Redundancy Mechanisms for

Carrier Ethernet Networks-

Access Resiliency Mechanisms

Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP)

Nguyen Huu Phuong
phuongu2@cisco.com

Carrier Ethernet Ring Topologies

Current Network Trends and Challenges
Large Spanning Tree domains
Increasing number of nodes in the ring

Supporting higher number of subscribers

Increasing number of VLANs, MAC addresses per L2
domain

Carrier Ethernet Trend

Fast convergence requirement in the access and aggregation
networks
Spanning Tree not perceived as Carrier Class

Complexity of management and troubleshooting as

the network grows

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Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP)

What is REP?
A new protocol designed to provide a solution for
fast and predicable layer 2 convergence for Carrier
Ethernet networks

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Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP)

REP Benefits
Fast and predictable convergence
Convergence time: 50 to 250ms
Fast failure notification even in large rings with high number of
node
Manual configuration for predictable failover behavior

Co-existence with Spanning Tree

STP is deactivated on REP interfaces
Limit the scope of Spanning tree
Topology Changes Notification from REP to STP

Easy to configure and troubleshoot

Topology archiving for easy troubleshooting
Known fixed topology
Simple mechanism to setup the Alternate port (blocking)
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REP Protocol Basics

A Segment Protocol
REP Segment

f1

f2

f1

interface f2
rep segment 10

f2

f1

f2

interface f1
rep segment 10
interface f2
rep segment 10

f1

f2

f1

f2

interface f1
rep segment 10

REP operates on chain of bridges called segments

A port is assigned to a unique segment using:
(config-if)# [no] rep segment {id}
A segment can have up to two ports on a
given bridge
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REP Protocol Basics

Blocked Port
f2 Alternate Port
(blocks traffic)

Edge Port

f1

f2

f1

f2

f1

f2

f1

f2 Unblocks

f1

f2

f1

f2

f1

f2

Edge Port

f2

f1

f2

Link Failure

f1

f2

f1

f2

When all links are operational, a unique port blocks

the traffic on the segment
If any failure occurs within the segment, the blocked
port goes forwarding

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Protected Failure Points

Edge Port

Edge Port

f1

f2

f1

f2

f1

A
f2

f1

f2

f1

f2

REP Protects Against Any Single Link, Port or Node

Failure Within a Segment
A: Failure of a port within the segment
B: Failure of a link within the segment
C: Failure of a node within the segment

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REP Protocol Basics

REP Segments Dont Introduce Loops

Bridged
Domain

E1

E2

E1

E2

No connectivity between E1 and E2 through

the segment
The segment can be attached to any bridged domain
without introducing a loop

No control protocol (other than TCN MAC flush)

between segment and bridged domain
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REP Protocol Basics

REP Provides Two Redundant Gateways
Y

Bridged
Domain
E1

Bridged
Domain
E1

E2

E2

The segment provides one level of redundancy

Hosts on the segment can reach the rest of the
network through either edge port, as necessary

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REP Protocol Basics

REP Creates a Redundant Link

Segments can be wrapped into a ring

Can be seen as a redundant link in that case
Identification of edge ports requires additional
configuration in that case

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REP Protocol Basics

A Simple Building Block

REPification

Any redundant network can be built with REP

segments!

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Pre-Emption and Manual Failover

After failure repair

Manually
Manual Trigger

With pre-emption delay

3750-1# rep preempt segment 1

The command will cause a momentary traffic disruption.
Do you still want to continue? [confirm]

Switch(config-if)# rep preempt delay 15

Alternate
Port

Alternate
Port

Proceeding with Manual Preemption

Preferred
Alternate
Port
Preferred
Alternate
Port

Alternate
Port

Preferred
Alternate
Port

OR

Pre-emption delay:
15 sec. to 300 sec.
Primary
Edge Port

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Preferred
Alternate
Port

Cisco Public

Secondary
Edge Port

12

REP Advantages
Fast and predictable convergence
Convergence time: <50ms to 250ms
Fast failure notification even in large rings with high number of node
Manual configuration for predictable failover behavior

Co-existence with spanning tree

STP is deactivated on REP interfaces
Limit the scope of spanning tree
Topology changes notification from REP to STP

Optimal bandwidth utilization

VLAN load balancing

Easy to configure and troubleshoot

Topology archiving for easy troubleshooting
Known fixed topology
Simple mechanism to setup the alternate port (blocking)

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MAC Flushing Mechanisms

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Why MAC Flushing Is Needed?

Topology Changes
X

Y
X

Y
Y
Y X

X Y
X

Y
X

Filtering Entries Populated

from Conversation X-Y

X Y

After a Change in the Topology,

Starred Entries Are Incorrect

Bridges learn the location of the stations from the

traffic they forward
Mac-addresses are added to a filtering table

After a failure, the filtering table must be updated

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REP Topology Change Notification

Primary
Edge Port
0/1

On topology change,
nodes next to fault
send Blocked Port
Advertisement (BPA)
with Topology Change
(TC) bit set to 1
Nodes react to this by
flushing their MAC
tables for affected
VLAN(s)
Topology changes not
propagated beyond
segment except by
explicit configuration

M1
Primary
Edge Port
0/1

Secondary
Edge Port
0/2
Common
Link

Secondary
Edge Port
Flush
0/2
Common

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M2

Link

Flush
BPA, TC = 1

Flush

Flush
BPA, TC = 1

Flush

!
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M2

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M1

Flush

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Resilient Ethernet Protocol

Fast link failure Notification
Fast Notification results in faster layer 2 MAC entries flushing on all nodes in
the segment which results in faster network convergence times.
Fast Notification:

Flooded in hardware using

Cisco Multicast address
No CPU involved for forwarding
the notification
Results in faster Layer MAC
address table flushing on each
node of the network.

Flush L2 MAC!
Edge Switch
Open
Flush L2 MAC!

Open

Open

Alternate Port
Open
Open

Open

Flush L2 MAC!
Switch D

Failed
Failed
Open

Flush L2 MAC!

Switch C

Flush L2 MAC!

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Topology Changes Notification

Propagation outside the segment: REP to REP
To avoid traffic black holing outside the
segment, TCN propagation is needed.
Segment 1

TCN notification can be propagated outside the

segment to the common link, another REP
segment or Spanning Tree.
In this example, REP TCN notification
propagation configured as follows:

Segment 2

TCN for segment 3 converted to a TCN

for segment 2.
TCN from segment 2 converted to a TCN
for segment 1
TCN propagation is user configurable on the
edge ports.

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Switch
A

Switch
C

Switch
B

Segment 3

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Topology Changes Notification

Propagation outside the segment REP to
STP
In this example, Edge REP switches
configured to generate Spanning Tree
Topology Notification (STCN).
Edge
Switch
A

STP TCN
generated on
the REP edge
switch

Edge
Switch
B

Segment 2

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BRKSPG-2207_c3

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