[Solomon ID]

Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing

Operation and Configuration
Student Guide Volume number
Version Number

Part Number
Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 Table of Contents

Overview
FrontMatter-Chapter-Topic-Title-XY
Module Title
Lesson Title

Lesson-Topic[1]-Title-XY
Topic-Title-InLineKeyboard-XY
Lesson-Topic-Title-XY
Topic Title
Glossary
Glossary Title

Section 1: Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration....................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction.................................................................................................................................1
Examining Cisco Segment Routing Unified Fabric.....................................................................3
Exploring Segment Routing Concepts........................................................................................7
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................10
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................11
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................12
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................13
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................14
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................15
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................16
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................17
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................18
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................19
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................20
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................21
EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.......................................................................22
[V5.0 Video]..............................................................................................................................23
Summary...................................................................................................................................24
Progress Check........................................................................................................................25

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) i
ii Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 Section 1: Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing
Operation and Configuration

Introduction
This section provides an introduction to the key concepts of segment routing, including Cisco Segment
Routing Unified Fabric concepts, segment identifier types, and the segment routing global block (SRGB).

Introduction
Topic objective:
Describe the main factors leading to the development and deployment of segment routing
Segment routing is a source-routing architecture that seeks the right balance between distributed intelligence
and centralized optimization.
Applications steer its packets through an ordered list of instructions and implements an end-to-end policy
without creating any per-flow state in the network.
Segment routing has been adopted by the IETF as Source Packet Routing in Networking (SPRING),
promoting vendor interoperability.
Deployment models:
• MPLS-based data plane—focus of this course
• IPv6-based data plane

Segment routing, referred to as SPRING by the IETF, balances distributed intelligence and centralized
optimization for an optimized source-routing architecture.
Traffic is steered through the network through instructions (segments) assigned at the ingress point
eliminating per-flow state and signaling through the network.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 1
Segment Routing Adoption

2 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0Examining Cisco Segment Routing Unified
Fabric
This topic discusses the Cisco Unified Fabric routing (UFR) solution and the way that it provides end-to-
end control over how the network infrastructure transports applications.
After completing this topic, you will be able to do the following:
• Describe the high-level benefits of implementing Segment Routing across a large network

Importance of Segment Routing

• Traditional interaction between applications and network infrastructure has been limited.
• Greater interaction helps optimize network and offer new services.
– Uses existing service provider investments in network infrastructure due to IP traffic growth
– Generates new revenue services to replace declining or stalled legacy revenues service
• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Traffic Engineering implemented to address optimization.
– MPLS-TE presented limitations and challenges.

A Cisco SR Unified Fabric solution enables this interaction.

Traditional interaction between applications and network infrastructure has been limited, but this exchange
becomes increasingly important to service providers and enterprises. Greater interaction helps service
providers optimize their network infrastructure and, more important, offer new services that can generate
incremental revenues.
The Cisco Unified Fabric routing (UFR) solution raises this interaction to a higher level. This simple and
scalable architecture uses customer network assets and augments them with network programmability
capabilities. These capabilities allow applications to program the network, delivering end-to-end, per-flow
policy from the data center through the WAN to end users.
Cisco UFR has three main components: applications, an SDN controller, and a network infrastructure that
allows segment routing.
Key points:
• Current networks provide for limited interaction between applications and the network infrastructure.
• UFR provides a solution to enable application and network infrastructure interaction.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 3
Cisco SR Unified Fabric benefits
The Cisco Segment Routing Unified Fabric solution is founded on these architectural tenets:
• Simple: Requires fewer network protocols; automated sub-50-ms FRR protection.
• Agile: Works across multiple network domains; can be implemented on physical and virtual network
elements.
• Scalable: Provides single, per-flow state in network; increases scalability; provides granular, per-
application service.
• Programmable: Programs network with application requirements.

Given continuous growth in IP traffic and network devices—and the need for new targeted service offerings
—service providers must transform their network infrastructure as soon as possible. The objectives include
making it simple, agile, scalable, and programmable.
The Cisco Unified Fabric routing solution addresses these four architectural goals:
• Simple: Fewer network protocols are required with automated sub-50-msec FRR protection.
• Agile: The solution works across multiple network domains (from the data center through the WAN, up
to the end user), and it can be implemented on both physical and virtual network elements.
• Scalable: It provides single per-flow state in the network, increasing network scalability, and the ability
to provide granular, per-application service.
• Programmable: Application requirements program the network by using an SDN controller, so that end-
to-end, per-flow policy can be delivered.

Key point:
Cisco Unified Fabric routing is based on four architectural tenets: simple, agile, scalable, and
programmable.

Cisco SR Unified Fabric in Action

4 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 Service providers’ networks are composed of multiple domains—access, metro, core, and data center.
These domains are usually operated by various teams and are using various underlay and overlay protocols.
Here are some examples of Underlay and Overlay protocols that are commonly used in these domains:
• Metro domain: Underlay – Ethernet/Overlay – L2VPN
• Core domain: Underlay – MPLS/Overlay – L3VPN
• Data center domain: Underlay – IP/Overlay - VXLAN

As a consequence, cross-domain orchestration is complex and limited.

