EVPN LAG Multihoming in EVPN-VXLAN Cloud Data Center Infrastructures
EVPN LAG Multihoming in EVPN-VXLAN Cloud Data Center Infrastructures
Modified: 2019-01-28
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The purpose of this document is to provide networking professionals with concepts and
tools related to EVPN LAG multihoming in EVPN-VXLAN cloud data center architectures.
The intended audience for this guide includes system integrators, infrastructure
professionals, partners, and customers that want to utilize or optimize the use of EVPN
LAG multihoming, also known as ESI-LAG multihoming, in their cloud data centers.
Ethernet link aggregation remains a vital technology in modern data center networking.
Link aggregation provides the technology to bundle interfaces and to increase bandwidth
in a data center by adding new links to bundled interfaces. Link aggregation can
significantly increase a network’s high availability by providing a redundant path or paths
that traffic can utilize in the event of a link failure and has a variety of other applications
that remain highly relevant in modern data center networks.
New EVPN technology standards—including RFCs 8365, 7432, and 7348—introduce the
concept of link aggregation in EVPNs through the use of Ethernet segments. Ethernet
segments in an EVPN collect links into a bundle and assign a number—called the Ethernet
segment ID (ESI)—to the bundled links. Links from multiple standalone nodes can be
assigned into the same ESI, introducing an important link aggregation feature that
introduces node level redundancy to devices in an EVPN-VXLAN network. The bundled
links that are numbered with an ESI are often referred to as ESI LAGs or EVPN LAGs. The
EVPN LAGs term will be used to refer to these link bundles for the remainder of this
document.
Layer 2 Multihoming in EVPN networks is dependent on EVPN LAGs. EVPN LAGs, which
provide full active-active link support, are also frequently enabled with LACP to ensure
multivendor support for devices accessing the data center. Layer 2 Multihoming with
LACP is an especially attractive configuration option when deploying servers because
the multihoming is transparent from the server point of view; the server thinks it is
connected to a single networking device when it is connected to two or more switches.
Multi-homed Single-homed
EVPN-LAGs EVPN-LAGs
ae1 ae4
ae2 ae3 ae5 ae8
ae6 ae7
APP APP APP APP
OS OS OS OS
VMware ESXi
VMware ESXi
Blade
Center
g300156
VXLAN Tunnel =
NOTE: Single-homed end systems are still frequently used in modern data
center networks. The iSCSi storage array systems in the figure provide an
example of single-homed end systems in an EVPN-VXLAN data center.
See the EVPN Multihoming Implementation section of the EVPN Multihoming Overview
document for additional information related to ESIs and ESI numbering. See Multihoming
an Ethernet-Connected End System Design and Implementation in the Cloud Data Center
Architecture Guide for a step-by-step configuration procedure of an EVPN LAG
implementation.
This section discusses Ethernet Segment Identifiers (ESIs), ESI Types, and LACP in EVPN
LAGs.
ESI values are encoded as 10-byte integers and are used to identify a multihomed
segment. The same ESI value enabled on multiple leaf switch interfaces connected to
the same server or BladeCenter form an EVPN LAG. This EVPN LAG supports active-active
multihoming towards the connected server.
We recommend using an ESI value that uses the same values on the first 8 bytes and
changes only the 9th and 10th bytes per EVPN LAG. The four ESIs described later in this
document follow these value naming guidelines and use the following ESI values:
00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:01, 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:02,
00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03, and 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:04. This universal
ESI number approach simplifies network administration while also ensuring the ESI values
can be used across Junos OS releases. The need to be compatible across Junos releases
is needed in some environments to accommodate changes made to ES import route
community handling in Junos OS Release 17.3R3.
See the EVPN Multihoming Implementation section of the EVPN Multihoming Overview
document for additional information related to ESIs and ESI numbering.
EVPN multihoming is managed at the control plane level using EVPN Type 4 routes and
the ES-Import Route-Target extended community, which in Junos is an automatically
derived 6-byte value taken from the 10-byte ESI value. This extended community is used
within the Type-4 ES-Route to signal using EVPN BGP messages when connecting leaf
devices to the same multihomed CE device.
LACP system ID is, therefore, bonded to the ESI in most multihomed EVPN LAG
deployments to ensure a supported LACP state for EVPN LAGs.
