VRRPv3 Protocol Support
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Interoperability in multi-vendor environments.
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VRRPv3 supports usage of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses while VRRPv2 only supports IPv4 addresses
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Improved scalability through the use of VRRS Pathways.
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In this module, VRRP and VRRPv3 are used interchangeably. |
Restrictions for VRRPv3 Protocol Support
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VRRPv3 is not intended as a replacement for existing dynamic protocols. VRRPv3 is designed for use over multi-access, multicast, or broadcast capable Ethernet LANs.
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VRRPv3 is supported on Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Bridge Group Virtual Interface (BVI), and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, and on Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), VRF-aware MPLS VPNs and VLANs.
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Because of the forwarding delay that is associated with the initialization of a BVI interface, you must not configure the VRRPv3 advertise timer to a value lesser than the forwarding delay on the BVI interface. If you configure the VRRPv3 advertise timer to a value equal to or greater than the forwarding delay on the BVI interface, the setting prevents a VRRP device on a recently initialized BVI interface from unconditionally taking over the primary role. Use the bridge forward-time command to set the forwarding delay on the BVI interface. Use the vrrp timers advertise command to set the VRRP advertisement timer.
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VRRPv3 does not support Stateful Switchover (SSO).
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Full network redundancy can only be achieved if VRRP operates over the same network path as the VRRS Pathway redundant interfaces. For full redundancy, the following restrictions apply:
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VRRS pathways should not share a different physical interface as the parent VRRP group or be configured on a sub-interface having a different physical interface as the parent VRRP group.
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VRRS pathways should not be configured on Switch Virtual Interface (SVI) interfaces as long as the associated VLAN does not share the same trunk as the VLAN on which the parent VRRP group is configured.
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Information About VRRPv3 Protocol Support
VRRPv3 Benefits
Support for IPv4 and IPv6
VRRPv3 supports IPv4 and IPv6 address families while VRRPv2 only supports IPv4 addresses.
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When VRRPv3 is in use, VRRPv2 is unavailable. For VRRPv3 to be configurable, the fhrp version vrrp v3 command must be used in global configuration mode |
Redundancy
VRRP enables you to configure multiple devices as the default gateway device, which reduces the possibility of a single point of failure in a network.
Load Sharing
You can configure VRRP in such a way that traffic to and from LAN clients can be shared by multiple devices, thereby sharing the traffic load more equitably between available devices.
Multiple Virtual Devices
VRRP supports up to 255 virtual devices (VRRP groups) on a device physical interface, subject to restrictions in scaling. Multiple virtual device support enables you to implement redundancy and load sharing in your LAN topology. In scaled environments, VRRS Pathways should be used in combination with VRRP control groups.
Multiple IP Addresses
The virtual device can manage multiple IP addresses, including secondary IP addresses. Therefore, if you have multiple subnets configured on an Ethernet interface, you can configure VRRP on each subnet.
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To utilize secondary IP addresses in a VRRP group, a primary address must be configured on the same group. |
Preemption
The redundancy scheme of VRRP enables you to preempt a virtual device backup that has taken over for a failing virtual primary device with a higher priority virtual device backup that has become available.
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Preemption of a lower priority primary device is enabled with an optional delay. |
Advertisement Protocol
VRRP uses a dedicated Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) standard multicast address for VRRP advertisements. For IPv4, the multicast address is 224.0.0.18. For IPv6, the multicast address is FF02:0:0:0:0:0:0:12. This addressing scheme minimizes the number of devices that must service the multicasts and allows test equipment to accurately identify VRRP packets on a segment. The IANA has assigned VRRP the IP protocol number 112.
VRRP Device Priority and Preemption
An important aspect of the VRRP redundancy scheme is VRRP device priority. Priority determines the role that each VRRP device plays and what happens if the virtual primary device fails.
If a VRRP device owns the IP address of the virtual device and the IP address of the physical interface, this device will function as a virtual primary device.
Priority also determines if a VRRP device functions as a virtual device backup and the order of ascendancy to becoming a virtual primary device if the virtual primary device fails. You can configure the priority of each virtual device backup with a value of 1 through 254 using the priority command (use the vrrp address-family command to enter the VRRP configuration mode and access the priority option).
For example, if device A, the virtual primary device in a LAN topology, fails, an election process takes place to determine if virtual device backups B or C should take over. If devices B and C are configured with the priorities of 101 and 100, respectively, device B is elected to become virtual primary device because it has the higher priority. If devices B and C are both configured with the priority of 100, the virtual device backup with the higher IP address is elected to become the virtual primary device.
