Managing a Greenfield VXLAN BGP EVPN Fabric

This chapter describes how to manage a greenfield VXLAN BGP EVPN fabric.

Provisioning VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IGP Underlay

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller introduces an enhanced “Easy” fabric workflow for unified underlay and overlay provisioning of VXLAN EVPN configuration on Nexus 9000 and Nexus 3000 Series switches. The configuration of the fabric is achieved via a powerful, flexible, and customizable template-based framework. Using minimal user inputs, you can bring up the entire fabric with Cisco recommended best practice configurations, in a short period of time. The set of parameters exposed in the Fabric Settings allows you to tailor the fabric to their preferred underlay provisioning options.

For creating and deploying VXLAN EVPN fabrics, see VXLAN EVPN Fabrics Provisioning.

Creating VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IPv4 Underlay

To create a new VXLAN EVPN fabric, refer to Creating a VXLAN EVPN Fabric Using the Easy_Fabric Template.

Creating VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IPv6 Underlay

This procedure shows how to create a VXLAN EVPN fabric with IPv6 underlay. Note that only the fields for creating a VXLAN fabric with IPv6 underlay are documented. For information about the remaining fields, see Creating a VXLAN EVPN Fabric Using the Easy_Fabric Template.

Procedure

Step 1	Choose LAN > Fabrics.
Step 2	From the Actions drop-down list, choose Create Fabric. The Create Fabric window appears. Fabric Name – Enter the name of the fabric. Fabric Template – From the drop-down list, choose Easy_Fabric.
Step 3	The General Parameters tab is displayed by default. The fields in this tab are: BGP ASN – Enter the BGP AS number for the fabric. You can enter either the 2 byte BGP ASN or 4 byte BGP ASN. Enable IPv6 Underlay – Check the Enable IPv6 Underlay check box . Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address – Check the Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address check box to use the link local addresses in the fabric between leaf-spine and spine-border interfaces. If you check this check box, the Underlay Subnet IPv6 Mask field is not editable. By default, the Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address field is enabled. IPv6 underlay supports p2p networks only. Therefore, the Fabric Interface Numbering drop-down list is disabled. Underlay Subnet IPv6 Mask – Specify the subnet mask for the fabric interface IPv6 addresses. Underlay Routing Protocol – Specify the IGP used in the fabric, that is, OSPF or IS-IS for VXLANv6.
Step 4	All the fields under the Replication tab are disabled. IPv6 underlay supports ingress replication mode only.
Step 5	Click the VPC tab. vPC Peer Keep Alive option – Choose management or loopback. To use IP addresses assigned to the management port and the management VRF, choose management. To use IP addresses assigned to loopback interfaces and a non-management VRF, choose underlay routing loopback with IPv6 address for PKA. Both the options are supported for IPv6 underlay.
Step 6	Click the Protocols tab. Underlay Anycast Loopback Id – Specify the underlay anycast loopback ID for IPv6 underlay. You cannot configure IPv6 address as secondary, an additional loopback interface is allocated on each vPC device. Its IPv6 address is used as the VIP.
Step 7	Click the Resources tab. Manual Underlay IP Address Allocation: Check the check box to manually allocate underlay IP addresses. The dynamic underlay IP addresses fields are disabled. Underlay Routing Loopback IPv6 Range: Specify loopback IPv6 addresses for protocol peering. Underlay VTEP Loopback IPv6 Range: Specify loopback IPv6 addresses for VTEPs. Underlay Subnet IPv6 Range: Specify the IPv6 address range that is used for assigning IP addresses for numbered and peer link SVIs. To edit this field, uncheck Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address check box under the General Parameters tab. BGP Router ID Range for IPv6 Underlay: Specify the address range to assign BGP Router IDs. The IPv4 addressing is used for router with BGP and underlay routing protocols.
Step 8	Click the Bootstrap tab. Enable Bootstrap: Check the Enable Bootstrap check box. If this check box is not chosen, none of the other fields on this tab are editable. Enable Local DHCP Server: Check the check box to initiate automatic assignment of IP addresses assignment through the local DHCP server. The DHCP Scope Start Address and DHCP Scope End Address fields are editable only after you check this check box. DHCP Version: Choose DHCPv4 from the drop-down list.
Step 9	Click Save to complete the creation of the fabric.

What to do next

Adding Switches to a Fabric

Adding Switches

Switch can be added to a single fabric at any point in time. To add switches to a fabric and discover existing or new switches, refer to Adding Switches to a Fabric.

Assigning Switch Roles

To assign roles to switches on Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller refer to Assigning Switch Roles.

Creating vPC Setup

(Optional) Create a vPC setup for a pair of switches in the fabric. Ensure that the switches have the same roles and are connected to each other. For instructions, refer to vPC Fabric Peering.

Overlay Mode

You can create a VRF or network in CLI or config-profile mode at the fabric level. The overlay mode of member fabrics of an MSD fabric is set individually at the member-fabric level. Overlay mode can only be changed before deploying overlay configurations to the switches. After the overlay configuration is deployed, you cannot change the mode unless all the VRF and network attachments are removed.

Note

If you upgrade from Cisco DCNM Release 11.5(x), the existing config-profile mode functions the same.

If the switch has config-profile based overlays, you can import it in the config-profile overlay mode only. If you import it in the cli overlay mode, an error appears during brownfield import.

For brownfield import, if overlay is deployed as config-profile mode, it can be imported in config-profile mode only. However, if overlay is deployed as cli, it can be imported in either config-profile or cli modes.

To choose the overlay mode of VRFs or networks in a fabric, perform the following steps:

Navigate to the Edit Fabric window.
Go to the Advanced tab.
From the Overlay Mode drop-down list, choose config-profile or cli.

The default mode is config-profile.

Creating VRF

UI Navigation

The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics.

Choose LAN > Fabrics. Click on a fabric to open the Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose Fabric Overview > VRFs > VRFs.
Choose LAN > Fabrics. Double-click on the fabric to open Fabric Overview > VRFs > VRFs.

To create VRF from the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Web UI, perform the following steps:

Procedure

Step 1

On the VRFs tab, click Actions > Create.

The Create VRF window appears.

Step 2

On Create VRF, enter the required details in the mandatory fields. The available fields vary based on the fabric type.

The fields in this window are:

VRF Name – Specifies a VRF name automatically or allows you to enter a name. The VRF name should not contain any white spaces or special characters except underscore (_), hyphen (-), and colon (:).

For MSD Fabrics, the values for VRF or Network is same for the fabric.

VRF ID – Specifies the ID for the VRF or allows you to enter an ID for the VRF.

