Routing

Hi all,

a friend of mine made the following trivial configuration:

root@P1-1> show configuration routing-options

router-id 192.168.1.11;

autonomous-system 1234;

root@P1-1> show configuration protocols bgp                                

local-address 192.168.1.11;

export NHS;

group eBGP {

    type external;

    neighbor 1.2.3.4 {

        peer-as 2345;

    }

}

group iBGP {

    type internal;

    neighbor 2.2.2.2;

    neighbor 3.3.3.3;

}

All neighbor's IP address are completely invented, therefore not reachable (neither by a default-route nor by a supernet). I was expecting all sessions in the idle state, but curiously only the eBGP session is in the idle state, the iBGP sessions are in the active state. 

root@P1-1> show bgp summary                                                

Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3

Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending

inet.0                 0          0          0          0          0          0

Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...

1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0     2:17:17 Idle 

2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0        5:25 Active

3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0        5:25 Active

The same identical test made with a Cisco router gave all sessions in the idle state, as expected. 

Does anybody have an idea of this strange Junos Behaviour ?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Tiziano

Show the interface configuration on all the devices that connect and the BGP configuration on all the other devices. IDLE - it cannot establish the TCP connection. ACTIVE - still trying to complete the the TCP connection

>show system connections | match 179

Also turn on trace options. BTW, why not use realistic IP address in a subnet range not on the internal network? Also why not use one of the internal AS numbers 64512 - 65534?

Hi,

By default eBGP [type external] has a ttl of 1, so the local-address [192.168.1.1] has to be present on a physical interface and if not present its stuck in idle state.

Same applies when local-address is not configured at all on the device for iBGP, gets stuck in idle, but when lo0 is configured with 192.168.1.1, state changes to active - initiating TCP connection to peer.

Tests reproduced below:

ashvino@R1> show configuration protocols bgp
local-address 192.168.1.1;
group eBGP {
    type external;
    neighbor 1.2.3.4 {
        peer-as 2345;
    }
}
group iBGP {
    type internal;
    neighbor 2.2.2.2;
    neighbor 3.3.3.3;
}

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0           5 Idle
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0           5 Idle
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0           5 Idle

Configure lo0.0 with 192.168.1.1, iBGP states move to active:

ashvino@R1# set interfaces lo0 unit 0 family inet address 192.168.1.1/32

[edit]
ashvino@R1# commit and-quit
commit complete
Exiting configuration mode

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0        2:20 Idle
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0        2:20 Active
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0        2:20 Active

ashvino@R1> show bgp neighbor 1.2.3.4
Peer: 1.2.3.4 AS 2345          Local: 192.168.1.1 AS 1234
  Type: External    State: Idle           Flags: <PeerInterfaceError>
  Last State: NoState       Last Event: NoEvent
  Last Error: None
  Options: <Preference LocalAddress PeerAS Refresh>
  Local Address: 192.168.1.1 Holdtime: 90 Preference: 170
  Number of flaps: 0

2 ways eBGP can move to active state:

1. Multihop [Remove ttl restriction]

ashvino@R1# set protocols bgp group eBGP multihop

[edit]
ashvino@R1# commit and-quit
commit complete
Exiting configuration mode

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0           2 Active
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0        4:51 Active
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0        4:51 Active

2. Having a physical interface with eBGP peer address in same subnet [note "Local" changes for eBGP neighbor]:

ashvino@R1# delete protocols bgp group eBGP multihop

[edit]
ashvino@R1# set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family inet address 1.2.3.5/30

[edit]
ashvino@R1# commit and-quit
commit complete
Exiting configuration mode

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0           2 Active
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0        7:20 Active
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0        7:20 Active

ashvino@R1> show bgp neighbor 1.2.3.4
Peer: 1.2.3.4 AS 2345          Local: 1.2.3.5 AS 1234
  Type: External    State: Active         Flags: <>
  Last State: Idle          Last Event: Start
  Last Error: None
  Options: <Preference LocalAddress PeerAS Refresh>
  Local Address: 192.168.1.1 Holdtime: 90 Preference: 170
  Number of flaps: 0

Removing address on lo0.0 -> iBGP: idle, eBGP: Active [due to physical interface 1.2.3.5]:

ashvino@R1# delete interfaces lo0 unit 0

[edit]
ashvino@R1# commit and-quit
commit complete
Exiting configuration mode

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0        2:22 Active
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0       19:17 Idle
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0       19:17 Idle

ashvino@R1> show bgp neighbor 1.2.3.4
Peer: 1.2.3.4 AS 2345          Local: 1.2.3.5 AS 1234
  Type: External    State: Active         Flags: <>
  Last State: Idle          Last Event: Start
  Last Error: None
  Options: <Preference LocalAddress PeerAS Refresh>
  Local Address: 192.168.1.1 Holdtime: 90 Preference: 170
  Number of flaps: 0

Add multihop to eBGP again brings eBGP to idle:

ashvino@R1# set protocols bgp group eBGP multihop

[edit]
ashvino@R1# commit and-quit
commit complete
Exiting configuration mode

ashvino@R1> show bgp summary
Groups: 2 Peers: 3 Down peers: 3
Table          Tot Paths  Act Paths Suppressed    History Damp State    Pending
inet.0
                       0          0          0          0          0          0
Peer                     AS      InPkt     OutPkt    OutQ   Flaps Last Up/Dwn State|#Active/Received/Accepted/Damped...
1.2.3.4                2345          0          0       0       0           3 Idle
2.2.2.2                1234          0          0       0       0       21:04 Idle
3.3.3.3                1234          0          0       0       0       21:04 Idle

ashvino@R1> show bgp neighbor 1.2.3.4
Peer: 1.2.3.4 AS 2345          Local: 192.168.1.1 AS 1234
  Type: External    State: Idle           Flags: <PeerInterfaceError>
  Last State: NoState       Last Event: NoEvent
  Last Error: None
  Options: <Multihop Preference LocalAddress PeerAS Refresh>
  Local Address: 192.168.1.1 Holdtime: 90 Preference: 170
  Number of flaps: 0

So, it seems that as long as a usable local-address is available, BGP will transition to connect, then active.

As per Juniper documentation, state may go back to idle in case of other events, such as stop event.  This seems to imply that unless a stop event, it will stay in Active state.

Cheers,

Ashvin

Thanks a lot Ashwin, great explanation.