By default, a preemptive scheme is enabled whereby a higher priority virtual device backup that becomes available takes over from the virtual device backup that was elected to become virtual primary device. You can disable this preemptive scheme using the no preempt command (use the vrrp address-family command to enter the VRRP configuration mode, and enter the no preempt command). If preemption is disabled, the virtual device backup that is elected to become virtual primary device remains the primary until the original virtual primary device recovers and becomes primary again.
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Preemption of a lower priority primary device is enabled with an optional delay. |
VRRP Advertisements
The virtual primary device sends VRRP advertisements to other VRRP devices in the same group. The advertisements communicate the priority and state of the virtual primary device. The VRRP advertisements are encapsulated into either IPv4 or IPv6 packets (based on the VRRP group configuration) and sent to the appropriate multicast address assigned to the VRRP group. For IPv4, the multicast address is 224.0.0.18. For IPv6, the multicast address is FF02:0:0:0:0:0:0:12. The advertisements are sent every second by default and the interval is configurable.
Cisco devices allow you to configure millisecond timers, which is a change from VRRPv2. You need to manually configure the millisecond timer values on both the primary and the backup devices. The primary advertisement value displayed in the show vrrp command output on the backup devices is always 1 second because the packets on the backup devices do not accept millisecond values.
You must use millisecond timers where absolutely necessary and with careful consideration and testing. Millisecond values work only under favorable circumstances. The use of the millisecond timer values is compatible with third party vendors, as long as they also support VRRPv3. You can specify a timer value between 100 milliseconds and 40000 milliseconds.
How to Configure VRRPv3 Protocol Support
Creating and Customizing a VRRP Group
To create a VRRP group, perform the following task. Steps 6 to 14 denote customizing options for the group, and they are optional:
SUMMARY STEPS
- enable
- configure terminal
- fhrp version vrrp v3
- interface type number
- vrrp group-id address-family {ipv4 | ipv6}
- address ip-address [primary | secondary]
- description group-description
- match-address
- preempt delay minimum seconds
- priority priority-level
- timers advertise interval
- vrrpv2
- vrrs leader vrrs-leader-name
- shutdown
- end
DETAILED STEPS
Command or Action | Purpose | |||
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Step 1 |
enable Example:
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Enables privileged EXEC mode.
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Step 2 |
configure terminal Example:
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Enters global configuration mode. |
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Step 3 |
fhrp version vrrp v3 Example:
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Enables the ability to configure VRRPv3 and VRRS.
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Step 4 |
interface type number Example:
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Enters interface configuration mode. |
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Step 5 |
vrrp group-id address-family {ipv4 | ipv6} Example:
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Creates a VRRP group and enters VRRP configuration mode. |
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Step 6 |
address ip-address [primary | secondary] Example:
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Specifies a primary or secondary address for the VRRP group.
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Step 7 |
description group-description Example:
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(Optional) Specifies a description for the VRRP group. |
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Step 8 |
match-address Example:
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(Optional) Matches secondary address in the advertisement packet against the configured address.
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Step 9 |
preempt delay minimum seconds Example:
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(Optional) Enables preemption of lower priority primary device with an optional delay.
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Step 10 |
priority priority-level Example:
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(Optional) Specifies the priority value of the VRRP group.
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Step 11 |
timers advertise interval Example:
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(Optional) Sets the advertisement timer in milliseconds.
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Step 12 |
vrrpv2 Example:
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(Optional) Enables support for VRRPv2 configured devices in compatibility mode.
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Step 13 |
vrrs leader vrrs-leader-name Example:
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(Optional) Specifies a leader's name to be registered with VRRS and to be used by followers.
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Step 14 |
shutdown Example:
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(Optional) Disables VRRP configuration for the VRRP group.
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Step 15 |
end Example:
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Returns to privileged EXEC mode. |
Configuring the Delay Period Before FHRP Client Initialization
To configure the delay period before the initialization of all FHRP clients on an interface, perform the following task:
SUMMARY STEPS
- enable
- configure terminal
- fhrp version vrrp v3
- interface type number
- fhrp delay {[minimum] [reload] seconds}
- end
DETAILED STEPS
Command or Action | Purpose | |||
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Step 1 |
enable Example:
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Enables privileged EXEC mode.
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Step 2 |
configure terminal Example:
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Enters global configuration mode. |
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Step 3 |
fhrp version vrrp v3 Example:
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Enables the ability to configure VRRPv3 and VRRS.