VLAN ID – Specifies the corresponding tenant VLAN ID for the network or allows you to enter an ID for the VLAN. If you want to propose a new VLAN for the network, click Propose VLAN.

VRF Template – A default universal template is auto-populated. This is applicable for leaf switches only.

VRF Extension Template – A default universal extension template is auto-populated. This allows you to extend this network to another fabric. The methods are VRF Lite, Multi Site, and so on. The template is applicable for border leaf switches and BGWs.

Step 3

The fields on the General tab are:

VRF VLAN Name – Enter the VLAN name for the VRF.

VRF Interface Description – Enter a description for the VRF interface.

VRF Description – Enter a description for the VRF.

Step 4

Click the Advanced tab to optionally specify the advanced profile settings. The fields on this tab are auto-populated. The fields on the Advanced tab are:

VRF Interface MTU – Specifies VRF interface MTU.

Loopback Routing Tag – If a VLAN is associated with multiple subnets, then this tag is associated with the IP prefix of each subnet. Note that this routing tag is associated with overlay network creation also.

Redistribute Direct Route Map – Specifies the redistribute direct route map name.

Max BGP Paths – Specifies the maximum number of BGP paths. The valid value is between 1 and 64.

Max iBGP Paths – Specifies the maximum number of iBGP paths. The valid value is between 1 and 64.

Enable IPv6 link-local Option – Select the check box to enable the IPv6 link-local option under the VRF SVI. If this check box is unchecked, IPv6 forward is enabled.

TRM Enable – Check the check box to enable TRM.

If you enable TRM, and provide the RP address, you must enter the underlay multicast address in the Underlay Mcast Address.

NO RP – Check the check box to disable RP fields. You must enable TRM to edit this check box.

If you enable NO RP, then the RP External, RP address, RP loopback ID, and Overlay Mcast Groups are disabled.

Is RP External – Check this check box if the RP is external to the fabric. If this check box is not checked, RP is distributed in every VTEP.

RP Address – Specifies the IP address of the RP.

RP Loopback ID – Specifies the loopback ID of the RP, if Is RP External is not enabled.

Underlay Multicast Address – Specifies the multicast address associated with the VRF. The multicast address is used for transporting multicast traffic in the fabric underlay.

Note

The multicast address in the Default MDT Address for TRM VRFs field in the fabric settings screen is auto-populated in this field. You can override this field if a different multicast group address should be used for this VRF.

Overlay Multicast Groups – Specifies the multicast group subnet for the specified RP. The value is the group range in ip pim rp-address command. If the field is empty, 224.0.0.0/24 is used as default.

Enable TRM BGW MSite – Check the check box to enable TRM on Border Gateway Multisite.

Advertise Host Routes – Check this check box to control advertisement of /32 and /128 routes to Edge routers.

Advertise Default Route – Check this check box to control advertisement of default route internally.

To allow inter-subnet communication between end hosts in different VXLAN fabrics, where the subnets are present in both fabrics, you must disable the Advertise Default Route feature (clear the Advertise Default Route check box) for the associated VRF. This will result in /32 routes for hosts in both fabrics. For example, Host1 (VNI 30000, VRF 50001) in Fabric1 can send traffic to Host2 (VNI 30001, VRF 50001) in Fabric2 only if the host route is present in both fabrics. When a subnet is present in one fabric only then the default route is sufficient for inter-subnet communication.

Config Static 0/0 Route – Check this check box to control configuration of static default route.

BGP Neighbor Password – Specifies the VRF Lite BGP neighbor password.

BGP Password Key Encryption Type – From the drop-down list, select the encryption type.

Enable Netflow – Allows you to enable netflow monitoring on the VRF-Lite sub-interface. Note that this is supported only if netflow is enabled on the fabric.

Netflow Monitor – Specifies the monitor for the VRF-lite netflow configuration.

To enable netflow on a VRF-Lite sub-interface, you must enable netflow at VRF level and VRF extension level. Check the Enable_IFC_Netflow check box in the VRF attachment while you edit an extension to enable netflow monitoring.

For more information, refer to Netflow Support.

Step 5

The fields on the Route Target tab are:

Disable RT Auto-Generate – Check the check box to disable RT Auto-Generate for IPv4, IPv6 VPN/EVPN/MVPN.

Import – Specifies comma separated list of VPN Route Target to import.

Export – Specifies comma separated list of VPN Route Target to export.

Import EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of EVPN Route Target to import.

Export EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of EVPN Route Target to export.

Import MVPN – Specifies comma separated list of MVPN Route Target to import.

Export EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of MVPN Route Target to export.

Note

By default, Import MVPN and Export MVPN fields are disabled, check the TRM Enable check box on Advanced tab to enable these fields.

Step 6

Click Create to create the VRF or click Cancel to discard the VRF.

A message appears indicating that the VRF is created.

The new VRF appears on the VRFs horizontal tab. The status is NA as the VRF is created but not yet deployed. Now that the VRF is created, you can create and deploy networks on the devices in the fabric.

VRF Attachments

UI Navigation

The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics.

Choose LAN > Fabrics. Click on a fabric to open the Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose Fabric Overview > VRFs > VRF Attachments.
Choose LAN > Fabrics. Double-click on a fabric to open Fabric Overview > VRFs > VRF Attachments.

Use this window to attach or detach attachments to or from a VRF, respectively. You can also import or export the attachments for a VRF.

Table 1. VRF Attachments Table Fields and Description

Field

Description

VRF Name

Specifies the name of the VRF.

VRF ID

Specifies the ID of the VRF.

VLAN ID

Specifies the VLAN ID.

Switch

Specifies the name of the switch.

Status

Specifies the status of VRF attachments, for example, pending, NA, deployed, out-of-sync, and so on.

Attachment

Specifies whether the VRF attachment is attached or detached.

Switch Role

Specifies the switch role. For example, for the fabric created using the Easy_Fabric_IOS_XE fabric template, the switch role is specified as either leaf, spine, or border.

Fabric Name

Specifies the name of the fabric to which the VRF is attached or detached.

Loopback ID

Specifies the loopback ID.

Loopback IPV4 Address

Specifies the loopback IPv4 address.

Loopback IPV6 Address

Specifies the loopback IPv6 address.

Note

The IPv6 address is not supported for underlay.

Click the table header to sort the entries in alphabetical order of that parameter.

The following table describes the action items, in the Actions drop-down list, that appears on the VRF Attachments horizontal tab of the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Table 2. VRF Attachments Actions and Description

Action Item

Description

History

Allows you to view the deployment and policy change history of the selected VRF.

You can view the deployment history details of a VRF attachment such as hostname, VRF name, commands, status, status description, user, and completed time on the Deployment History tab.

