OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

Last Updated: November 1, 2011

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) supports a user-defined maximum number of prefixes (routes) that are allowed to be redistributed into OSPF from other protocols or other OSPF processes. Such a limit could help prevent the router from being flooded by too many redistributed routes.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see 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 document.

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Prerequisites for OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

It is presumed that you have OSPF configured in your network, along with another protocol or another OSPF process you are redistributing.

Information About OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

If someone mistakenly injects a large number of IP routes into OSPF, perhaps by redistributing Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) into OSPF, the network can be severely flooded. Limiting the number of redistributed routes prevents this potential problem.

How to Limit the Number of OSPF Redistributed Routes

This section contains the following procedures, which are mutually exclusive. That is, you cannot both limit redistributed prefixes and also choose to be warned.

Limiting the Number of Redistributed Routes


Note
You cannot both limit redistributed prefixes and also choose to be warned.
SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    configure terminal

3.    router ospf process-id

4.    redistribute protocol [process-id | as-number] [metric metric-value] [metric-type type-value] [match{internal| external 1| external 2}][tag tag-value] [route-map map-tag] [subnets]

5.    redistribute maximum-prefix maximum [threshold]

6.    end

7.    show ip ospf [process-id]


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Router> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
configure terminal


Example:

Router# configure terminal

 

Enters global configuration mode.

 
Step 3
router ospf process-id


Example:

Router(config)# router ospf 1

 

Configures an OSPF routing process.

 
Step 4
redistribute protocol [process-id | as-number] [metric metric-value] [metric-type type-value] [match{internal| external 1| external 2}][tag tag-value] [route-map map-tag] [subnets]


Example:

Router(config-router)# redistribute eigrp 10

 

Redistributes routes from one routing domain into another routing domain.

 
Step 5
redistribute maximum-prefix maximum [threshold]


Example:

Router(config-router)# redistribute maximum-prefix 100 80

 

Sets a maximum number of IP prefixes that are allowed to be redistributed into OSPF.

  • There is no default value for the maximum argument.
  • The threshold value defaults to 75 percent.
Note    If the warning-only keyword had been configured in this command, no limit would be enforced; a warning message is simply logged.
 
Step 6
end


Example:

Router(config-router)# end

 

Exits router configuration mode.

 
Step 7
show ip ospf [process-id]


Example:

Router# show ip ospf 1

 

(Optional) Displays general information about OSPF routing processes.

  • If a redistribution limit was configured, the output will include the maximum limit of redistributed prefixes and the threshold for warning messages.
 

Requesting a Warning About the Number of Routes Redistributed into OSPF


Note
You cannot both limit redistributed prefixes and also choose to be warned.
SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    configure terminal

3.    router ospf process-id

4.    redistribute protocol [process-id | as-number] [metric metric-value] [metric-type type-value] [match{internal| external 1| external 2}][tag tag-value] [route-map map-tag] [subnets]

5.    redistribute maximum-prefix maximum [threshold] warning-only

6.    end


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Router> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
configure terminal


Example:

Router# configure terminal

 

Enters global configuration mode.

 
Step 3
router ospf process-id


Example:

Router(config)# router ospf 1

 

Configures an OSPF routing process.

 
Step 4
redistribute protocol [process-id | as-number] [metric metric-value] [metric-type type-value] [match{internal| external 1| external 2}][tag tag-value] [route-map map-tag] [subnets]


Example:

Router(config-router)# redistribute eigrp 10

 

Redistributes routes from one routing domain into another routing domain.

 
Step 5
redistribute maximum-prefix maximum [threshold] warning-only


Example:

Router(config-router)# redistribute maximum-prefix 1000 80 warning-only

 

Causes a warning message to be logged when the maximum number of IP prefixes has been redistributed into OSPF.

  • Because the warning-only keyword is included, no limit is imposed on the number of redistributed prefixes into OSPF.
  • There is no default value for the maximum argument.
  • The threshold value defaults to 75 percent.
  • This example causes two warnings: one at 80 percent of 1000 (800 routes redistributed) and another at 1000 routes redistributed.
 
Step 6
end


Example:

Router(config-router)# end

 

Exits router configuration mode.

 

Configuration Examples for OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

Example OSPF Limit the Number of Redistributed Routes

This example sets a maximum of 1200 prefixes that can be redistributed into OSPF process 1. Prior to reaching the limit, when the number of prefixes redistributed reaches 80 percent of 1200 (960 prefixes), a warning message is logged. Another warning is logged when the limit is reached and no more routes are redistributed.

router ospf 1
 router-id 10.0.0.1
 domain-id 5.6.7.8
 log-adjacency-changes
 timers lsa-interval 2
 network 10.0.0.1 0.0.0.0 area 0
 network 10.1.5.1 0.0.0.0 area 0
 network 10.2.2.1 0.0.0.0 area 0
 redistribute static subnets
 redistribute maximum-prefix 1200 80

Example Requesting a Warning About the Number of Redistributed Routes

This example allows two warning messages to be logged, the first if the number of prefixes redistributed reaches 85 percent of 600 (510 prefixes), and the second if the number of redistributed routes reaches 600. However, the number of redistributed routes is not limited. 

router ospf 1
 network 10.0.0.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
 redistribute eigrp 10 subnets
 redistribute maximum-prefix 600 85 warning-only

Additional References

The following sections provide references related to the OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes feature.

Related Documents

Related Topic

Document Title

OSPF commands

Cisco IOS IP Routing: OSPF Command Reference

Configuring OSPF

"Configuring OSPF"

Cisco IOS master command list, all releases

Cisco IOS Master Command List, All Releases

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

MIB

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 releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs

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.

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html

Feature Information for OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

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 www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Table 1 Feature Information for OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

Feature Name

Releases

Feature Information

OSPF Limit on Number of Redistributed Routes

Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1 Cisco IOS XE Release 2.6

OSPF supports a user-defined maximum number of prefixes (routes) that are allowed to be redistributed into OSPF from other protocols or other OSPF processes. Such a limit could help prevent the router from being flooded by too many redistributed routes.

The following commands are introduced or modified in the feature documented in this module:

  • redistribute maximum-prefix
  • show ip ospf
  • show ip ospf database

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Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.

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