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The Management Plane Protection (MPP) feature in Cisco IOS XR software provides the capability to restrict the interfaces on which network management packets are allowed to enter a device. The MPP feature allows a network operator to designate one or more router interfaces as management interfaces.
Device management traffic may enter a device only through these management interfaces. After MPP is enabled, no interfaces except designated management interfaces accept network management traffic destined to the device. Restricting management packets to designated interfaces provides greater control over management of a device, providing more security for that device.
For information on MPP commands, see the Management Plane Protection Commands module in System Security Command Reference for Cisco CRS Routers .
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Release |
Modification |
|---|---|
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Release 3.5.0 |
This feature was introduced. |
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Release 3.6.0 |
The following enhancements were added:
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Release 3.7.0 |
The following enhancements were added:
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You must be in a user group associated with a task group that includes the proper task IDs. The command reference guides include the task IDs required for each command. If you suspect user group assignment is preventing you from using a command, contact your AAA administrator for assistance.
The following restrictions are listed for implementing Management Plane Protection (MPP):
Currently, MPP does not keep track of the denied or dropped protocol requests.
MPP configuration does not enable the protocol services. MPP is responsible only for making the services available on different interfaces. The protocols are enabled explicitly.
Management requests that are received on inband interfaces are not necessarily acknowledged there.
Both Route Processor (RP) and distributed route processor (DRP) Ethernet interfaces are by default out-of-band interfaces and can be configured under MPP.
The changes made for the MPP configuration do not affect the active sessions that are established before the changes.
Currently, MPP controls only the incoming management requests for protocols, such as TFTP, Telnet, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Secure Shell (SSH), and HTTP.
MPP does not support MIB.
In a MPLS L3VPN, when MPP has VRF interface attached, it applies the VRF filter on an incoming interface through LPTS. When an incoming packet from the core interface has a different VRF, then MPP does not allow it.
 Note |
When configuring a device for MPP for an inband interface the Interface all configuration does not apply specific VRF filter and allows traffic for all source and destination interfaces. |
Before you enable the Management Plane Protection feature, you should understand the following concepts:
An inband management interface is a Cisco IOS XR software physical or logical interface that processes management packets, as well as data-forwarding packets. An inband management interface is also called a shared management interface.
Out-of-band refers to an interface that allows only management protocol traffic to be forwarded or processed. An out-of-band management interface is defined by the network operator to specifically receive network management traffic. The advantage is that forwarding (or customer) traffic cannot interfere with the management of the router, which significantly reduces the possibility of denial-of-service attacks.
Out-of-band interfaces forward traffic only between out-of-band interfaces or terminate management packets that are destined to the router. In addition, the out-of-band interfaces can participate in dynamic routing protocols. The service provider connects to the router’s out-of-band interfaces and builds an independent overlay management network, with all the routing and policy tools that the router can provide.
The peer-filtering option allows management traffic from specific peers, or a range of peers, to be configured.
A control plane is a collection of processes that run at the process level on a route processor and collectively provide high-level control for most Cisco IOS XR software functions. All traffic directly or indirectly destined to a router is handled by the control plane. Management Plane Protection operates within the Control Plane Infrastructure.
The management plane is the logical path of all traffic that is related to the management of a routing platform. One of three planes in a communication architecture that is structured in layers and planes, the management plane performs management functions for a network and coordinates functions among all the planes (management, control, and data). In addition, the management plane is used to manage a device through its connection to the network.
Examples of protocols processed in the management plane are Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Telnet, HTTP, Secure HTTP (HTTPS), and SSH. These management protocols are used for monitoring and for command-line interface (CLI) access. Restricting access to devices to internal sources (trusted networks) is critical.
The MPP protection feature, as well as all the management protocols under MPP, are disabled by default. When you configure an interface as either out-of-band or inband, it automatically enables MPP. Consequently, this enablement extends to all the protocols under MPP.
If MPP is disabled and a protocol is activated, all interfaces can pass traffic.
When MPP is enabled with an activated protocol, the only default management interfaces allowing management traffic are the route processor (RP) and standby route processor (SRP) Ethernet interfaces. You must manually configure any other interface for which you want to enable MPP as a management interface, using the MPP CLI that follows. Afterwards, only the default management interfaces and those you have previously configured as MPP interfaces will accept network management packets destined for the device. All other interfaces drop such packets.
Note |
Logical interfaces (or any other interfaces not present on the data plane) filter packets based on the ingress physical interface. |
After configuration, you can modify or delete a management interface.
Following are the management protocols that the MPP feature supports. These management protocols are also the only protocols affected when MPP is enabled.
SSH, v1 and v2
SNMP, all versions
Telnet
TFTP
HTTP
HTTPS
Implementing the MPP feature provides the following benefits:
Greater access control for managing a device than allowing management protocols on all interfaces.
Improved performance for data packets on non-management interfaces.
Support for network scalability.
Simplifies the task of using per-interface access control lists (ACLs) to restrict management access to the device.
Fewer ACLs are needed to restrict access to the device.
Prevention of packet floods on switching and routing interfaces from reaching the CPU.
