Route Maps

Information About Route Maps

Route maps are used when redistributing routes into an OSPF, RIP, EIGRP or BGP routing process. They are also used when generating a default route into an OSPF routing process. A route map defines which of the routes from the specified routing protocol are allowed to be redistributed into the target routing process.

Route maps have many features in common with widely known ACLs. These are some of the traits common to both:

  • They are an ordered sequence of individual statements, each has a permit or deny result. Evaluation of ACL or route maps consists of a list scan, in a predetermined order, and an evaluation of the criteria of each statement that matches. A list scan is aborted once the first statement match is found and an action associated with the statement match is performed.
  • They are generic mechanisms—Criteria matches and match interpretation are dictated by the way that they are applied. The same route map applied to different tasks might be interpreted differently.

These are some of the differences between route maps and ACLs:

  • Route maps frequently use ACLs as matching criteria.
  • The main result from the evaluation of an ACL is a yes or no answer—An ACL either permits or denies input data. Applied to redistribution, an ACL determines if a particular route can (route matches ACLs permit statement) or can not (matches deny statement) be redistributed. Typical route maps not only permit (some) redistributed routes but also modify information associated with the route, when it is redistributed into another protocol.
  • Route maps are more flexible than ACLs and can verify routes based on criteria which ACLs can not verify. For example, a route map can verify if the type of route is internal.
  • Each ACL ends with an implicit deny statement, by design convention; there is no similar convention for route maps. If the end of a route map is reached during matching attempts, the result depends on the specific application of the route map. Fortunately, route maps that are applied to redistribution behave the same way as ACLs: if the route does not match any clause in a route map then the route redistribution is denied, as if the route map contained deny statement at the end.

The dynamic protocol redistribute command allows you to apply a route map. In ASDM, this capability for redistribution can be found when you add or edit a new route map (see Defining a Route Map). Route maps are preferred if you intend to either modify route information during redistribution or if you need more powerful matching capability than an ACL can provide. If you simply need to selectively permit some routes based on their prefix or mask, we recommend that you use a route map to map to an ACL (or equivalent prefix list) directly in the redistribute command. If you use a route map to selectively permit some routes based on their prefix or mask, you typically use more configuration commands to achieve the same goal.

Note You must use a standard ACL as the match criterion for your route map. Using an extended ACL will not work, and your routes will never be redistributed. We recommend that you number clauses in intervals of 10 to reserve numbering space in case you need to insert clauses in the future.

This section includes the following topics:

Permit and Deny Clauses

Route maps can have permit and deny clauses. In the route-map ospf-to-eigrp command, there is one deny clause (with sequence number 10) and two permit clauses. The deny clause rejects route matches from redistribution. Therefore, the following rules apply:

  • If you use an ACL in a route map using a permit clause, routes that are permitted by the ACL are redistributed.
  • If you use an ACL in a route map deny clause, routes that are permitted by the ACL are not redistributed.
  • If you use an ACL in a route map permit or deny clause, and the ACL denies a route, then the route map clause match is not found and the next route-map clause is evaluated.

Match and Set Clause Values

Each route map clause has two types of values:

  • A match value selects routes to which this clause should be applied.
  • A set value modifies information that will be redistributed into the target protocol.

For each route that is being redistributed, the router first evaluates the match criteria of a clause in the route map. If the match criteria succeed, then the route is redistributed or rejected as dictated by the permit or deny clause, and some of its attributes might be modified by the values set from the Set Value tab in ASDM or from the set commands. If the match criteria fail, then this clause is not applicable to the route, and the software proceeds to evaluate the route against the next clause in the route map. Scanning of the route map continues until a clause is found whose match command(s), or Match Clause as set from the Match Clause tab in ASDM, match the route or until the end of the route map is reached.

A match or set value in each clause can be missed or repeated several times, if one of these conditions exists:

  • If several match commands or Match Clause values in ASDM are present in a clause, all must succeed for a given route in order for that route to match the clause (in other words, the logical AND algorithm is applied for multiple match commands).
  • If a match command or Match Clause value in ASDM refers to several objects in one command, either of them should match (the logical OR algorithm is applied). For example, in the match ip address 101 121 command, a route is permitted if ACL 101 or ACL 121 permits it.
  • If a match command or Match Clause value in ASDM is not present, all routes match the clause. In the previous example, all routes that reach clause 30 match; therefore, the end of the route map is never reached.
  • If a set command, or Set Value in ASDM, is not present in a route map permit clause, then the route is redistributed without modification of its current attributes.

Note Do not configure a set command in a route map deny clause because the deny clause prohibits route redistribution—there is no information to modify.

A route map clause without a match or set command, or Match or Set Value as set on the Match or Set Value tab in ASDM, performs an action. An empty permit clause allows a redistribution of the remaining routes without modification. An empty deny clause does not allows a redistribution of other routes (this is the default action if a route map is completely scanned, but no explicit match is found).

BGP Match and BGP Set Clauses

In addition to the match and set values described above, BGP provides additional match and set capabilities to route maps.

The following new route-map match clauses are now supported with BGP:

  • match as-path
  • match community
  • match policy-list
  • match tag

The following new route-map set clauses are now supported with BGP:

  • set as-path
  • set automatic-tag
  • set community
  • set local-preference
  • set origin
  • set weight

For each BGP route that is being redistributed, the ASA first evaluates the BGP match criteria of a clause in the route map. If the BGP match criteria succeeds, then the route is redistributed or rejected as dictated by the permit or deny clause, and some of its attributes might be modified by the values set from the BGP Set Clause tab in ASDM or from the set commands. If the match criteria fail, then this clause is not applicable to the route, and the software proceeds to evaluate the route against the next clause in the route map. Scanning of the route map continues until a clause is found whose match command(s), as set from the BGP Match Clause tab in ASDM, match the route or until the end of the route map is reached.