You can view the policy change history details such as policy ID, template, description, PTI operation, generated configuration, entity name and type, created date, serial number, user, and source of the policy on the Policy Change History tab.

To view the history of a VRF attachment, check the check box next to the VRF name and select History. The History window appears. Click the Deployment History or Policy Change History tabs as required. You can also click the Detailed History link in the Commands column of the Deployment History tab to view the command execution details (comprising configuration, status, and CLI response) for the host.

Edit

Allows you to view or edit the VRF attachment parameters such as interfaces that you want to attach to the selected VRF.

To edit the VRF attachment information, check the check box next to the VRF name that you want to edit. Select Edit. In the Edit VRF Attachment window, edit the required values, attach or detach the VRF attachment. Click the Edit link to edit the CLI freeform config for the switch, and click Save to apply the changes or click Cancel to discard the changes. The edited VRF attachment is shown in the table on the VRF Attachments horizontal tab of the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Preview

Allows you to preview the configuration of the VRF attachments for the selected VRF.

Note

This action is not allowed for attachments that are in deployed or NA status.

To preview the VRF, check the check box next to the VRF name and choose Preview from Actions drop-down list. The Preview Configuration window for the fabric appears.

You can preview the VRF attachment details such as the VRF name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, VRF status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click Close.

Deploy

Allows you to deploy the pending configuration of the VRF attachments, for example, interfaces, for the selected VRF.

Note

This action is not allowed for attachments that are in deployed or NA status.

To deploy a VRF, check the check box next to the VRF name and choose Deploy from Actions drop-down list. The Deploy Configuration window for the fabric appears.

You can view the details such as the VRF name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, VRF status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click the Deploy button. The status and progress of the deployment is displayed in the VRF Status and Progress columns. After the deployment is completed successfully, close the window.

Import

Allows you to import information about VRF attachments for the selected fabric.

To import the VRF attachments information, choose Import. Browse the directory and select the .csv file that contains the VRF attachments information. Click Open and then click OK. The VRF information is imported and displayed in the VRF Attachments horizontal tab on the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Export

Allows you to export the information about VRF attachments to a .csv file. The exported file contains information pertaining to each VRF, including the fabric it belongs to, whether the LAN is attached, the associated VLAN, serial number, interfaces, and freeform configuration details that you saved for VRF attachments.

To export VRF attachments information, choose the Export action. Select a location on your local system directory to store the VRF information and click Save. The VRF information file is exported to your local directory. The file name is appended with the date and time at which the file was exported.

Quick Attach

Allows you to immediately attach an attachment to the selected VRF. You can select multiple entries and attach them to a VRF at the same instance.

To quickly attach any attachment to a VRF, choose Quick Attach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the attach action was successful.

Quick Detach

Allows you to detach the selected VRF immediately from an attachment, for example, a fabric. You can select multiple entries and detach them from an attachment at the same instance.

To attach any attachment to a VRF quickly, choose Quick Detach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the detach action was successful.

Creating Network for Standalone Fabrics

To create a network from the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Web UI, perform the following steps:

Before you begin

Before creating networks, ensure that you have created a VRF for the fabric. However, if you have chosen Layer 2 on the Create Network window, then you do not require a VRF. For more information, see VRFs.

Procedure

Step 1

On the Networks tab, click Actions > Create.

The Create Network window appears.

Step 2

On Create Network, enter the required details in the mandatory fields. The available fields vary based on the fabric type.

Note

If the fields for the Network ID field below and the VRF ID field (after clicking Create VRF) are not automatically populated, one possible reason is that the VNI ranges might be exhausted. In this situation, you can extend the range for VNI accordingly in Fabric Settings.

The fields in this window are:

Network ID and Network Name – Specifies the Layer 2 VNI and the name of the network. The network name should not contain any white spaces or special characters, except underscore (_) and hyphen (-). The corresponding Layer 3 VNI (or VRF VNI) is generated along with VRF creation.

Layer 2 Only – Specifies whether the network is Layer 2 only.

VRF Name – Allows you to select the Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) from the drop-down list.

If you want to create a new VRF, click Create VRF. The VRF name should not contain any white spaces or special characters except underscore (_), hyphen (-), and colon (:).

VLAN ID – Specifies the corresponding tenant VLAN ID for the network. If you want to propose a new VLAN for the network, click Propose VLAN.

Network Template – A default universal template is auto-populated. This is only applicable for leaf switches.

Network Extension Template – A default universal extension template is auto-populated. This allows you to extend this network to another fabric. The methods are VRF Lite, Multi Site, and so on. The template is applicable for border leaf switches and BGWs.

Generate Multicast IP – Click to generate a new multicast group address and override the default value.

Step 3

The fields on the General Parameters tab are:

Note

If the network is a non Layer 2 network, then it is mandatory to provide the gateway IP address.

IPv4 Gateway/NetMask: Specifies the IPv4 address with subnet.

Specify the anycast gateway IP address for transporting the L3 traffic from a server belonging to MyNetwork_30000 and a server from another virtual network. The anycast gateway IP address is the same for MyNetwork_30000 on all switches of the fabric that have the presence of the network.

Note

If the same IP address is configured in the IPv4 Gateway and IPv4 Secondary GW1 or GW2 fields of the network template, Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller does not show an error, and you will be able to save this configuration.

However, after the network configuration is pushed to the switch, it would result in a failure as the configuration is not allowed by the switch.

IPv6 Gateway/Prefix List – Specifies the IPv6 address with subnet.

Vlan Name – Enter the VLAN name.

Interface Description – Specifies the description for the interface. This interface is a switch virtual interface (SVI).

MTU for L3 interface – Enter the MTU for Layer 3 interfaces range 68 - 9216.

IPv4 Secondary GW1 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet.

IPv4 Secondary GW2 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet.

IPv4 Secondary GW3 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet.

IPv4 Secondary GW4 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet.

Step 4

Click the Advanced tab to optionally specify the advanced profile settings. The fields on the Advanced tab are:

ARP Suppression – Select the check box to enable the ARP Suppression function.

Ingress Replication – The check box is selected if the replication mode is Ingress replication.

Note

Ingress Replication is a read-only option in the Advanced tab. Changing the fabric setting updates the field.

Multicast Group Address – The multicast IP address for the network is autopopulated.

Multicast group address is a per fabric instance variable. The number of underlay multicast groups supported is 128. If all networks are deployed on all switches, you need not use a different multicast group per L2 VNI or a network. Therefore, multicast group for all networks in a fabric remains same.

DHCPv4 Server 1 – Enter the DHCP relay IP address of the first DHCP server.

