- Cisco BGP Overview
- BGP 4
- Configuring a Basic BGP Network
- BGP Support for 4-byte ASN
- IPv6 Routing: Multiprotocol BGP Extensions for IPv6
- IPv6 Routing: Multiprotocol BGP Link-Local Address Peering
- IPv6 Multicast Address Family Support for Multiprotocol BGP
- Connecting to a Service Provider Using External BGP
- BGP Named Community Lists
- BGP Prefix-Based Outbound Route Filtering
- BGP Route-Map Continue Support for Outbound Policy
- Removing Private AS Numbers from the AS Path in BGP
- Configuring BGP Neighbor Session Options
- BGP Neighbor Policy
- BGP Dynamic Neighbors
- BGP Support for Next-Hop Address Tracking
- BGP Restart Neighbor Session After Max-Prefix Limit Reached
- BGP Support for Dual AS Configuration for Network AS Migrations
- Configuring Internal BGP Features
- BGP VPLS Auto Discovery Support on Route Reflector
- BGP NSF Awareness
- IPv6 NSF and Graceful Restart for MP-BGP IPv6 Address Family
- BGP Support for BFD
- BGP Support for MTR
- BGP Link Bandwidth
- iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- BGP Multipath Load Sharing for Both eBGP and iBGP in an MPLS-VPN
- Loadsharing IP Packets Over More Than Six Parallel Paths
- BGP Policy Accounting
- BGP Policy Accounting Output Interface Accounting
- BGP Cost Community
- BGP Support for IP Prefix Import from Global Table into a VRF Table
- BGP Support for IP Prefix Export from a VRF Table into the Global Table
- BGP per Neighbor SoO Configuration
- Per-VRF Assignment of BGP Router ID
- BGP Next Hop Unchanged
- BGP Event-Based VPN Import
- BGP Best External
- BGP PIC Edge for IP and MPLS-VPN
- Configuring BGP: RT Constrained Route Distribution
- Configuring BGP Consistency Checker
- BGP MIB Support
- Cisco-BGP-MIBv2
- BGP Additional Paths
- BGP Attribute Filter and Enhanced Attribute Error Handling
- BGP—Support for iBGP Local-AS
- BGP-Multiple Cluster IDs
- BGP-RT and VPN Distinguisher Attribute Rewrite Wildcard
- BGP-VPN Distinguisher Attribute
- BGP-VRF-Aware Conditional Advertisement
- BGP Diverse Path Using a Diverse-Path Route Reflector
- BGP Graceful Shutdown
Contents
- iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Finding Feature Information
- Restrictions for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Information about iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- iBGP Multipath Load Sharing Overview
- Benefits of iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- How to Configure IBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Configuring iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Verifying iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Monitoring and Maintaining iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Configuration Examples for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Example: iBGP Multipath Load Sharing in a Non-MPLS Topology
- Example: iBGP Multipath Load Sharing in an MPLS VPN Topology
- Additional References
- Feature Information for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
This feature module describes the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature.
- Finding Feature Information
- Restrictions for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Information about iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- How to Configure IBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Configuration Examples for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
- Additional References
- Feature Information for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
Finding Feature Information
Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table at the end of this module.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Restrictions for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
Route Reflector Limitation—With multiple iBGP paths installed in a routing table, a route reflector will advertise only one of the paths (one next hop).
Memory Consumption Restriction—Each IP routing table entry for a BGP prefix that has multiple iBGP paths uses approximately 350 bytes of additional memory. We recommend not using this feature on a router with a low amount of available memory and especially when the router is carrying a full Internet routing table.
Information about iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
iBGP Multipath Load Sharing Overview
When a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) speaking router with no local policy configured receives multiple network layer reachability information (NLRI) from the internal BGP (iBGP) for the same destination, the router will choose one iBGP path as the best path. The best path is then installed in the IP routing table of the router. For example, in the figure below, although there are three paths to autonomous system 200, Router 2 determines that one of the paths to autonomous system 200 is the best path and uses this path only to reach autonomous system 200.
The iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature enables the BGP speaking router to select multiple iBGP paths as the best paths to a destination. The best paths or multipaths are then installed in the IP routing table of the router. For example, on router 2 in the figure below, the paths to routers 3, 4, and 5 are configured as multipaths and can be used to reach autonomous system 200, thereby equally sharing the load to autonomous system 200.
The iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature functions similarly in a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Virtual Private Network (VPN) with a service provider backbone. For example, on router PE1 in the figure below, the paths to routers PE2, PE3, and PE4 can be selected as multipaths and can be used to equally share the load to site 2.
