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BGP in depth lab 11 of 14

Fast convergence on IOS XE

A route reflector shows each client only one path, so when an exit fails, Kestrel Fibre waits for BGP to find another. Give the IOS XE edge a second path with add-path, pre-install it with BGP PIC, detect failures in a second with BFD, then pull a link and watch.

Run this lab

It needs Lite: its 5 nodes are set to 5 vCPU and 6,144 MB in total. That fits the free demo too.

In your workspace: Shared, then BGP in depth guided labs, then 11 - Fast convergence on IOS XE

Try it free for 30 minutesRun it on Lite from £3 a day

The free demo needs no card and no email. Every lab plan includes every guided lab.

Level
Advanced
Time
About 90 minutes
Nodes need
5 vCPU, 6,144 MB
Smallest plan
Lite

The scenario

Kestrel Fibre's edge router PE1 reaches REMOTE through two exits, PE2 and PE3. When PE2 failed last month, customers lost traffic for minutes. Your task is to reduce that to almost nothing, in three layers: give PE1 both paths, install the second one in advance, and detect failure quickly.

DeviceInterfaceAddressConnects to
PE1Loopback010.255.0.1/32
PE1Loopback1203.0.113.1/24
PE1Gi110.0.1.1/30RR Gi0/0
RRLoopback010.255.0.254/32
RRGi0/010.0.1.2/30PE1 Gi1
RRGi0/110.0.2.1/30PE2 Gi0/0
RRGi0/210.0.3.1/30PE3 Gi0/0
PE2Loopback010.255.0.2/32
PE2Gi0/010.0.2.2/30RR Gi0/1
PE2Gi0/1172.16.2.1/30REMOTE Gi0/0
PE3Loopback010.255.0.3/32
PE3Gi0/010.0.3.2/30RR Gi0/2
PE3Gi0/1172.16.3.1/30REMOTE Gi0/1
REMOTELoopback010.255.0.9/32
REMOTELoopback1198.51.100.1/24
REMOTEGi0/0172.16.2.2/30PE2 Gi0/1
REMOTEGi0/1172.16.3.2/30PE3 Gi0/1

What you’ll practise

  • Explain path hiding at a route reflector
  • Configure add-path send and receive between IOS and IOS XE
  • Pre-install a backup path with BGP PIC Edge and read it in the table and in CEF
  • Use BFD to detect a failure that interface state can't see
  • Prove a failover and read which mechanism did the work

The tasks

  1. Path hiding
  2. Add-path
  3. BGP PIC Edge
  4. BFD
  5. Pull the link

The Lab Tasks pane has the scenario, these tasks, the checks to run, hints and the full solution.

Topology and devices

The network as it opens in EVE-NG, drawn from the lab’s own canvas, and the image each node runs.

Topology of Fast convergence on IOS XE5 nodes, 5 links. Every link is listed as text below the diagram.PE1RRPE2PE3REMOTEGi1Gi0/0Gi0/1Gi0/0Gi0/2Gi0/0Gi0/1Gi0/0Gi0/1Gi0/1
5 nodes, with the interface names each link uses. On a narrow screen, scroll the diagram sideways.
Every link, as text
  • PE1 Gi1 to RR Gi0/0
  • RR Gi0/1 to PE2 Gi0/0
  • RR Gi0/2 to PE3 Gi0/0
  • PE2 Gi0/1 to REMOTE Gi0/0
  • PE3 Gi0/1 to REMOTE Gi0/1
Nodes in Fast convergence on IOS XE, with the image each runs and the vCPU and RAM it’s set to
NodeDeviceImage in Add NodeSet to
PE1Cisco CSR 1000vcsr1000vng-universalk9.17.03.08a-serial1 vCPU, 4,096 MB
RRCisco IOSvvios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m91 vCPU, 512 MB
PE2Cisco IOSvvios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m91 vCPU, 512 MB
PE3Cisco IOSvvios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m91 vCPU, 512 MB
REMOTECisco IOSvvios-adventerprisek9-m.spa.159-3.m91 vCPU, 512 MB

How to open this lab

  1. Sign in to your workspace at lab.cloudlabbox.com.

  2. In File Manager, open Shared, then the folder BGP in depth guided labs.

  3. Open 11 - Fast convergence on IOS XE and start its nodes, then open Lab Tasks for the scenario and the steps.

The lab is read-only. You can start the nodes and configure the devices, but changes to the topology can’t be saved. To change it, rebuild it in your own folder.

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CloudLabBox is independent of Arista Networks, Cisco, Juniper Networks and MikroTik. The lab follows exam topics and isn’t vendor training material; vendor names identify the exams and the images in the workspace.