DHCPv4 Server VRF – Enter the DHCP server VRF ID.

DHCPv4 Server 2 – Enter the DHCP relay IP address of the next DHCP server.

DHCPv4 Server2 VRF – Enter the DHCP server VRF ID.

DHCPv4 Server 3 – Enter the DHCP relay IP address of the next DHCP server.

DHCPv4 Server3 VRF – Enter the DHCP server VRF ID.

Loopback ID for DHCP Relay interface (Min:0, Max:1023) – Specifies the loopback ID for DHCP relay interface.

Routing Tag – The routing tag is autopopulated. This tag is associated with each gateway IP address prefix.

TRM enable – Check the check box to enable TRM.

For more information, see Overview of Tenant Routed Multicast.

L2 VNI Route-Target Both Enable – Check the check box to enable automatic importing and exporting of route targets for all L2 virtual networks.

Enable Netflow – Enables netflow monitoring on the network. This is supported only if netflow is already enabled on fabric.

Interface Vlan Netflow Monitor – Specifies the netflow monitor specified for Layer 3 record for the VLAN interface. This is applicable only if Is Layer 2 Record is not enabled in the Netflow Record for the fabric.

Vlan Netflow Monitor – Specifies the monitor name defined in the fabric setting for Layer 3 Netflow Record.

Enable L3 Gateway on Border – Check the check box to enable a Layer 3 gateway on the border switches.

Step 5

Click Create.

A message appears indicating that the network is created.

The new network appears on the Networks page that comes up.

The Status is NA since the network is created but not yet deployed on the switches. Now that the network is created, you can create more networks if necessary and deploy the networks on the devices in the fabric.

Network Attachments

UI Navigation

The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics:

Choose LAN > Fabrics. Click on the fabric to open the Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose Fabric Overview > Networks > Network Attachments.
Choose LAN > Fabrics. Double-click on the fabric to open Fabric Overview > Networks > Network Attachments.

Use this window to attach fabrics and interfaces to a network.

Table 3. Network Attachments Table Fields and Description
Field	Description
Network Name	Specifies the name of the network.
Network ID	Specifies the Layer 2 VNI of the network.
VLAN ID	Specifies the VLAN ID.
Switch	Specifies the name of the switch.
Ports	Specifies the ports for the interfaces.
Status	Specifies the status of the network attachments, for example, pending, NA, and so on.
Attachment	Specifies whether the network attachment is attached or detached.
Switch Role	Specifies the switch role. For example, for the fabric created using the Easy_Fabric_IOS_XE fabric template, the switch role is specified as either leaf, spine, or border.
Fabric Name	Specifies the name of the fabric to which the network is attached or detached.

The following table describes the action items, in the Actions drop-down list, that appears in the Network Attachments horizontal tab on the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Table 4. Network Attachments Actions and Description

Action Item

Description

History

Allows you to view the deployment and policy change history of the selected network.

You can view the deployment history details of a network attachment such as hostname, network name, VRF name, commands, status, status description, user and completed time on the Deployment History tab.

To view the history of a network attachment, select the check box next to the network name and choose the History action. The History window appears. Click the Deployment History or Policy Change History tabs as required. Click the Detailed History link in the Commands column of the Deployment History tab to view the command execution details (comprising configuration, status, and CLI response) for the host.

Edit

Allows you to view or edit the network attachment parameters such as interfaces that you want to attach to the selected network.

To edit the network attachment information, check the check box next to the network name that you want to edit and choose the Edit action. In the Edit Network Attachment window, edit the required values, attach or detach the network attachment, click the Edit link to edit the CLI freeform config for the switch, and click Save to apply the changes or click Cancel to discard the changes. The edited network attachment is shown in the table on the Network Attachments horizontal tab of the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Preview

Allows you to preview the configuration of the network attachments for the selected network.

Note

This action is not allowed for attachments that are in deployed or NA status.

To preview the network, check the check box next to the network name and choose Preview from Actions drop-down list. The Preview Configuration window for the fabric appears.

You can preview the network attachment details such as the network name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, network status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click Close.

Deploy

Allows you to deploy the pending configuration of the network attachments, for example, interfaces, for the selected network.

Note

This action is not allowed for attachments that are in deployed or NA status.

To deploy a network, check the check box next to the network name and choose Deploy from Actions drop-down list. The Deploy Configuration window for the fabric appears.

You can view the details such as the network name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, network status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click the Deploy button. The status and progress of the deployment is displayed in the Network Status and Progress columns. After the deployment is completed successfully, close the window.

Import

Allows you to import information about network attachments for the selected fabric.

To import the network attachments information, choose Import. Browse the directory and select the .csv file that contains the network attachments information. Click Open and then click OK. The network information is imported and displayed in the Network Attachments horizontal tab on the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window.

Export

Allows you to export the information about network attachments to a .csv file. The exported file contains information pertaining to each network, including the fabric it belongs to, whether the LAN is attached, the associated VLAN, serial number, interfaces, and freeform configuration details that you saved for network attachments.

To export network attachments information, choose the Export action. Select a location on your local system directory to store the network information and click Save. The network information file is exported to your local directory. The file name is appended with the date and time at which the file was exported.

Quick Attach

Allows you to immediately attach an attachment to the selected network. You can select multiple entries and attach them to a network at the same instance.

Note

Interfaces cannot be attached to a network using this action.

To quickly attach any attachment to a network, choose Quick Attach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the attach action was successful.

Quick Detach

Allows you to immediately detach the selected network from an attachment, for example, a fabric. You can select multiple entries and detach them from an attachment at the same instance.

To quickly detach any attachment to a network, choose Quick Detach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the detach action was successful.

After quick detach, the switch status is not computed when there is no deploy. Post deploy, the configuration compliance calls at entity level (interface or overlay).

Provisioning VXLAN EVPN Fabric with eBGP Underlay

This procedure describes how to create an eBGP VXLAN EVPN with eBGP-based underlay and deploy fabric underlay and overlay eBGP policies. IPv6 underlay is not supported with eBGP EVPN.

Creating VXLAN EVPN Fabric with eBGP-based Underlay

This procedure shows how to create a new VXLAN EVPN fabric with eBGP based underlay.

Choose LAN > Fabrics.
From the Actions drop-down list, choose Create Fabric.

The Create Fabric window appears. The fields are explained.

Fabric Name – Enter the name of the fabric.

Fabric Template – Click on this to choose the Easy_Fabric_eBGP fabric template. Click Select. The fabric settings for creating a standalone fabric appear.

The General Parameters tab is displayed by default. The fields in this tab are:

BGP ASN for Spines – Enter the BGP AS number of the fabric’s spine switches.

