec tor EBGP peer

Client

C luster C luster
EBGP peer Client Client

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-12

 Additional Route Reflector Loop
Prevention Mechanisms
• Every time a route is reflected, the
router-ID of the originating IBGP router
is stored in originator-ID BGP attribute
• A router receiving an IBGP route with
originator-ID set to its own router-ID
ignores that route
• BGP path selection procedure is
modified to take in account cluster-list
and originator-ID.
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-13
 Summary
After completing this section, you should be able to
perform the following tasks:
• Understand the need for BGP route reflectors
• Understand and describe modified IBGP split
horizon rules
• Describe additional BGP attributes associated
with route reflectors
• Describe the concept of route reflector clusters
• Describe route reflector loop-prevention
mechanisms

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-14

 Review Questions
• What are the benefits of using route reflectors
in an autonomous system?
• Which routes are propagated by a route
reflector to its clients?
• Which routes are propagated by a route
reflector client to its IBGP neighbors?
• List two loop-prevention mechanisms that
support route reflectors?
• Why do you need route reflector clusters?

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-15

 Network Design with
BGP Route Reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. www.cisco.com BGP Route Reflectors-16

 Objectives

Upon completion of this section, you will be

able to perform the following tasks:
• List the basic route reflector design rules
• Understand minimum requirements for IBGP
sessions
• Describe the implications of deviating from
the design rules
• Understand the concept of hierarchical route
reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-17

 Route Reflectors - Design

• Divide transit AS into smaller areas

(called clusters)
• Each cluster contains route reflectors
and route reflector clients
• Routers that don’t support route
reflector functionality act as one-router
cluster or as route reflector client

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-18

 Route Reflectors - Sample
Network
Non-redundant Autonomous
cluster system
Client

Client Reflector Non-RR EBGP peer

router

Redundant
cluster Reflector Reflector EBGP peer

Client Client Client Client EBGP peer

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-19

 Route Reflector
IBGP Session Rules
• All clients in a cluster must have IBGP
session with and only with all route
reflectors in the cluster
• IBGP full-mesh between all route
reflectors within the AS is required
• Non-route reflector capable routers can
participate in IBGP full-mesh or be route
reflector clients

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-20

 Problems you might face when
deviating from route reflector rules
• Clients don’t have • Clients will not
sessions with all receive all IBGP
reflectors in a cluster routes
• Clients have • Some routers might
sessions with receive duplicate
reflectors in several copies of the same
clusters route
• Clients have IBGP • Clients will receive
sessions to other duplicate copies of
clients the same route

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-21

 Hierarchical Route Reflectors

Problem:
• In very large networks, a single layer of
route reflectors might not be enough
Solution:
• A hierarchy of route reflectors can be
established
• A route reflector can be a client of another
route reflector
• The hierarchy can be as deep as needed

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-22

 Hierarchical Route Reflector
Example
Autonomous
Cluster
system
27 Client Client Client EBGP peer

This router is a reflector

in Cluster 11 and client
in Cluster 27 Reflector Reflector

Cluster 11 Cluster
12
Reflector/ Reflector/ Reflector/ EBGP peer
Client Client Client

Client Client Client Client Client Client EBGP peer

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-23

 Summary

After completing this section, you should be

able to perform the following tasks:
• List the basic route reflector design rules
• Understand minimum requirements for IBGP
sessions
• Describe the implications of deviating from the
design rules
• Understand the concept of hierarchical route
reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-24

 Review Questions
• Which IBGP sessions should a route reflector
client have?
• What is a hierarchical route reflector design?
• What happens if a route reflector client
establishes sessions with route reflectors in
two clusters?
• What happens if two route reflectors have
each other configured as a client?

