Validating reachability for liaison VRFs using OAM ping packets
Systems and methods provide a new type of time-length-value data stream (TLV) which can be encapsulated in an OAM ping packet. This “EVI TLV” encapsulating OAM ping packet can be sent to a network device (e.g., a border router) that a liaison VRF is provisioned on. Upon receipt, the encapsulated EVI TLV instructs the network device to determine whether the configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped to an EVI value specified by the EVI TLV. If the configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped to the specified EVI value, the network device returns an echo response indicating that the configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped onto the specified EVI value. Such a response may indicate that the liaison VRF is reachable for the EVPN.
1. A method comprising:
sending, by a first device, to a second device in a Virtual Private Network (VPN), an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) ping packet, wherein;
a liaison Virtual Routing and Forwarding instance (VRF) is provisioned on the second device,
the liaison VRF functions to publish learned external routes to other devices within the VPN,
the OAM ping packet encapsulates a VPN Instance Identifier (EVI) time-length-value data stream (TLV) (collectively an EVI TLV), and
the EVI TLV specifies an EVI value; and
receiving, by the first device, from the second device, a response to the OAM ping packet indicating that a configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped onto the specified EVI value.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, determining, by the first device, that the liaison VRF is reachable within the VPN.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liaison VRF has not published any learned external routes to the other devices within the VPN.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the VPN comprises an Ethernet VPN (EVPN).
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the EVPN comprises a Vxlan data plane and the EVI value comprises a Virtual Network Identifier (VNI) associated with the Vxlan data plane.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the EVPN comprises an MPLS data plane and the EVI value comprises an identifying label associated with the MPLS data plane.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second device comprises a border router of the EVPN.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a device within the VPN.
9. A first device in an EVPN, the first network device comprising:
a plurality of processing resources associated with the first device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium, coupled to the plurality of processing resources, having stored therein instructions that when executed by the processing resources cause the first device to:
receive, from a second device, an OAM ping packet, wherein;
a liaison VRF is provisioned on the first device,
the liaison VRF functions to publish learned external routes to other devices within the EVPN,
the OAM ping packet encapsulates an EVI TLV, and
the EVI TLV specifies an EVI value;
determine that a configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped onto the specified EVI value; and
send, to the second device, a response to the OAM ping packet indicating that the configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped onto the specified EVI value.
10. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the response to the OAM ping packet comprises an echo response.
11. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the response to the OAM ping packet also indicates that the liaison VRF is reachable within the EVPN.
12. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the first device comprises a border router of the EVPN.
13. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the liaison VRF has not published any learned external routes to the other devices within the EVPN.
14. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the EVPN comprises a Vxlan data plane and the EVI value comprises a VNI associated with the Vxlan data plane.
15. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the EVPN comprises an MPLS data plane and the EVI value comprises an identifying label associated with the MPLS data plane.
16. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the second device is a device within the EVPN.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a plurality of processing resources of a first device, cause the first device to:
send, to a second device in an EVPN, an OAM ping packet, wherein;
a liaison VRF is provisioned on the second device,
the liaison VRF functions to publish learned external routes to other devices within the EVPN,
the OAM ping packet encapsulates an EVI TLV, and
the EVI TLV specifies an EVI value;
receive, from the second device, a response to the OAM ping packet indicating that a configuration of the liaison VRF is mapped onto the specified EVI value; and
determining the liaison VRF is reachable within the EVPN.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the liaison VRF has not published any learned external routes to other devices within the EVPN.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein EVPN comprises a Vxlan data plane and the EVI value comprises a VNI associated with the Vxlan data plane.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the EVPN comprises an MPLS data plane and the EVI value comprises an identifying label associated with the MPLS data plane.