BGP ASN for Super Spines – Enter the BGP AS number used for super spine and border super spines, if the fabric contains any super spine or border super spine.

BGP AS Mode – Choose Multi-AS or Same-Tier-AS.

In a Multi-AS fabric – Unique AS number per leaf/border.

In a Same-Tier-AS fabric – All leafs share one unique AS and all borders share another unique AS.

In both Multi-AS and Same-Tier-AS, all the spines in a fabric share one unique AS number. The fabric is identified by the spine switch AS number.

Underlay Subnet IP Mask – Specifies the subnet mask for the fabric interface IP addresses.

Manual Underlay IP Address Allocation – Check the check box to disable dynamic underlay IP address allocations.

Underlay Routing Loopback IP Range – Specifies loopback IP addresses for the protocol peering.

Underlay Subnet IP Range – Specifies IP addresses for underlay P2P routing traffic between interfaces.

Subinterface Dot1q Range – Specifies the subinterface range when L3 sub interfaces are used.

Enable Performance Monitoring – Check the check box to enable performance monitoring.

Note

Performance Monitoring is supported on switches with NX-OS Release 9.3.6 and later.

Click the EVPN tab. Most of the fields in this tab are auto-populated. The fields are:

Enable EVPN VXLAN Overlay – Enables the VXLAN overlay provisioning for the fabric.

You can convert a routed fabric to a VXLAN enabled fabric by selecting this option. When the fabric is VXLAN enabled, you can create and deploy overlay networks or VRFs. the procedure for creating and deploying networks or VRFs is the same as in Easy_Fabric. For more information, see Creating Network for Standalone Fabrics and Creating VRF.

Routed Fabric – You must uncheck the Enable EVPN VXLAN Overlay check box for Routed fabric (an IP fabric with no VXLAN encapsulation) creation. In a Routed Fabric, you can create and deploy networks. For more information, see Overview of Networks in a Routed Fabric.

Whether you create an eBGP Routed or eBGP VXLAN fabric, the fabric uses eBGP as the control plane to build intra-fabric connectivity. Links between spine and leaf switches are autoconfigured with point-to-point (P2P) numbered IP addresses with eBGP peering built on top.

If a network or a VRF is created in a fabric, you cannot switch between VXLAN EVPN mode and Routed Fabric mode by selecting the Enable EVPN VXLAN Overlay check box. You need to delete these networks or VRFs to change the fabric setting.

Note that Routed_Network_Universal Template is applicable to a Routed Fabric only. When you convert the routed fabric to EVPN VXLAN fabric, set the network template and network extension template to the ones defined for EVPN VXLAN: Default_Network_Universal and Default_Network_Universal. If you have a customized template for EVPN VXLAN fabric, you can also choose to use it.

Note

After a network has been created, you cannot change this fabric setting. You should delete all networks, and then change the FHRP setting. The rest of the fields in the EVPN tab section are only applicable if you enable the EVPN VXLAN Overlay.

Anycast Gateway MAC – Specifies the anycast gateway MAC address for the leaf switches.

Enable VXLAN OAM – Enables the VXLAN OAM function for existing switches. This is enabled by default. Clear the check box to disable VXLAN OAM feature.

If you want to enable the VXLAN OAM on specific switches and disable on other switches in the fabric, use freeform configurations to enable OAM and disable OAM in the fabric settings.

Note

VXLAN OAM feature in Cisco NDFC is supported on a single fabric or site only. VXLAN OAM is not supported with Multi-site fabrics.

Enable Tenant DHCP – Enables tenant DHCP support.

vPC advertise-pip – Check the check box to enable the Advertise PIP feature.

Replication Mode – The mode of replication that is used in the fabric, Ingress Replication, or Multicast.

Multicast Group Subnet – Specifies the IP address prefix used for multicast communication. A unique IP address is allocated from this group for each overlay network.

Enable Tenant Routed Multicast – Check the check box to enable Tenant Routed Multicast (TRM) as the fabric overlay multicast protocol.

Default MDT Address for TRM VRFs – The multicast address for Tenant Routed Multicast traffic is populated. By default, this address is from the IP prefix specified in the Multicast Group Subnet field. When you update either fields, ensure that the TRM address is chosen from the IP prefix specified in Multicast Group Subnet.

Rendezvous-Points – Enter the number of spine switches acting as rendezvous points.

RP mode – Choose from the two supported multicast modes of replication, ASM (for Any-Source Multicast [ASM]) or BiDir (for Bidirectional PIM [BIDIR-PIM]). When you enable multicast mode, only the fields pertaining to that multicast mode is enabled and the fields related to other multicast mode is disabled.

Note

BIDIR-PIM is supported on Cisco's Cloud Scale Family platforms 9300-EX and 9300-FX/FX2, and with NX-OS Release 9.2(1) and later.

Underlay RP Loopback ID – Specifies the loopback ID used for the Rendezvous Point (RP). The default is 254.

The following fields are enabled if you choose bidir. Depending on the RP count, either 2 or 4 phantom RP loopback ID fields are enabled.

Underlay Primary RP Loopback ID – Specifies the primary loopback ID used for the phantom RP.

Underlay Backup RP Loopback ID – Specifies the secondary (or backup) loopback ID used for the Fallback Bidir-PIM phantom RP.

The following Loopback ID options are applicable only when the RP count is 4, if bidir is chosen.

Underlay Second Backup RP Loopback ID – Specifies the second backup loopback ID used for the phantom RP.

Underlay Third Backup RP Loopback ID – Specifies the third backup loopback ID used for the phantom RP.

VRF Template and VRF Extension Template – Specifies the VRF template for creating VRFs, and the VRF extension template for enabling VRF extension to other fabrics.

Network Template and Network Extension Template – Specifies the network template for creating networks, and the network extension template for extending networks to other fabrics.

Underlay VTEP Loopback IP Range – Specifies the loopback IP address range for VTEPs.

Underlay RP Loopback IP Range – Specifies the anycast or phantom RP IP address range.

Layer 2 VXLAN VNI Range and Layer 3 VXLAN VNI Range – Specify the VXLAN VNI IDs for the fabric.

Network VLAN Range and VRF VLAN Range – VLAN ranges for the Layer 3 VRF and overlay network.

VRF Lite Deployment – Specifies the VRF Lite method for extending inter fabric connections. Only Manual is supported.

Click the vPC tab. The fields in the tab are:

vPC Peer Link VLAN – VLAN used for the vPC peer link SVI.