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Step 4 |
interface type number Example:
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Enters interface configuration mode. |
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Step 5 |
fhrp delay {[minimum] [reload] seconds} Example:
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Specifies the delay period for the initialization of FHRP clients after an interface comes up.
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Step 6 |
end Example:
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Returns to privileged EXEC mode. |
Configuration Examples for VRRPv3 Protocol Support
Example: Enabling VRRPv3 on a Device
The following example shows how to enable VRRPv3 on a device:
Device> enable
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# fhrp version vrrp v3
Device(config-if-vrrp)# end
Example: Creating and Customizing a VRRP Group
The following example shows how to create and customize a VRRP group:
Device> enable
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# fhrp version vrrp v3
Device(config)# interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/1
Device(config-if)# vrrp 3 address-family ipv4
Device(config-if-vrrp)# address 100.0.1.10 primary
Device(config-if-vrrp)# description group 3
Device(config-if-vrrp)# match-address
Device(config-if-vrrp)# preempt delay minimum 30
Device(config-if-vrrp)# end
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In the above example, the fhrp version vrrp v3 command is used in the global configuration mode. |
Example: Configuring the Delay Period Before FHRP Client Initialization
The following example shows how to configure the delay period before FHRP client initialization :
Device> enable
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# fhrp version vrrp v3
Device(config)# interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/1
Device(config-if)# fhrp delay minimum 5
Device(config-if-vrrp)# end
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In the above example, a five-second delay period is specified for the initialization of FHRP clients after the interface comes up. You can specify a delay period between 0 and 3600 seconds. |
Example: VRRP Status, Configuration, and Statistics Details
The following is a sample output of the status, configuration and statistics details for a VRRP group:
Device> enable
Device# show vrrp detail
GigabitEthernet1/0/1 - Group 3 - Address-Family IPv4
Description is "group 3"
State is MASTER
State duration 53.901 secs
Virtual IP address is 100.0.1.10
Virtual MAC address is 0000.5E00.0103
Advertisement interval is 1000 msec
Preemption enabled, delay min 30 secs (0 msec remaining)
Priority is 100
Master Router is 10.21.0.1 (local), priority is 100
Master Advertisement interval is 1000 msec (expires in 832 msec)
Master Down interval is unknown
VRRPv3 Advertisements: sent 61 (errors 0) - rcvd 0
VRRPv2 Advertisements: sent 0 (errors 0) - rcvd 0
Group Discarded Packets: 0
VRRPv2 incompatibility: 0
IP Address Owner conflicts: 0
Invalid address count: 0
IP address configuration mismatch : 0
Invalid Advert Interval: 0
Adverts received in Init state: 0
Invalid group other reason: 0
Group State transition:
Init to master: 0
Init to backup: 1 (Last change Sun Mar 13 19:52:56.874)
Backup to master: 1 (Last change Sun Mar 13 19:53:00.484)
Master to backup: 0
Master to init: 0
Backup to init: 0
Device# exit
Additional References
Related Documents
Related Topic |
Document Title |
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FHRP commands |
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Configuring VRRPv2 |
Configuring VRRP |
VRRPv3 Commands |
For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter. Command Reference (Catalyst 9400 Series Switches) |
Standards and RFCs
Standard/RFC |
Title |
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RFC5798 |
Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol |
Technical Assistance
Description |
Link |
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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 VRRPv3 Protocol Support
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.
Feature Name |
Releases |
Feature Information |
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VRRPv3 Protocol Support |
Cisco IOS XE Everest 16.6.1 |
VRRP enables a group of devices to form a single virtual device to provide redundancy. The LAN clients can then be configured with the virtual device as their default gateway. The virtual device, representing a group of devices, is also known as a VRRP group. The VRRPv3 Protocol Support feature provides the capability to support IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. This feature was introduced. |
Glossary
Virtual IP address owner —The VRRP device that owns the IP address of the virtual device. The owner is the device that has the virtual device address as its physical interface address.
Virtual device —One or more VRRP devices that form a group. The virtual device acts as the default gateway device for LAN clients. The virtual device is also known as a VRRP group.
Virtual device backup —One or more VRRP devices that are available to assume the role of forwarding packets if the virtual primary device fails.
Virtual primary device —The VRRP device that is currently responsible for forwarding packets sent to the IP addresses of the virtual device. Usually, the virtual primary device also functions as the IP address owner.
VRRP device —A device that is running VRRP.