For multiple paths to the same destination to be considered as multipaths, the following criteria must be met:
All attributes must be the same. The attributes include weight, local preference, autonomous system path (entire attribute and not just length), origin code, Multi Exit Discriminator (MED), and Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) distance.
The next hop router for each multipath must be different.
Even if the criteria are met and multiple paths are considered multipaths, the BGP speaking router will still designate one of the multipaths as the best path and advertise this best path to its neighbors.
The iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature is similar to BGP multipath support for external BGP (eBGP) paths; however, the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature is applied to internal rather than eBGP paths.
Benefits of iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
Configuring multiple iBGP best paths enables a router to evenly share the traffic destined for a particular site.
How to Configure IBGP Multipath Load Sharing
Configuring iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
To configure the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature, use the following command in router configuration mode:
Command |
Purpose |
---|---|
Device(config-router)# maximum-paths ibgp maximum-number |
Controls the maximum number of parallel iBGP routes that can be installed in a routing table. |
Verifying iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
To verify that the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature is configured correctly, perform the following steps:
1. Enter the show ip bgp network-number EXEC command to display attributes for a network in a non-MPLS topology, or the show ip bgp vpnv4 all ip-prefix EXEC command to display attributes for a network in an MPLS VPN:
2. In the display resulting from the show ip bgp network-number EXEC command or the show ip bgp vpnv4 all ip-prefix EXEC command, verify that the intended multipaths are marked as “multipaths." Notice that one of the multipaths is marked as “best.”
3. Enter the show ip route ip-address EXEC command to display routing information for a network in a non-MPLS topology or the show ip route vrf vrf-name ip-prefix EXEC command to display routing information for a network in an MPLS VPN:
4. Verify that the paths marked as "multipath” in the display resulting from the show ip bgp ip-prefix EXEC command or the show ip bgp vpnv4 all ip-prefix EXEC command are included in the routing information. (The routing information is displayed after performing Step 3.)
DETAILED STEPS
Monitoring and Maintaining iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
To display iBGP Multipath Load Sharing information, use the following commands in EXEC mode, as needed:
Command |
Purpose |
---|---|
Device# show ip bgp ip-prefix |
Displays attributes and multipaths for a network in a non-MPLS topology. |
Device# show ip bgp vpnv4 all ip-prefix |
Displays attributes and multipaths for a network in an MPLS VPN. |
Device# show ip route ip-prefix |
Displays routing information for a network in a non-MPLS topology. |
Device# show ip route vrf vrf-name ip-prefix |
Displays routing information for a network in an MPLS VPN. |
Configuration Examples for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
Example: iBGP Multipath Load Sharing in a Non-MPLS Topology
Both examples assume that the appropriate attributes for each path are equal and that the next hop router for each multipath is different.
The following example shows how to set up the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature in a non-MPLS topology (see the figure below).
Router 2 Configuration
router bgp 100 maximum-paths ibgp 3
Example: iBGP Multipath Load Sharing in an MPLS VPN Topology
The following example shows how to set up the iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature in an MPLS VPN topology (see the figure below).
Router PE1 Configuration
router bgp 100 address-family ipv4 unicast vrf site2 maximum-paths ibgp 3
Additional References
Related Documents
Related Topic |
Document Title |
---|---|
Cisco IOS commands |
|
BGP commands |
|
BGP multipath load sharing for both eBGP and iBGP in an MPLS-VPN |
“BGP Multipath Load Sharing for Both eBGP and iBGP in an MPLS-VPN” module in the IP Routing: BGP Configuration Guide |
Advertising the bandwidth of an autonomous system exit link as an extended community |
“BGP Link Bandwidth” module in the IP Routing: BGP Configuration Guide |
Standards
Standard |
Title |
---|---|
No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature. |
— |
MIBs
MIBs |
MIBs Link |
---|---|
No new or modified MIBs are supported by this feature, and support for existing MIBs has not been modified by this feature. |
To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS XE software releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL: |
RFCs
RFC |
Title |
---|---|
No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature. |
— |
Technical Assistance
Description |
Link |
---|---|
The Cisco Support and Documentation website provides online resources to download documentation, software, and tools. Use these resources to install and configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password. |
Feature Information for iBGP Multipath Load Sharing
The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to . An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Feature Name |
Releases |
Feature Information |
---|---|---|
iBGP Multipath Load Sharing |
12.2(14)S 12.2(2)T |
The iBGP Multipath Load Sharing feature enables the BGP speaking router to select multiple iBGP paths as the best paths to a destination. The following command was introduced: maximum-paths ibgp The following commands were modified: show ip bgp, show ip bgp vpnv4, show ip route, and show ip route vrf. |