Skip to main content

Multi-layer Switching Exceptions – Packets that Need further Processing

There are some packets that are not forwarded directly by Multi layer switches, but are required further processing. To forward packets using the simultaneous decision processes, the packet must be “Multi Layer Switch-ready” and must require no additional decisions. For example, CEF can directly forward most IP packets between hosts. This occurs when the source and destination addresses (both MAC and IP) are known already and no other IP parameters must be manipulated.
Other packets cannot be directly forwarded by CEF and must be handled in more detail. This is done by a quick inspection during the forwarding decisions. 

If a packet meets criteria such as the following, it is flagged for further processing and sent to the switch CPU for process switching:
  • ARP requests and replies
  • IP packets requiring a response from a router (TTL has expired, MTU is exceeded,
  • fragmentation is needed, and so on)
  • IP broadcasts that will be relayed as unicast (DHCP requests, IP helper-address functions)
  • Routing protocol updates
  • Cisco Discovery Protocol packets
  • IPX routing protocol and service advertisements
  • Packets needing encryption
  • Packets triggering Network Address Translation (NAT)
  • Other non-IP and non-IPX protocol packets (AppleTalk, DECnet, and so on)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to import Putty Saved Connections to mRemoteNG

Just started using mRemoteNG and its being very cool to connect to different remote connection with different protocols e.g Window Remote Desktop, VNC to Linux, SSH, HTTP connection etc. from a single application. As new user I configured some remote desktop connection which was quite easy to figure out. But when I wanted to add SSH connections, it came in my mind to import all of the saved connections in the putty. But I couldn't figure it out how can it be done, though it was quite easy and here are the steps. Open your mRemoteNG Create a folder if you want segregation of multiple networks Create a new connection Enter the IP address of remote server under connection in Config pane Under the config pane, select protocol " SSH version 2 ".  Once you select protocol to SSH version 2 you are given option to import putty sessions, as shown in the snap below. In the above snap, I have imported CSR-AWS session from my saved sessions in Putty.

BGP Soft Reconfiguration vs. Route Refresh: Key Differences and Best Practices

In BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), managing route updates and reapplying new policies can sometimes be challenging, especially if you want to avoid resetting the BGP session. Two methods allow you to update routing policies without tearing down the session: BGP Soft Reconfiguration and BGP Route Refresh . While both methods serve the same purpose, they work differently and have distinct impacts on your router's resources. This post explains the key differences between Soft Reconfiguration and Route Refresh , when to use each, and why Route Refresh is preferred in most modern networks. 1. What is BGP Soft Reconfiguration? BGP Soft Reconfiguration is an older method of applying new policies (like route maps, filters, or prefix lists) without resetting the BGP session. It works by storing a local copy of all the routes received from a BGP neighbor before applying inbound policies. This local route copy allows the router to reprocess the routes when a policy change occurs. How So...

BGP Local Preference Controlling Outbound Traffic in BGP

In BGP, Local Preference is used to control the outbound traffic path. It helps you decide which egress point (exit point) should be used when you have multiple connections to external networks, such as ISPs. Local Preference is an attribute that is local to your AS and is shared with all iBGP peers but not with eBGP neighbors. Higher Local Preference = More preferred outbound path. Example Scenario : You have two external links: ISP1 (via CE1) and ISP2 (via CE2). You want traffic to prefer ISP1 for all outbound traffic. Network Topology : CE1 (connected to ISP1): 10.0.1.1/30 CE2 (connected to ISP2): 10.0.2.1/30 iBGP Router (Internal) connected to both CE1 (10.0.1.2/30) and CE2 (10.0.2.2/30). Configuration on CE1 (Higher Local Preference) : Create a route map to set the local preference to 200 for routes learned from CE1: route-map SET_LOCAL_PREF permit 10 set local-preference 200 In the BGP configuration for CE1, apply this route map to the neighbor: router bgp 65001 ne...