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-25

 Deploying BGP
Route Reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. www.cisco.com BGP Route Reflectors-26

 Objectives

Upon completion of this section, you will be

able to perform the following tasks:
• Plan migration of existing IBGP backbone
toward route reflector-based backbone
• Configure BGP route reflectors
• Monitor BGP backbone with route reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-27

 Planning BGP Backbone
Migration
• Divide your AS in areas (clusters)
• Assign a cluster ID to each area
• On route reflector clients, retain only IBGP
sessions with route reflectors in their cluster
• On route reflectors, retain only IBGP sessions
with other route reflectors and clients in their
cluster
• Configure cluster ID on every route reflector
• Configure clients on every route reflector

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-28

 Configuring BGP Route
Reflectors
• Configure cluster-ID on route reflectors
• Configure BGP neighbors as route reflectors
clients on the route reflectors
• No configuration is needed on the route
reflector clients

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-29

 Configuring Route Reflectors -
Router Configuration Commands
router(config-router)#
bgp cluster-id cluster-id

• Optionally assigns a cluster-ID to the route

reflector (default value is router-ID)
• Required only for clusters with redundant
reflectors
• Cluster-ID cannot be changed after the first client
is configured
router(config-router)#
neighbor ip-address route-reflector-client

• Configures an IBGP neighbor to be a client of this

reflector
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-30
 Route Reflector Configuration
Example
Autonomous
system 123 1.2.0.6 2.7.1.1
IBGP peer EBGP in
AS 222
Cluster 175 router bgp 123
! cluster ID
bgp cluster-id 175
! RR clients
1.0.0.2 1.0.0.1 neighbor 1.0.0.3 remote-as 123
reflector reflector neighbor 1.0.0.3 route-reflector
neighbor 1.0.0.4 remote-as 123
neighbor 1.0.0.4 route-reflector
! other IBGP neighbors
1.0.0.3 1.0.0.4 neighbor 1.0.0.2 remote-as 123
client client neighbor 1.2.0.6 remote-as 123
! EBGP neighbors
neighbor 2.7.1.1 remote-as 222

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-31

 Monitoring Route Reflector
Operation
router#
show ip bgp neighbor

• Displays whether a neighbor is a route reflector

client

router#
show ip bgp network [mask]

• Displays additional path attributes (originator and

cluster-list)

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-32

 Monitoring Route Reflector
Clients
Barney#show ip bgp neighbors 1.0.0.1
BGP neighbor is 1.0.0.1, remote AS 213, internal link
Index 1, Offset 0, Mask 0x2
Route-Reflector Client
BGP version 4, remote router ID 11.0.0.1
BGP state = Established, table version = 5, up for 01:33:24
Last read 00:00:24, hold time is 180, keepalive interval is
60 seconds
Minimum time between advertisement runs is 5 seconds
Received 257 messages, 0 notifications, 0 in queue
Sent 264 messages, 0 notifications, 0 in queue
Connections established 5; dropped 4
Last reset 01:33:33, due to : User reset request
No. of prefix received 1

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-33

 Monitoring Reflected BGP Routes
Barney#show ip bgp 11.0.0.0
BGP routing table entry for 11.0.0.0/8, version 3
Paths: (1 available, best #1, advertised over IBGP)
Local, (Received from a RR-client)
1.0.0.1 (metric 40640000) from 1.0.0.1 (11.0.0.1)
Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, valid, internal, best

Routes received from the client as seen on the reflector

Wilma#sh ip bgp 14.0.0.0

BGP routing table entry for 14.0.0.0/8, version 30
Paths: (1 available, best #1)
Not advertised to any peer
Local
1.0.0.3 (metric 41152000) from 1.0.0.2 (14.1.2.3)
Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, valid, internal, best
Originator: 14.1.2.3, Cluster list: 0.0.2.55

Reflected routes as seen on the client

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-34
 Summary

After completing this section, you should be

able to perform the following tasks:
• Plan migration of existing IBGP backbone
toward route reflector-based backbone
• Configure BGP route reflectors
• Monitor BGP backbone with route reflectors

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-35

 Review Questions
• Which BGP parameters have to be configured on
a route reflector?
• Which BGP parameters have to be configured on
a route reflector client?
• List the migration steps from full-mesh IBGP
autonomous system to a backbone based on
route reflectors
• How would you identify whether an IBGP route
was reflected?
• How would you identify route reflector clients of a
router without inspecting its configuration?

© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-36

 Summary
After completing this lesson, you should be able
to perform the following tasks:
• Understand the motivation behind BGP route
reflectors
• Describe how BGP route reflectors modify IBGP
split horizon rules
• Describe BGP route reflection implementation
• Describe route reflector design rules
• Plan IBGP backbone migration toward route
reflector-based backbone
• Configure and monitor BGP route reflector
implementation
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-37
© 2001, Cisco Systems, Inc. BGP Route Reflectors-38