EVPN Overview
Ethernet VPN (EVPN) is a solution that provides Ethernet multipoint services over MPLS networks. EVPN operates in contrast to the existing Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) by enabling control-plane based MAC learning in the core. In EVPN, PEs participating in the EVPN instances learn customer MAC routes in control-plane using MP-BGP protocol. Control-plane MAC learning brings a number of benefits that allow EVPN to address the VPLS shortcomings, including support for multihoming with per-flow load balancing.
EVPN provides the solution for network operators for the following emerging needs in their network:
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Data center interconnect operation (DCI)
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Cloud and services virtualization
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Remove protocols and network simplification
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Integration of L2 and L3 services over the same VPN
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Flexible service and workload placement
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Multi-tenancy with L2 and L3 VPN
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Optimal forwarding and workload mobility
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Fast convergence
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Efficient bandwidth utilization
EVPN Benefits
The EVPN provides the following benefits:
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Integrated Services: Integrated L2 and L3 VPN services, L3VPN-like principles and operational experience for scalability and control, all-active multihoming and PE load-balancing using ECMP, and enables load balancing of traffic to and from CEs that are multihomed to multiple PEs.
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Network Efficiency: Eliminates flood and learn mechanism, fast-reroute, resiliency, and faster reconvergence when the link to dual-homed server fails, optimized Broadcast, Unknown-unicast, Multicast (BUM) traffic delivery.
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Service Flexibility: MPLS data plane encapsulation, support existing and new services types (E-LAN, E-Line), peer PE auto-discovery, and redundancy group auto-sensing.
EVPN Modes
The following EVPN modes are supported:
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Single-homing - Enables you to connect a customer edge (CE) device to one provider edge (PE) device.
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Multihoming - Enables you to connect a customer edge (CE) device to more than one provider edge (PE) device. Multihoming ensures redundant connectivity. The redundant PE device ensures that there is no traffic disruption when there is a network failure. Following are the types of multihoming:
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Single-Active - In single-active mode only a single PE among a group of PEs attached to the particular Ethernet-Segment is allowed to forward traffic to and from that Ethernet Segment.
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All-Active - In all-active mode all the PEs attached to the particular Ethernet-Segment is allowed to forward traffic to and from that Ethernet Segment.
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EVPN Timers
The following table shows various EVPN timers:
Timer |
Range |
Default Value |
Trigger |
Applicability |
Action |
Sequence |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
startup-cost-in |
30-86400 |
disabled |
node recovered* |
Single-Homed, All-Active, Single-Active |
Postpone EVPN startup procedure and Hold AC link(s) down to prevent CE to PE forwarding. Startup-cost-in timer allows PE to set core protocols first. |
1 |
||
recovery |
20-3600s
|
30s |
node recovered, interface recovered ** |
Single-Homed***, Single-Active |
Postpone EVPN Startup procedure. Recovery timer allows PE to set access protocols (STP) before reachability towards EVPN core is advertised. |
2 |
||
peering |
0-3600s |
3s |
node recovered, interface recovered |
All-Active, Single-Active |
Starts after sending EVPN RT4 to postpone rest of EVPN startup procedure. Peering timer allows remote PE (multihoming AC with same ESI) to process RT4 before DF election will happen. |
3 |
Note |
|
* indicates all required software components are loaded.
** indicates link status is up.
*** you can change the recovery timer on Single-Homed AC if you do not expect any STP protocol convergence on connected CE.