Licensing Requirements for Route Maps

 

Model
License Requirement

ASAv

Standard or Premium License.

All other models

Base License.

Guidelines and Limitations

This section includes the guidelines and limitations for this feature.

Context Mode Guidelines

Supported in single context mode and multiple context mode.

Firewall Mode Guidelines

Supported only in routed firewall mode. Transparent firewall mode is not supported.

IPv6 Guidelines

Supports IPv6.

Note BGP for IPv6 is not supported.

Additional Guidelines

Route maps do not support ACLs that include a user, user group, or fully qualified domain name objects.

Defining a Route Map

You must define a route map when specifying which of the routes from the specified routing protocol are allowed to be redistributed into the target routing process.

To define a route map, enter the following command:

 

Command
Purpose
route-map name { permit | deny } [ sequence_number ]
 
ciscoasa(config)# route-map name {permit} [ 12 ]

Creates the route map entry. Enters route-map configuration mode.

Route map entries are read in order. You can identify the order using the sequence_number argument, or the ASA uses the order in which you add route map entries.

Customizing a Route Map

This section describes how to customize the route map and includes the following topics:

Defining a Route to Match a Specific Destination Address

To define a route to match a specified destination address, perform the following steps:

Detailed Steps

 

Command
Purpose

Step 1
route-map name { permit | deny } [ sequence_number ]
 
ciscoasa(config)# route-map name {permit} [ 12 ]

Creates the route map entry. Enters route-map configuration mode.

Route map entries are read in order. You can identify the order using the sequence_number option, or the ASA uses the order in which you add route map entries.

Step 2

Enter one of the following match commands to match routes to a specified destination address:

 
match ip address acl_id [ acl_id ] [...] [prefix-list]
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match ip address acl_id [ acl_id ] [...]

Matches any routes that have a destination network that matches a standard ACL or prefix list.

If you specify more than one ACL, then the route can match any of the ACLs.

 
match metric metric_value
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match metric 200

Matches any routes that have a specified metric.

The metric_value can range from 0 to 4294967295.

 
match ip next-hop acl_id [ acl_id ] [...]
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match ip next-hop acl_id [ acl_id ] [...]

Matches any routes that have a next hop router address that matches a standard ACL.

If you specify more than one ACL, then the route can match any of the ACLs.

 
match interface if_name
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match interface if_name

Matches any routes with the specified next hop interface.

If you specify more than one interface, then the route can match either interface.

 
match ip route-source acl_id [ acl_id ] [...]
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match ip route-source acl_id [ acl_id ] [...]

Matches any routes that have been advertised by routers that match a standard ACL.

If you specify more than one ACL, then the route can match any of the ACLs.

 
match route-type { internal | external [ type-1 | type-2 ]}
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match route-type internal type-1

Matches the route type.

Configuring the Metric Values for a Route Action

If a route matches the match commands, then the following set commands determine the action to perform on the route before redistributing it.

To configure the metric value for a route action, perform the following steps:

Detailed Steps

 

Command
Purpose

Step 1
route-map name { permit | deny } [ sequence_number ]
 
ciscoasa(config)# route-map name {permit} [ 12 ]

Creates the route map entry. Enters route-map configuration mode.

Route map entries are read in order. You can identify the order using the sequence_number argument, or the ASA uses the order in which you add route map entries.

Step 2

To set a metric for the route map, enter one or more of the following set commands:

 
set metric metric_value
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# set metric 200

Sets the metric value.

The metric_value argument can range from 0 to 294967295.

 
set metric-type { type-1 | type-2 }
 
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# set metric-type type-2

Sets the metric type.

The metric-type argument can be type-1 or type-2.

Configuration Example for Route Maps

The following example shows how to redistribute routes with a hop count equal to 1 into OSPF.

The ASA redistributes these routes as external LSAs with a metric of 5 and a metric type of Type 1.

ciscoasa(config)# route-map 1-to-2 permit
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match metric 1
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# set metric 5
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# set metric-type type-1
 

The following example shows how to redistribute the 10.1.1.0 static route into eigrp process 1 with the configured metric value:

ciscoasa(config)# route outside 10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# access-list mymap2 line 1 permit 10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# route-map mymap2 permit 10
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# match ip address mymap2
ciscoasa(config-route-map)# router eigrp 1
ciscoasa(config-router)# redistribute static metric 250 250 1 1 1 route-map mymap2
 

Feature History for Route Maps

Table 28-1 lists each feature change and the platform release in which it was implemented.

 

Table 28-1 Feature History for Route Maps

Feature Name
Platform Releases
Feature Information

Route maps

7.0(1)

We introduced this feature.

We introduced the following command: route-map.

Enhanced support for static and dynamic route maps

8.0(2)

Enhanced support for dynamic and static route maps was added.

Support for Stateful Failover of dynamic routing protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, and RIP) and debugging of general routing-related operations

8.4(1)

We introduced the following commands: debug route, show debug route.

We modified the following command: show route.

Dynamic Routing in Multiple Context Mode

9.0(1)

Route maps are supported in multiple context mode.

Support for BGP

9.2(1)

We introduced this feature.

We introduced the following commands: router bgp