This article describes how route reflectors and confederations can work together within the same autonomous system (AS).

In a large autonomous system (AS), IBGP full-mesh scaling is usually solved through the configuration of Confederations or the configuration of Route Reflectors, but not both. However, IBGP full-mesh scaling in a large AS can also be addressed through a hybrid solution that involves both route reflectors and confederations.

Example Topology

• R1, R2, R3, R5, and R7 are members of AS 17.

• R1, R2 and R3 are part of confederation AS 65000.

• R3 is RR for R1 and R2.

• There's a confederation EBGP between R3 and R4.

• R5 and R7 are members of confederation AS 65001.

• In the output below, R1 is advertising 102.13.144.0/20 to R3, and R2 is advertising 172.16.24.0/24 to R3.

R3@Router:R3# run show route protocol bgp

inet.0: 26 destinations, 26 routes (26 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)
+ = Active Route, - = Last Active, * = Both


102.13.144.0/20 *[BGP/170] 00:57:51, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.1
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.13.1 via lt-0/0/0.31
172.16.24.0/24 *[BGP/170] 00:57:47, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.2
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.23.2 via lt-0/0/0.32

In the output below, R1 and R2 are getting the reflected routes.

edit]
R1@Router:R1# run show route protocol bgp

inet.0: 27 destinations, 27 routes (26 active, 0 holddown, 1 hidden)
+ = Active Route, - = Last Active, * = Both


172.16.24.0/24 *[BGP/170] 01:00:42, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.3
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.12.2 via lt-0/0/0.12



[edit]
R3@Router:R3# run show route protocol bgp

inet.0: 26 destinations, 26 routes (26 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)
+ = Active Route, - = Last Active, * = Both


102.13.144.0/20 *[BGP/170] 01:21:04, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.1
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.13.1 via lt-0/0/0.31

[edit]
R3@Router:R3#

Note that R1 is advertising 102.13.144.0/20, and R3 is advertising 172.16.24.0/24

In the output below, these prefixes are propagated to R7 in sub-as 65001:

[edit]
R7@Router:R7# run show route protocol bgp


102.13.144.0/20 *[BGP/170] 01:04:31, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5
AS path: (65000) I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.57.5 via lt-0/0/0.75
172.16.24.0/24 *[BGP/170] 01:04:28, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.5
AS path: (65000) I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.57.5 via lt-0/0/0.75

[edit]
R7@Router:R7#

inet.0: 26 destinations, 26 routes (26 active, 0 holddown, 0 hidden)
+ = Active Route, - = Last Active, * = Both

102.13.144.0/20 *[BGP/170] 00:57:51, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.1
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.13.1 via lt-0/0/0.31
172.16.24.0/24 *[BGP/170] 00:57:47, localpref 100, from 192.168.1.2
AS path: I, validation-state: unverified
> to 172.16.23.2 via lt-0/0/0.32

Configuration

R1 configuration

edit]
R1@Router:R1# show
interfaces {
lt-0/0/0 {

unit 13 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 31;
family inet {
address 172.16.13.1/24;
}
family mpls;
}
unit 81 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 82;
family inet {
address 102.13.144.81/20;
}
}
}
lo0 {
unit 1 {
family inet {
address 192.168.1.1/32;
}
}
}
}
protocols {

bgp {

group IBGP {
type internal;
local-address 192.168.1.1;
export [ NHS DIRECT ];
peer-as 65000;
neighbor 192.168.1.3;
}
}
ospf {
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface all;
interface lt-0/0/0.81 {
disable;
}
}
}
}
policy-options {
policy-statement DIRECT {
term 1 {
from {
protocol direct;
route-filter 102.0.0.0/8 orlonger;
}
then accept;
}
}
policy-statement NHS {
term 10 {
from protocol bgp;
then {
next-hop self;
}
}
term 20 {
then next policy;
}
}
}
routing-options {
router-id 192.168.1.1;
autonomous-system 65000;
confederation 17 members [ 65000 65001 ];
}