Make vPC Peer Link VLAN as Native VLAN – Enables vPC peer link VLAN as Native VLAN.

vPC Peer Keep Alive option – From the drop-down list, select management or loopback. To use IP addresses assigned to the management port and the management VRF, select management. To use IP addresses assigned to loopback interfaces (in non-management VRF), select loopback. If you use IPv6 addresses, you must use loopback IDs.

vPC Auto Recovery Time – Specifies the vPC auto recovery time-out period in seconds.

vPC Delay Restore Time – Specifies the vPC delay restore period in seconds.

vPC Peer Link Port Channel Number – Specifies the Port Channel ID for a vPC Peer Link. By default, the value in this field is 500.

vPC IPv6 ND Synchronize – Enables IPv6 Neighbor Discovery synchronization between vPC switches. The check box is enabled by default. Uncheck the check box to disable the function.

Fabric wide vPC Domain Id – Enables the usage of same vPC Domain Id on all vPC pairs in the fabric. When you select this field, the vPC Domain Id field is editable.

vPC Domain Id – Specifies the vPC domain ID to be used on all vPC pairs. Otherwise unique vPC domain IDs are used (in increment of 1) for each vPC pair.

Enable Qos for Fabric vPC-Peering – Enables QoS on spines for guaranteed delivery of vPC Fabric Peering communication.

Note

QoS for vPC fabric peering and queuing policies options in fabric settings are mutually exclusive.

Qos Policy Name – Specifies QoS policy name that should be same on all spines.

Click the Protocols tab. The fields in the tab are:

Routing Loopback Id – The loopback interface ID is populated as 0 by default. It is used as the BGP router ID.

VTEP Loopback Id – The loopback interface ID is populated as 1 and it is used for VTEP peering purposes.

BGP Maximum Paths – Specifies maximum number for BGP routes to be installed for same prefix on the switches for ECMP.

Enable BGP Authentication – Check the check box to enable BGP authentication. Uncheck the check box to disable it. If you enable this field, the BGP Authentication Key Encryption Type and BGP Authentication Key fields are enabled.

BGP Authentication Key Encryption Type – Choose the three for 3DES encryption type, or seven for Cisco encryption type.

BGP Authentication Key – Enter the encrypted key based on the encryption type.

Note

Plain text passwords are not supported. Log on to the switch, retrieve the encrypted key. Enter the key in the BGP Authentication Key field. For more information, refer to Retrieving the Authentication Key.

Enable PIM Hello Authentication – Enables the PIM hello authentication.

PIM Hello Authentication Key – Specifies the PIM hello authentication key.

Enable BFD – Check the Enable BFD check box to enable feature bfd on all switches in the fabric. This feature is valid only on IPv4 underlay and the scope is within a fabric.

NDFC supports BFD within a fabric. The BFD feature is disabled by default in the Fabric Settings. If enabled, BFD is enabled for the underlay protocols with the default settings. Any custom BFD configurations requires configurations to be deployed via the per switch freeform or per interface freeform policies.

The following configuration is pushed after you select the Enable BFD check box:

feature bfd

NDFC with BFD enabled, the following configurations are pushed on all P2P fabric interfaces:


no ip redirects
no ipv6 redirects

For information about BFD feature compatibility, refer your respective platform documentation and for information about the supported software images, see Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Compatibility Matrix.

Enable BFD for BGP – Check the check box to enable BFD for the BGP neighbor. This option is disabled by default.

Enable BFD Authentication – Check the check box to enable BFD authentication. If you enable this field, the BFD Authentication Key ID and BFD Authentication Key fields are editable.

BFD Authentication Key ID – Specifies the BFD authentication key ID for the interface authentication.

BFD Authentication Key – Specifies the BFD authentication key.

For information about how to retrieve the BFD authentication parameters, see Retrieving the Encrypted BFD Authentication Key.

Click the Advanced tab. The fields in the tab are:

Intra Fabric Interface MTU– Specifies the MTU for the intra fabric interface. This value must be an even number.

Layer 2 Host Interface MTU – Specifies the MTU for the Layer 2 host interface. This value must be an even number.

Power Supply Mode – Choose the appropriate power supply mode.

CoPP Profile – From the drop-down list, select the appropriate Control Plane Policing (CoPP) profile policy for the fabric. By default, the strict is selected.

VTEP HoldDown Time – Specifies the NVE source interface hold down time.

VRF Lite Subnet IP Range and VRF Lite Subnet Mask – These fields are populated with the DCI subnet details. Update the fields as needed.

Enable CDP for Bootstrapped Switch – Check the check box to enable CDP for switches discovered using Bootstrap.

Enable NX-API – Check the check box to enable NX-API on HTTPS. This check box is checked by default.

Enable NX-API on HTTP – Specifies enabling of NX-API on HTTP. Check Enable NX-API on HTTP and Enable NX-API check boxes to use HTTP. This check box is checked by default. If you uncheck this check box, the applications that use NX-API and supported by Cisco NDFC, such as Endpoint Locator (EPL), Layer 4-Layer 7 services (L4-L7 services), VXLAN OAM, and so on, start using the HTTPS instead of HTTP.

Note

If you check both Enable NX-API and Enable NX-API on HTTP check boxes, applications use HTTP.

Enable Strict Config Compliance – Enable the Strict Configuration Compliance feature by selecting this check box.

For more information, see Strict Configuration Compliance.

Enable AAA IP Authorization – Enables AAA IP authorization (make sure IP Authorization is enabled in the AAA Server).

Enable NDFC as Trap Host – Check the check box to enable NDFC as a trap host.

Enable TCAM Allocation – TCAM commands are automatically generated for VXLAN and vPC Fabric Peering when enabled.

Greenfield Cleanup Option – Enable the switch cleanup option for greenfield switches without performing a switch reload. This option is typically recommended only for the Data centers with the Cisco Nexus 9000v Switches.

Enable Default Queuing Policies – Check the check box to apply QoS policies on all the switches in this fabric. To remove the QoS policies that you applied on all the switches, uncheck this check box, update all the configurations to remove the references to the policies, and deploy the configuration. Pre-defined QoS configurations are included that can be used for various Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches. When you check this check box, the appropriate QoS configurations are pushed to the switches in the fabric. The system queuing is updated when configurations are deployed to the switches. You can perform the interface marking with defined queuing policies, if required, by adding the necessary configuration to the peer interface freeform block.

Review the actual queuing policies by opening the policy file in the template editor. From Cisco NDFC Web UI, choose Operations > Template. Search for the queuing policies by the policy file name, for example, queuing_policy_default_8q_cloudscale. Choose the file and click the Modify/View template icon to edit the policy.

See the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Quality of Service Configuration Guide for platform specific details.