WAN Cloud
VTEP VTEP
Leaf 1 Leaf 2
ae1 ae4
ae2 ae3
g300152
ae3 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03 00:03:03:03:03:03 IRBs =
ae4 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:04 00:03:03:03:03:04 VXLAN Tunnel =
BEST PRACTICE: The same ESI value and LACP system ID should be used
when connecting multiple leaf devices to the same server. Unique ESI values
and LACP system IDs should be used per EVPN LAG.
WAN Cloud
VTEP VTEP
Leaf 1 Leaf 2
ae1 ae4
ae2 ae3
g300153
ae3 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03 00:03:03:03:03:03 VXLAN Tunnel =
ae4 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:04 00:03:03:03:03:04
WAN Cloud
IP GW IP GW
ae5 ae6
VTEP VTEP
Leaf 1 Leaf 2 Leaf 3 Leaf 4
VTEP VTEP
ae2 ae3
ae1 ae4
g300154
ae5 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:05 00:03:03:03:03:05
ae6 00:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:03:06 00:03:03:03:03:06 VXLAN Tunnel =
Spine Devices
VCP ICL
Leaf Devices
Virtual Chassis
ESI
g300155
IRBs =
ae5 00:00:01:02:00:01:01:01:01:05
ae6 00:00:01:02:00:01:01:01:01:06 VXLAN Tunnel =
The CRB Migration architecture is often used when migrating an MC-LAG or Virtual
Chassis-based data center in phases. In this architecture, the EVPN LAG capability is
introduced at the spine level and only one overlay iBGP session is running between the
two spine switches. The top-of-rack switches connected to the spine devices are legacy
switches configured as Virtual Chassis or MC-LAG clusters with no EVPN iBGP peerings
to the spine switches.
The default EVPN core isolation behavior should be disabled in CRB Migration
architectures. The default EVPN core-isolation behavior disables local EVPN LAG
members if the network loses the last iBGP-EVPN signaled peer. Because this peering
between the two spine devices will be lost during the migration, the default behavior-which
can be changed by entering the no-core-isolation option in the edit protocols evpn
hierarchy—must be changed to prevent core isolation events.
This section introduces some commonly-used features in EVPNs that are using EVPN
LAGs.
EVPN Aliasing
EVPN aliasing is the ability of a remote device to load balance Layer 2 unicast traffic
across an Ethernet segment towards an endpoint device. See the Aliasing section of the
EVPN Multihoming Overview topic for additional information on aliasing.
Servers and BladeCenter switches connected to an EVPN LAG with multiple links may
send ARP requests to one of the leaf devices. The leaf devices respond by advertising
the MAC address to the rest of the EVPN topology using the overlay iBGP peerings. The
other leaf devices in the EVPN network use the default EVPN aliasing (EVPN Route type
1 per EVI) functionality to learn the EVPN Type 2 MAC routes from other leaf devices. All
of the leaf devices are connected to the same ESI, however, for forwarding purposes.
Starting in Junos OS Release 18.4, multiple leaf devices that have links in the same EVPN
LAG have the capability of also advertising MAC and IP EVPN Type 2 routes to the server
that sent the ARP request. This capability is possible using the proxy M-bit in EVPN Type
2 routes. This capability is especially beneficial in failure scenarios. If a switch is
multihomed to two leaf devices and the link to one of those devices fails, a Type 2
message can be sent toward the server that initially sent the ARP request and traffic can
be sent across the network over the active links.
EVPN LAG link level fast convergence is delivered using the EVPN IBGP route type I
massive withdrawal message. Node level fast convergence is handled using the BFD for
IBGP in the overlay network. Node-level Layer 2 EVPN LAG redundancy is available in an
EVPN-VXLAN fabric using built-in EVPN loop prevention mechanisms like split horizon
and designated forwarding. Spanning tree protocol (STP) does not need to run in an
EVPN-VXLAN fabric. See Designated Forwarding Election and Split Horizon in the EVPN
Multihoming Overview topic for additional information on these features.
The core isolation feature quickly brings down the local EVPN-LAG when all IBGP EVPN
overlay peerings are lost. This feature diverts traffic to other paths when a link is down.
See When to Use the Core Isolation Feature for additional information on core isolation.
ARP suppression in an ERB architecture helps reduce Ethernet broadcast traffic flooding
across the Layer 2 fabric, thereby freeing up server resources across the fabric. ARP
requests, therefore, are not flooded to other leaf devices when the ARP table is already
populated with the address from other signaling events, most notably EVPN route sharing.
