Object Route-Reflector:-

As we know that BGP have loop prevention mechanism for iBGP where route learned from an
iBGP neighbor must not be advertised to any other iBGP peer. that's the reason we have a
requirement where all iBGP peer should be connected in logical Full mesh topology to exchange
route information and this is not scalable solution in large networks.

To overcome it in BGP came up with route-reflector features, which do below things?

➢ Route reflector is the way to reduce the number of ibgp peer connection.
➢ Minimize the prefix replication (send an update to the RR send update to its "" peer to
client ".

Route-reflector peer-

➢ EBGP Peer - AS normal EBP peer (neighbor in different AS )

➢ Client peer - IBGP peer with “route-reflector-client" is known as client peer.
➢ Non-Client peer - A BGP peer that functions as neither an RR nor a client is called a non-client
means basically IBGP peer without "route-reflector-client" command.

Route reflector process –

Lets grasp it with using sample topology – there any many way to break this rule but here we will see
only few things.
Getting started- Route-reflector configuration

Let’s check what I did so far here.

What are the meaning of the command what I enabled on R1 router ( prefix – 192.168.1.0/24).

Let’s check it below after advertising network command in bgp

Next-hop-self command – using next-hop-self we can make change next hop ip address and next hop
command only work on edge router which will be connected to EBGP router, next hop command will
not work on other router.

In my scenario next-hop command will be enabled on R2 router because this R2 router is connected
different AS it means EBGP NBR router.

R2(config-router)#neighbor 20.1.1.2 next-hop-self - this command says that whenever you share any
prefix to its iBGP neighbor that will make change the next hop ip address with that prefix.

➢ R2#show run | section bgp

➢ router bgp 65002
➢ no synchronization
➢ bgp router-id 2.2.2.2
➢ bgp log-neighbor-changes
➢ neighbor 10.1.1.1 remote-as 65001
➢ neighbor 20.1.1.2 remote-as 65002
➢ neighbor 20.1.1.2 next-hop-self
➢ no auto-summary
As you can see R4 router didn’t receive prefix (192.168.1.0/24) due to loop prevention mechanism.

One more thing we have to know here that if any router receive any prefix from its ibgp NBR then that
router will not advertise that prefix to next ibgp NBR .

Now I’m going to break this rule using route-reflector.

Before moving ahead we have to remember some key points of route-reflector –

In ibgp neighbors – by default all routers are route-reflector servers. And their NBR will be route-
reflector non client.

In the below router that is ibgp NBR, I have define which is route-reflector client, Route-reflector server
and Route-reflector non client a little tried to understand.
I’m going to tell to R3 router that your NBR 20.1.1.1 is route-reflector client and as soon as I tell to R3
router because R3 router is a by default route reflector server it will share that prefix which is received
from R2 router will share to next nbr that is R4 router.

R3(config-router)#neighbor 20.1.1.1 route-reflector-client

Now check the bgp table of R4 router after enabling above command on R3 router –

As you have seen that after enabling route-reflector-client, R4 router is receiving prefix 192.168.1.0/24
But this prefix is valid in bgp table not best then it will not install in routing table, so now I’m going to
change next hop ip address on router with the help of route-map.

➢ R3(config)#route-map nexthp permit

➢ R3(config-route-map)#set ip next-hop 30.1.1.1
➢ % Warning: Next hop address is our address

Now I’m going to call this route –map name in bgp.

➢ R3(config)#router bgp 65002

➢ R3(config-router)#neighbor 30.1.1.2 route-map nexthp out

R4#clear ip bgp * soft in

Now I’m going to advertise prefix – 192.168.2.0/24 in bgp and whole procedure will be same as we did
till now and at this we have to configure route-map on R2 router because we have one more prefix
advertise and loop prevention mechanism will work that’s the reason we need to break this rule also on
R2 router.

➢ R4(config)#router bgp 65002

➢ R4(config-router)#network 192.168.2.0 mask 255.255.255.0

After enabling above command lets see bgp table of all routers.
BGP table -
Route map on R2 router to break loop prevention mechanism.

➢ R2(config)#route-map Nhin_prefix permit

➢ R2(config-route-map)#set ip next-hop 20.1.1.2

Now I’m going to call this route-map in BGP

➢ R2(config)#router bgp 65002

➢ R2(config-router)#neighbor 20.1.1.2 route-map Nhin_prefix in

R2#clear ip bgp * soft in

➢ Gateway of last resort is not set

➢ R1#show ip route
➢ 10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
➢ C 10.1.1.0 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
 ➢ C 192.168.1.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback1
➢ B 192.168.2.0/24 [20/0] via 10.1.1.2, 00:03:46
➢ R1#

It has been proved –

Configuration –

R1#show run | section bgp

router bgp 65001
no synchronization
bgp router-id 1.1.1.1
bgp log-neighbor-changes
network 192.168.1.0
neighbor 10.1.1.2 remote-as 65002
no auto-summary
R1#
R2#show run | section bgp
router bgp 65002
no synchronization
bgp router-id 2.2.2.2
bgp log-neighbor-changes
neighbor 10.1.1.1 remote-as 65001
neighbor 20.1.1.2 remote-as 65002
neighbor 20.1.1.2 next-hop-self
neighbor 20.1.1.2 route-map Nhin_prefix in
no auto-summary
R2#
R3#show run | section bgp
router bgp 65002
no synchronization
 bgp router-id 3.3.3.3
bgp log-neighbor-changes
neighbor 20.1.1.1 remote-as 65002
neighbor 20.1.1.1 route-reflector-client
neighbor 30.1.1.2 remote-as 65002
neighbor 30.1.1.2 route-map nexthp out
no auto-summary
R3#
R4#show run | section bgp
router bgp 65002
no synchronization
bgp router-id 4.4.4.4
bgp log-neighbor-changes
network 192.168.2.0
neighbor 30.1.1.1 remote-as 65002
no auto-summary
R4#
R1#show ip route
Gateway of last resort is not set

10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets

C 10.1.1.0 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
C 192.168.1.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback1
B 192.168.2.0/24 [20/0] via 10.1.1.2, 00:10:05
R4#show ip route
Gateway of last resort is not set

B 192.168.1.0/24 [200/0] via 30.1.1.1, 00:24:37

C 192.168.2.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback4
30.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 30.1.1.0 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
R4#

Please join group for more notes - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13985888/

Thank you –
Umesh Prajapati