N9K Cloud Scale Platform Queuing Policy – Choose the queuing policy from the drop-down list to be applied to all Cisco Nexus 9200 Series Switches and the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches that ends with EX, FX, and FX2 in the fabric. The valid values are queuing_policy_default_4q_cloudscale and queuing_policy_default_8q_cloudscale. Use the queuing_policy_default_4q_cloudscale policy for FEXs. You can change from the queuing_policy_default_4q_cloudscale policy to the queuing_policy_default_8q_cloudscale policy only when FEXs are offline.

N9K R-Series Platform Queuing Policy – Select the queuing policy from the drop-down list to be applied to all Cisco Nexus switches that ends with R in the fabric. The valid value is queuing_policy_default_r_series.

Other N9K Platform Queuing Policy – Choose the queuing policy from the drop-down list to be applied to all other switches in the fabric other than the switches mentioned in the above two options. The valid value is queuing_policy_default_other.

Leaf Freeform Config – Add CLIs that should be added to switches that have Leaf, Border, and Border Gateway roles.

Spine Freeform Config – Add CLIs that should be added to switches with Spine, Border Spine, and Border Gateway Spine roles.

Intra-fabric Links Additional Config – Add CLIs that should be added to the intra-fabric links.

Click the Manageability tab. The fields in this tab are:

DNS Server IPs – Specifies the comma separated list of IP addresses (v4/v6) of the DNS servers.

DNS Server VRFs – Specifies one VRF for all DNS servers or a comma separated list of VRFs, one per DNS server.

NTP Server IPs – Specifies comma separated list of IP addresses (v4/v6) of the NTP server.

NTP Server VRFs – Specifies one VRF for all NTP servers or a comma separated list of VRFs, one per NTP server.

Syslog Server IPs – Specifies the comma separated list of IP addresses (v4/v6) IP address of the syslog servers, if used.

Syslog Server Severity – Specifies the comma separated list of syslog severity values, one per syslog server. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 7. To specify a higher severity, enter a higher number.

Syslog Server VRFs – Specifies one VRF for all syslog servers or a comma separated list of VRFs, one per syslog server.

AAA Freeform Config – Specifies the AAA freeform configs.

If AAA configs are specified in the fabric settings, switch_freeform PTI with source as UNDERLAY_AAA and description as AAA Configurations will be created.

Click the Bootstrap tab. The fields in this tab are:

Enable Bootstrap – Check the Enable Bootstrap check box to enable the bootstrap feature.

After you enable bootstrap, you can enable the DHCP server for automatic IP address assignment using one of the following methods:

External DHCP Server – Enter information about the external DHCP server in the Switch Mgmt Default Gateway and Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix fields.
Local DHCP Server – Check the Local DHCP Server check box and enter details for the remaining mandatory fields.

Enable Local DHCP Server – Check the Enable Local DHCP Server check box to enable DHCP service on NDFC and initiate automatic IP address assignment. When you check this check box, the DHCP Scope Start Address and DHCP Scope End Address fields become editable.

If you do not check this check box, NDFC uses the remote or external DHCP server for automatic IP address assignment.

DHCP Version – Select DHCPv4 or DHCPv6 from this drop-down list. When you select DHCPv4, the Switch Mgmt IPv6 Subnet Prefix field is disabled. If you select DHCPv6, the Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix is disabled.

Note

Cisco NDFC IPv6 POAP is not supported with Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches. Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 Series Switches support IPv6 POAP only when switches are either Layer2 adjacent (eth1 or out-of-band subnet must be a /64) or Layer3 adjacent residing in some IPv6 /64 subnet. Subnet prefixes other than /64 are not supported.

DHCP Scope Start Address and DHCP Scope End Address – Specifies the first and last IP addresses of the IP address range. IPs from this scope are allocated to the switches during the POAP bootstrap process.

Switch Mgmt Default Gateway – Specifies the default gateway for the DHCP scope.

Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix – Specifies the prefix length for DHCP scope.

DHCP scope and management default gateway IP address specification – If you specify the management default gateway IP address 10.0.1.1 and subnet mask 24, ensure that the DHCP scope is within the specified subnet, between 10.0.1.2 and 10.0.1.254.

Switch Mgmt IPv6 Subnet Prefix – Specifies the IPv6 prefix for the Mgmt0 interface on the switch. The prefix should be between 112 and 126. This field is editable if you enable IPv6 for DHCP.

Enable AAA Config – Check the check box to include AAA configs from the Manageability tab during device bootup.

Bootstrap Freeform Config – (Optional) Enter additional commands as needed. For example, if you are using AAA or remote authentication related configurations, you need to add these configurations in this field to save the intent. After the devices boot up, they contain the intent defined in the Bootstrap Freeform Config field.

Copy-paste the running-configuration to a freeform config field with correct indentation, as seen in the running configuration on the NX-OS switches. The freeform config must match the running config. For more information, see Resolving Freeform Config Errors in Switches.

DHCPv4/DHCPv6 Multi Subnet Scope – Specifies the field to enter one subnet scope per line. This field is editable after you check the Enable Local DHCP Server check box. The format of the scope should be defined as:

DHCP Scope Start Address, DHCP Scope End Address, Switch Management Default Gateway, Switch Management Subnet Prefix

For example: 10.6.0.2, 10.6.0.9, 10.6.0.1, 24

Click Configuration Backup tab. The fields in this tab are:

Hourly Fabric Backup – Check the Hourly Fabric Backup check box to enable an hourly backup of fabric configurations and the intent.

You can enable an hourly backup for fresh fabric configurations and the intent. If there is a configuration push in the previous hour, NDFC takes a backup.

Intent refers to configurations that are saved in NDFC but yet to be provisioned on the switches.

Scheduled Fabric Backup – Check the check box to enable a daily backup. This backup tracks changes in running configurations on the fabric devices that are not tracked by configuration compliance.

Scheduled Time – Specifies the scheduled backup time in a 24-hour format. This field is enabled if you check the Scheduled Fabric Backup check box.

Select both the check boxes to enable both back up processes. The backup process is initiated after you click Save.

Note

Hourly and scheduled backup processes happen only during the next periodic configuration compliance activity, and there can be a delay of up to an hour.

To trigger an immediate backup, do the following:

Choose LAN > Topology.
Click within the specific fabric box. The fabric topology screen comes up.
From the Actions pane at the left part of the screen, click Re-Sync Fabric.

You can also initiate the fabric backup in the fabric topology window. Click Backup Now in the Actions pane.

Click Save after filling and updating relevant information.

Click the Flow Monitor tab. The fields in this tab are:

Enable Netflow – Check the Enable Netflow check box to enable Netflow on VTEPs for this Fabric. By default, Netflow is disabled. On Enable, NetFlow configuration will be applied to all VTEPS that support netflow.