See EVPN Proxy ARP and ARP Suppression, and NDP and NDP Suppression for additional
information on Proxy ARP and ARP suppression.
IGMP proxy helps reduce IGMP membership report flooding in a data center by translating
the IGMP messages into EVPN type 6 routes to send to all of the leaf devices in the data
center. See Overview of IGMP Snooping in an EVPN-VXLAN Environment for additional
information on IGMP Proxy. MAC mobility history allows EVPN LAGs to track how often
a MAC address moves between ESIs. MAC mobility history allows network administrators
to create security actions based on MAC address movements while also simplifying MAC
address-related administration in an EVPN. See Overview of MAC Mobility for additional
information on this feature.
The following table summarizes the pros and cons of EVPN-VXLAN and EVPN multihomed
data centers.
Pros Cons
Flexibility. More devices to manage than in case of a single aggregated
EVPN-VXLAN is an industry standard based approach to platform like Virtual Chassis.
data center fabric creation that appears to be gaining traction
and wide adoption across the networking industry.
Simplified configuration.
The same configuration can be shared per given EVPN LAG
between different leaf devices and there is no need to
provision back to back links between the leaf devices.
Flexible configuration.
EVPN-VXLAN is supported using enterprise-style and
service-provider style (ELS and non-ELS) configurations.
Pros Cons
Improved services delivery.
EVPN-VXLAN introduces the concept of VLAN normalization
at the services dedicated border-leafs level and the
overlapped vlan-id (unique VNI) capability at the per POD
level (pair of leafs).
Junos OS on QFX Series switches support Enterprise style configuration and Service
Provider style configuration.
Both configuration styles can be used to configure EVPN LAGs. We recommend using
the Enterprise configuration style because it supports more data center features like
storm control profiles and BPDU blocking without having to enable RSTP on the leaf
devices.
This section covers EVPN LAG configuration using both configuration styles.
EVPN LAG Configuration of a CRB Architecture Using the Enterprise Configuration Style
The Enterprise configuration style is the recommended way to enable EVPN LAG
functionality in most data center architectures. Enterprise style provisioning is generally
simpler than Service Provider style provisioning and generally is more compatible with
other Layer 2 features.
The following configuration provides a sample EVPN LAG configuration done using the
Enterprise configuration style on the leaf devices in a Centrally Routed Bridging
architecture.
vlan {
members [ 100-101 ]; the explicit vlan-ids enabled with vxlan -
can’t be mixed with regular vlans on same ESI-LAG
}
}
}
vxlan {
vni 50100;
}
}
vlan101 {
vlan-id 101;
vxlan {
vni 50101;
}
}
term term3 {
from community COM-VNI-50101;
then accept;
}
then reject;
local-address 1.1.1.21;
family evpn {
signaling;
}
vpn-apply-export;
local-as 64512;
bfd-liveness-detection {
minimum-interval 300;
multiplier 3;
}
multipath;
neighbor 1.1.1.11;
neighbor 1.1.1.12;
}
group underlay {
type external;
export MY_VTEPS;
multipath multiple-as;
neighbor 10.10.19.1 {
peer-as 65511;
}
neighbor 10.10.21.1 {
peer-as 65512;
}
}
EVPN LAG Configuration of a CRB Architecture Using the Service Provider Configuration Style
The QFX5110 switches also support the Service Provider style of configuration. When
configuring EVPN LAGs in the Service Provider configuration style, multiple units per
given EVPN LAG are assigned. These multiple units provide an opportunity to enable
more selective filter and rate limiting per unit interface, but these assignments must be
done on a per unit basis and are therefore burdensome to configure and maintain. This
granularity is generally not needed in data center architectures using spine and leaf
topologies, so we do not recommend using Service Provider style configuration when
enabling EVPN LAGs in most data center environments.
The following configuration provides a sample EVPN LAG configuration done using the
Service Provider configuration style. This configuration is supported when QFX5110 or
QFX5120 switches are operating in the leaf device role in an architecture where the IRBs
are not on the leaf devices, which are the Centrally Routed Bridging (CRB) and Bridged
Overlay (BO) architectures. The Enterprise configuration style must be used to enable
EVPN LAGs when a QFX5110 or QFX5120 switch is used as the leaf device in an Edge
Routed Bridging (ERB) architecture.