Description

This document explains steps to troubleshoot queue drops observed on AE bundle.

Symptoms

Customer reported that video traffic is impacted and observed queue drops.

 

 

Solution

Please collect below command outputs from router:
show interfaces ae* extensive
show interfaces queue ae*
show configuration class-of-service interfaces
show configuration class-of-service schedulers <scheduler name>



Step 1. Execute command "show interfaces ae* extensive" and check if drops are incrementing. Also check the utilization and confirm that link is not overutilized.

 
Egress queues: 8 supported, 4 in use

Queue counters: Queued packets Transmitted packets Dropped packets

0 725116998840 725107997846 9000994 >>>>>>>> drops are incrementing

1 61303989175 61303989175 0

2 2480086933 2480086933 0

3 124854596 124854596 0

 

Below schedulers are configured :

Queue number: Mapped forwarding classes

0 BEST_EFFORT_2_CLASS,BEST_EFFORT_1_CLASS

1 GOLD_SILVER_CLASS,BRONZE_MGMT_CLASS

2 VOICE_CLASS,VIDEO_CLASS

3 PROTOCOLS_CLASS

 

 

Step 2. Check which queue is dropping the packets :

Lab_PTX10001-36MR> show interfaces queue ae15       
Physical interface: ae15, up, Physical link is Up
  Interface index: 4889, SNMP ifIndex: 1067
  Description: 
Forwarding classes: 16 supported, 7 in use
Egress queues: 8 supported, 4 in use
Queue: 0, Forwarding classes: BEST_EFFORT_2_CLASS,BEST_EFFORT_1_CLASS
  Queued:
    Packets              :         2648517003654                984446 pps
    Bytes                :      3515610120111375            9818867808 bps
  Transmitted:
    Packets              :         2647741522645                984342 pps
    Bytes                :      3514565211574352            9817703520 bps
    Tail-dropped packets :             775074848                   104 pps >>>>>>>>>>>>> Tail drops observed only on Best Effort queue
    Tail-dropped bytes   :         1044459154368               1164288 bps
    RL-dropped packets   :                     0                     0 pps
    RL-dropped bytes     :                     0                     0 bps
    RED-dropped packets  :                406161                     0 pps
    RED-dropped bytes    :             449382655                     0 bps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-low          :                406161                     0 pps
     Medium-high         :                406161                     0 pps
     High                :                406161                     0 pps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-low          :             449382655                     0 bps
     Medium-high         :             449382655                     0 bps
     High                :             449382655                     0 bps
  Queue-depth bytes      : 
    Average              :                     0
    Current              :                     0
    Peak                 :                     0
    Maximum              :                     0
Queue: 1, Forwarding classes: GOLD_SILVER_CLASS,BRONZE_MGMT_CLASS
  Queued:
    Packets              :          103249338078                186844 pps
    Bytes                :       113356740214642            1702522288 bps
  Transmitted:
    Packets              :          103249338078                186844 pps
    Bytes                :       113356740214642            1702522288 bps
    Tail-dropped packets :                     0                     0 pps
    Tail-dropped bytes   :                     0                     0 bps
    RL-dropped packets   :                     0                     0 pps
    RL-dropped bytes     :                     0                     0 bps
    RED-dropped packets  :                     0                     0 pps
    RED-dropped bytes    :                     0                     0 bps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 pps
     High                :                     0                     0 pps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 bps
     High                :                     0                     0 bps
  Queue-depth bytes      : 
    Average              :                     0
    Current              :                     0
    Peak                 :                     0
    Maximum              :                     0
Queue: 2, Forwarding classes: VOICE_CLASS,VIDEO_CLASS
  Queued:
    Packets              :            4939372470                  4229 pps
    Bytes                :         6835557019757              39446456 bps
  Transmitted:
    Packets              :            4939372470                  4229 pps
    Bytes                :         6835557019757              39446456 bps
    Tail-dropped packets :                     0                     0 pps
    Tail-dropped bytes   :                     0                     0 bps
    RL-dropped packets   :                     0                     0 pps
    RL-dropped bytes     :                     0                     0 bps
    RED-dropped packets  :                     0                     0 pps
    RED-dropped bytes    :                     0                     0 bps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 pps
     High                :                     0                     0 pps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 bps
     High                :                     0                     0 bps
  Queue-depth bytes      : 
    Average              :                     0
    Current              :                     0
    Peak                 :                     0
    Maximum              :                     0
Queue: 3, Forwarding classes: PROTOCOLS_CLASS
  Queued:
    Packets              :             387331807                   270 pps
    Bytes                :           55667537232                289544 bps
  Transmitted:
    Packets              :             387331807                   270 pps
    Bytes                :           55667537232                289544 bps
    Tail-dropped packets :                     0                     0 pps
    Tail-dropped bytes   :                     0                     0 bps
    RL-dropped packets   :                     0                     0 pps
    RL-dropped bytes     :                     0                     0 bps
    RED-dropped packets  :                     0                     0 pps
    RED-dropped bytes    :                     0                     0 bps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 pps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 pps
     High                :                     0                     0 pps
     Low                 :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-low          :                     0                     0 bps
     Medium-high         :                     0                     0 bps
     High                :                     0                     0 bps
  Queue-depth bytes      : 
    Average              :                     0
    Current              :                     0
    Peak                 :                     0
    Maximum              :                     0