[edit]
R1@Router:R1#


R2 configuration

[edit]
R2@Router:R2# show
interfaces {
lt-0/0/0 {

unit 23 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 32;
family inet {
address 172.16.23.2/24;
}
}
unit 24 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 42;
family inet {
address 172.16.24.2/24;
}
}

}
lo0 {
unit 22 {
family inet {
address 192.168.1.2/32;
}
}
}
}
protocols {
bgp {

group IBGP {
type internal;
export [ NHS DIRECT ];
peer-as 65000;
neighbor 192.168.1.3;
}
}
ospf {
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface all;

interface lt-0/0/0.24 {
disable;
}
}
}
}
policy-options {
policy-statement DIRECT {
term 1 {
from {
protocol direct;
route-filter 172.16.24.0/24 orlonger;
}
then accept;
}
}
policy-statement NHS {
term 10 {
from protocol bgp;
then {
next-hop self;
}
}
}
}
routing-options {
autonomous-system 65000;
confederation 17 members [ 65000 65001 ];
}

[edit]
R2@Router:R2#

R3 Route Reflector for Sub-AS 65000

[edit]
R3@Router:R3# show
interfaces {
lt-0/0/0 {
unit 31 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 13;
family inet {
address 172.16.13.3/24;
}
}
unit 32 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 23;
family inet {
address 172.16.23.3/24;
}
}
unit 35 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 53;
family inet {
address 172.16.35.3/24;
}
}
}
lo0 {
unit 3 {
family inet {
address 192.168.1.3/32;
}
}
}
}
protocols {
bgp {

cluster 192.168.1.3;
group IBGP {
type internal;
local-address 192.168.1.3;
peer-as 65000;
neighbor 192.168.1.1;
neighbor 192.168.1.2;
inactive: neighbor 192.168.1.4;
inactive: neighbor 192.168.1.6;
}
group SUB-65001 {
type external;
multihop;
local-address 192.168.1.3;
peer-as 65001;
neighbor 192.168.1.5;
}
}
ospf {
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface all;
}
}
}
routing-options {
router-id 192.168.1.3;
autonomous-system 65000;
confederation 17 members [ 65000 65001 ];
}

[edit]
R3@Router:R3#

R5 Confederation EBGP with R3

[edit]
R5@Router:R5# show
interfaces {
lt-0/0/0 {
unit 53 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 35;
family inet {
address 172.16.35.5/24;
}
}

unit 100 {
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 75;
family inet {
address 172.16.57.5/24;
}
}

}
lo0 {
unit 55 {
family inet {
address 192.168.1.5/32;
}
}
}
}
protocols {
bgp {


group IBGP {
type internal;
local-address 192.168.1.5;
export NHS;
peer-as 65001;

neighbor 192.168.1.7;
}
group SUB-65000 {
type external;
multihop;
local-address 192.168.1.5;
peer-as 65000;
neighbor 192.168.1.3;
}
}
ospf {
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface all;
}
}
}
policy-options {
policy-statement NHS {
term 10 {
from protocol bgp;
then {
next-hop self;
}
}
}
}
routing-options {
autonomous-system 65001;
confederation 17 members [ 65000 65001 ];
}

[edit]
R5@Router:R5#



R7 configuration

R7@Router:R7# show
interfaces {
lt-0/0/0 {

unit 75 {
description link_to_R5;
encapsulation ethernet;
peer-unit 100;
family inet {
address 172.16.57.7/24;
}
}

}
lo0 {
unit 7 {
family inet {
address 192.168.1.7/32;
}
}
}
}
protocols {
bgp {

group Internal {
type internal;
local-address 192.168.1.7;
export NHS;

neighbor 192.168.1.5 {
peer-as 65001;
}
}
}
ospf {
area 0.0.0.0 {
interface lt-0/0/0.75;

interface lo0.7;
}
}
}
policy-options {
policy-statement NHS {
term 1 {
from protocol bgp;
then {
next-hop self;
}
}
}
}
routing-options {
router-id 192.168.1.7;
autonomous-system 65001;
confederation 17 members [ 65000 65001 ];
}

[edit]
R7@Router:R7#

• Example: Configuring BGP Confederations
• Example: Configuring BGP Route Reflectors