This section contains the following tasks:
Perform this task to configure a device that you have just added to your network or a device already operating in your network. This task shows how to configure MPP as an inband interface in which Telnet is allowed to access the router only through a specific interface.
Perform the following additional tasks to configure an inband MPP interface in non-default VRF.
Configure the interface under the non-default inband VRF.
Configure the global inband VRF.
In the case of Telnet, configure the Telnet VRF server for the inband VRF.
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 |
configure Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 |
control-plane Example: |
Enters control plane configuration mode. |
| Step 3 |
management-plane Example: |
Configures management plane protection to allow and disallow protocols and enters management plane protection configuration mode. |
| Step 4 |
inband Example: |
Configures an inband interface and enters management plane protection inband configuration mode. |
| Step 5 |
interface {type instance | all} Example: |
Configures a specific inband interface, or all inband interfaces. Use the interface command to enter management plane protection inband interface configuration mode.
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| Step 6 |
allow {protocol | all} [peer] Example: |
Configures an interface as an inband interface for a specified protocol or all protocols.
|
| Step 7 |
address ipv4 {peer-ip-address | peer ip-address/length} Example: |
Configures the peer IPv4 address in which management traffic is allowed on the interface.
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| Step 8 |
Use the commit or end command. |
commit —Saves the configuration changes and remains within the configuration session.
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| Step 9 |
show mgmt-plane [inband | out-of-band] [interface {type instance}] Example: |
Displays information about the management plane, such as type of interface and protocols enabled on the interface.
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Perform the following tasks to configure an out-of-band MPP interface.
Configure the interface under the out-of-band VRF.
Configure the global out-of-band VRF.
In the case of Telnet, configure the Telnet VRF server for the out-of-band VRF.
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 |
configure Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 |
control-plane Example: |
Enters control plane configuration mode. |
| Step 3 |
management-plane Example: |
Configures management plane protection to allow and disallow protocols and enters management plane protection configuration mode. |
| Step 4 |
out-of-band Example: |
Configures out-of-band interfaces or protocols and enters management plane protection out-of-band configuration mode. |
| Step 5 |
vrf vrf-name Example: |
Configures a Virtual Private Network (VPN) routing and forwarding (VRF) reference of an out-of-band interface.
|
| Step 6 |
interface {type instance | all} Example: |
Configures a specific out-of-band interface, or all out-of-band interfaces, as an out-of-band interface. Use the interface command to enter management plane protection out-of-band configuration mode.
|
| Step 7 |
allow {protocol | all} [peer] Example: |
Configures an interface as an out-of-band interface for a specified protocol or all protocols.
|
| Step 8 |
address ipv6 {peer-ip-address | peer ip-address/length} Example: |
Configures the peer IPv6 address in which management traffic is allowed on the interface.
|
| Step 9 |
Use the commit or end command. |
commit —Saves the configuration changes and remains within the configuration session.
|
| Step 10 |
show mgmt-plane [inband | out-of-band] [interface {type instance} | vrf] Example: |
Displays information about the management plane, such as type of interface and protocols enabled on the interface.
|
This section provides the following configuration example:
The following example shows how to configure inband and out-of-band interfaces for a specific IP address under MPP:
configure
control-plane
management-plane
inband
interface all
allow SSH
!
interface GigabitEthernet 0/6/0/0
allow all
allow SSH
allow Telnet peer
address ipv4 10.1.0.0/16
!
!
interface GigabitEthernet 0/6/0/1
allow Telnet peer
address ipv4 10.1.0.0/16
!
!
!
out-of-band
vrf my_out_of_band
interface GigabitEthernet 0/6/0/2
allow TFTP peer
address ipv6 33::33
!
!
!
!
!
show mgmt-plane
Management Plane Protection
inband interfaces
----------------------
interface - GigabitEthernet0_6_0_0
ssh configured -
All peers allowed
telnet configured -
peer v4 allowed - 10.1.0.0/16
all configured -
All peers allowed
interface - GigabitEthernet0_6_0_1
telnet configured -
peer v4 allowed - 10.1.0.0/16
interface - all
all configured -
All peers allowed
outband interfaces
----------------------
interface - POS0_6_0_2
tftp configured -
peer v6 allowed - 33::33
show mgmt-plane out-of-band vrf
Management Plane Protection -
out-of-band VRF - my_out_of_band
The following sections provide references related to implementing management plane protection.
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Related Topic |
Document Title |
|---|---|
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MPP commands: complete command syntax, command modes, command history, defaults, usage guidelines, and examples |
Management Plane Protection Commands on System Monitoring Command Reference for Cisco CRS Routers |
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Standards |
Title |
|---|---|
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No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature. |
— |
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MIBs |
MIBs Link |
|---|---|
| — |
To locate and download MIBs using Cisco IOS XR software, use the Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL and choose a platform under the Cisco Access Products menu: http://cisco.com/public/sw-center/netmgmt/cmtk/mibs.shtml |
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RFCs |
Title |
|---|---|
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No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature. |
— |
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Description |
Link |
|---|---|
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