We checked that packet drops observed only in Best Effort queue. No drops observed in other queues.

When you have packets enqueued which is more than you could send, you might see RED drop. If the enqueueing packets come too fast and it even can't be enqueued (ie. the current queue size is reaching max), you will see tail drop.

 

Step 3. Check configuration for class-of-service applied on the interface level. Check configuration for schedulers.

Lab_PTX10001-36MR> show configuration class-of-service scheduler-maps PTX10000_CORE_OUT_MAP 
forwarding-class BEST_EFFORT_2_CLASS scheduler BEST_EFFORT_QUEUE;
forwarding-class BEST_EFFORT_1_CLASS scheduler BEST_EFFORT_QUEUE;
forwarding-class BRONZE_MGMT_CLASS scheduler MGMT_CMRC_QUEUE;
forwarding-class GOLD_SILVER_CLASS scheduler MGMT_CMRC_QUEUE;
forwarding-class VIDEO_CLASS scheduler VIDEO_VOICE_QUEUE;
forwarding-class VOICE_CLASS scheduler VIDEO_VOICE_QUEUE;
forwarding-class PROTOCOLS_CLASS scheduler PROTOCOLS_QUEUE;
schedulers {
        BEST_EFFORT_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate percent 1;
            buffer-size percent 13;
            priority low;
            drop-profile-map loss-priority any protocol any drop-profile WRED_DROP;
        }
        MGMT_CMRC_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate percent 45;
            buffer-size percent 40;
            priority low;
            drop-profile-map loss-priority any protocol any drop-profile WRED_DROP;
        }
        VIDEO_VOICE_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate percent 45;
            buffer-size percent 40;
            priority high;
        }
        PROTOCOLS_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate {
                percent 7;
                rate-limit;
            }
            buffer-size percent 7;
            priority strict-high;
        }
    }

As per customer, Video Traffic is impacted. Video traffic in untagged and thus taking best effort queue.

 

Step 4. Check transmit-rate and buffer-size for the scheduler.
 

In this case, best-effort queue was more utilized as incoming video traffic was not marked.

We checked that transmit-rate and buffer-size is very small for best-effort queue.
 

Lab_PTX10001-36MR> show configuration class-of-service schedulers BEST_EFFORT_QUEUE 
transmit-rate percent 1; 
buffer-size percent 13;
priority low;
drop-profile-map loss-priority any protocol any drop-profile WRED_DROP;

We can increase the transmit-rate and buffer-size for best effort queue but we need to make sure that total percent of all the schedulers is 100.

It is difficult to predict and to test the bandwidth allocation for different class.

Customer design team should check for appropriate bandwidth allocation for each class as per usage.

 

Step 5. Modify transmit-rate and buffer-size according to traffic utilization.

 

In this case, modified the best effort and video-voice queue configuration to resolve the issue.

    BEST_EFFORT_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate percent 37;
            buffer-size percent 35;
            priority high;
            drop-profile-map loss-priority any protocol any drop-profile WRED_DROP;
        }
    
        VIDEO_VOICE_QUEUE {
            transmit-rate percent 10;
            buffer-size percent 10;
            priority high;
 

 

Modification History

2024-04-17 : Article Created