Note

When Netflow is enabled on the fabric, you can choose not to have netflow on a particular switch by having a dummy no_netflow PTI.

If netflow is not enabled at the fabric level, an error message is generated when you enable netflow at the interface, network, or vrf level. For information about Netflow support for Cisco NDFC, refer Netflow Support.

In the Netflow Exporter area, click Actions > Add to add one or more Netflow exporters. This exporter is the receiver of the netflow data. The fields on this tab are:

Exporter Name – Specifies the name of the exporter.
IP – Specifies the IP address of the exporter.
VRF – Specifies the VRF over which the exporter is routed.
Source Interface – Enter the source interface name.
UDP Port – Specifies the UDP port over which the netflow data is exported.

Click Save to configure the exporter. Click Cancel to discard. You can also choose an existing exporter and select Actions > Edit or Actions > Delete to perform relevant actions.

In the Netflow Record area, click Actions > Add to add one or more Netflow records. The fields on this screen are:

Record Name – Specifies the name of the record.
Record Template – Specifies the template for the record. Enter one of the record templates names. From Release 12.0.2, the following two record templates are available for use. You can create custom netflow record templates. Custom record templates saved in the template library are available for use here.
- netflow_ipv4_record – to use the IPv4 record template.
- netflow_l2_record – to use the Layer 2 record template.
Is Layer2 Record – Check the Is Layer2 Record check box if the record is for Layer2 netflow.

Click Save to configure the report. Click Cancel to discard. You can also choose an existing record and select Actions > Edit or Actions > Delete to perform relevant actions.

In the Netflow Monitor area, click Actions > Add to add one or more Netflow monitors. The fields on this screen are:

Monitor Name – Specifies the name of the monitor.
Record Name – Specifies the name of the record for the monitor.
Exporter1 Name – Specifies the name of the exporter for the netflow monitor.
Exporter2 Name – (optional) Specifies the name of the secondary exporter for the netflow monitor.

The record name and exporters referred to in each netflow monitor must be defined in "Netflow Record" and "Netflow Exporter".

Click Save to configure the flow monitor. Click Cancel to discard. You can also choose an existing monitor and select Actions > Edit or Actions > Delete to perform relevant actions.

Click on the Fabric to view summary in the slide-in pane. Click on the Launch icon to view the Fabric Overview.

Guidelines for VXLAN Fabric With eBGP Underlay

Brownfield migration is not supported for eBGP fabrics.
You cannot change the leaf switch AS number after it is created and the configuration is deployed. You must delete the leaf_bgp_asn policy and execute Recalculate & Deploy to remove BGP configuration related to this AS. Then, add the leaf_bgp_asn policy with the new AS number.
The switch between Multi-AS and Same-Tier-AS modes, remove all manually added BGP policies (including leaf_bgp_asn on the leaf switch and the ebgp overlay policies), and execute the Recalculate & Deploy operation before the mode change.
You cannot change or delete the leaf swtch leaf_bgp_asn policy if there are ebgp overlay policies present on the device. You need to delete the ebgp overlay policy first, and then delete the leaf_bgp_asn policy.
The supported roles are leaf, spine, and border only. Any role other than leaf, spine, and border is not supported with VXLAN BGP fabric.
On the border device, VRF-Lite is supported with manual mode. VXLAN Multi-Site is not supported for VXLAN eBGP fabrics.
TRM is supported with eBGP fabric.

Adding Switches

Switch can be added to a single fabric at any point in time. To add switches to a fabric and discover existing or new switches, refer to Adding Switches to a Fabric.

Assigning Switch Roles

To assign roles to switches on Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller refer to Assigning Switch Roles.

Creating vPC Setup

(Optional) Create a vPC setup for a pair of switches in the fabric. Ensure that the switches have the same roles and are connected to each other. For instructions, refer to vPC Fabric Peering.

Deploying Fabric Underlay eBGP Policies

To deploy fabric underlay eBGP policy, you must manually add the leaf_bgp_asn policy on each leaf switch to specify the BGP AS number used on the switch. Implementing the Recalculate & Deploy operation afterwards will generate eBGP peering over the physical interface between the leaf and spine switches to exchange underlay reachability information. If Same-Tier-AS mode is used, you can deploy the leaf_bgp_asn policy on all leafs at the same time as they share the same BGP ASN.

To add a policy to the required switch, see Adding a Policy.

Deploying Fabric Overlay eBGP Policies

You must manually add the eBGP overlay policy for overlay peering. NDFC provides the built-in eBGP leaf and spine overlay peering policy templates that you must manually add to the eBGP leaf and spine switches to form the EVPN overlay peering.

Deploying Spine Switch Overlay Policies

Add the ebgp_overlay_spine_all_neighbor policy on the spine switches. This policy can be deployed on all spine switches at once, since they share the same field values.

The fields on the screen are:

Leaf IP List - Specifies the IP addresses of the connected leaf switch routing loopback interfaces.

Leaf BGP ASN – The BGP AS numbers of the leaf switches.

BGP Update-Source Interface – This is the source interface for BGP updates. Underlay Routing Loopback (default is loopback0) is used for this purpose.

Enable Tenant Routed Multicast – (Optional) Check the Enable Tenant Routed Multicast check box to enable TRM for handling overlay multicast traffic. TRM enabling must match the fabric setting.

Enable BGP Authentication – Check the Enable BGP Authentication check box to enable BGP authentication.

The BGP authentication must match the fabric setting. Refer the Retrieving the Authentication Key section to know more about BGP authentication.

Deploying Leaf Switch Overlay Policies

Add the ebgp_overlay_leaf_all_neighbor policy on all the leaf switches, to establish eBGP overlay peering towards the spine switch. This policy can be deployed on all leaf switches at once, since they share the same field values.

The fields on the screen are:

Spine IP List – Specifies the IP addresses of the spine switch routing loopback interfaces.

BGP Update-Source Interface – This is the source interface for BGP updates. Underlay Routing Loopback (default is loopback0) is used for this purpose.

Enable BGP Authentication – Check the Enable BGP Authentication check box to enable BGP authentication.

The BGP authentication must match the fabric setting. Refer the Retrieving the Authentication Key section to know more about BGP authentication.

Click Actions > Recalculate & Deploy. After the configuration deployment is completed in the Deploy Configuration window, click Close. You can use the View/Edit Policy option to select the policy and click Push Configuration to deploy the configuration.

Cisco NDFC-Fabric Controller Configuration Guide, Release 12.1.1e

Bias-Free Language

Book Title

Cisco NDFC-Fabric Controller Configuration Guide, Release 12.1.1e

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