To deliver new services, services providers have made great usage of purpose-built hardware appliances
rolled out in central offices. This mode of operation is obviously not sustainable for the following reasons:
• It requires truck-roll and on-site installation, resulting in OpEx increase.
• Every hardware appliance is packaged with its own management system and hence requires custom
integration into OSS/BSS. Moreover, each hardware appliance has its own lifecycle, making the
upgrade of the overall central office a tedious planning exercise.

To overcome these limitations, service providers have started to deliver new services from centralized data
centers, using compute infrastructure and VNFs. Straightforward benefits are time-to-market and on-
demand service instantiation.
Delivering services from centralized data centers comes with its own set of challenges, though. This mode
of operation requires construction of end-to-end connectivity across the network—from central offices up to
data centers. This is actually a lengthy and complex task:
• As underlay and overlay protocols are different across network domains, protocol translations must
occur across domains. This action brings complexity and sometimes requires network devices to
maintain states, hindering cloud scalability.
• These “stitching” operations are still largely manual and require coordination between operations teams.

This situation creates a dichotomy between the on-demand service instantiation in data centers and the
lengthy procedures required for updating the network infrastructure to support those new services.

Cisco SR Unified Fabric Implementation

The Cisco SR Unified Fabric solution has been devised with the following goals:
• Utilize customer’s past investments in network infrastructure.
• Make the network infrastructure more agile and simpler to operate.
• Add incremental value throughout the three asynchronous phases of the deployment

The objective of UFR is to make a customer’s network easier to operate and adaptable to change, while
utilizing the past investment in the network infrastructure.
Phase 1: Enable segment routing on the MPLS network infrastructure.
Phase 2: Insert SDN controller for data collection and network programmability.
Phase 3: Augment solution to multiple network domains to allow application and network infrastructure
control end to end.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 5
Phase 1
Segment routing is enabled on the MPLS network infrastructure. This can be done with a simple software
upgrade. Expected benefits include network simplification and improved network resiliency. Segment
routing delivers automated Fast Reroute (FRR) capability, with a convergence time of less than 50
milliseconds. Segment routing supports FRR on any topology, without any additional signaling protocol,
and it supports node and link protection. In a network with segment routing, the FRR backup path is
optimal, because it is provided over the post-convergence path, simplifying the operation and deployment.

Phase 2
An SDN controller is inserted, which can simultaneously collect data from the network and program the
network infrastructure. It allows customers to do the following:
• Optimize the use of their network infrastructure
• Offer new differentiated service offerings

SDN controllers and the MPLS network infrastructure interact through standardized protocols, including
Link State (BGP LS), Netconf/Yang, and Path Computation Element Communication Protocol (PCEP).
Because the solution is open, customers can choose to insert their own SDN controller.

Phase 3
The solution is augmented to multiple network domains. Interactions between the applications and the
network infrastructure can be controlled end to end. Expected benefits include faster service velocity and
expanded monetization opportunities.
Key points:
• Three implementation phases have been identified for implementing UFR.
• You can implement the three phases sequentially, and you are not required to complete them all at once.

6 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0Exploring Segment Routing Concepts
In this topic, you will learn about segment routing concepts and how to define global and local segments.
After completing this topic, you will be able to do the following:
• Describe the key segment routing concepts
• Define global and local segments
• Define global label indexes

What is Segment Routing?

• IP and MPLS architecture that seeks the best balance between distributed intelligence and centralized
optimization
– Simplifies operation (lower opex)
– Enables application-based service creation (new revenue)
– Allows for better utilization of the installed infrastructure (lower capex)
• An IP and MPLS architecture with wide application
– SP, OTT/Web, Enterprise, Metro/Aggregation, data center
– MPLS and IPv6 data planes
– SDN controller
• An architecture designed with SDN in mind

Segment routing is a network technology that addresses the limitations of IP and Multiprotocol Label
Switching (MPLS) networks.
• Segment: An identifier for any type of instruction.
– Service
– Context
– Locator
– IGP-based forwarding construct
– BGP-based forwarding construct
– Local value or Global Index
• Source routing: Source chooses a path and encodes it in the packet header as an ordered list of
segments.
– The rest of the network executes the encoded instructions.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 7
Segment routing uses source routing, in which the source chooses a path, which is encoded in the packet
header as an ordered list of segments. A segment can be defined as an identifier for an instruction, such as
an IGP- or BGP-based forwarding construct, or a traffic engineering policy identifier.
Key point:
• A segment is an identifier for a type of instruction.

Global and local segments

Global segment
• Any node in SR domain is able to interpret associated instruction.
• Each node in SR domain installs the associated instruction in its forwarding table.
• MPLS: global label value in segment routing global block (SRGB)

Local segment
• Only originating nodes are able to interpret the associated instruction.
• MPLS: locally allocated label

SR segments can be either global or local.

Global segments are identified by a segment identifier (SID). For global segments, this identifier is always
selected from a label range known as the segment routing global block (SRGB).
Key points:
• In segment routing, a segment can be either global or local.
• Global segments are always distributed as a label range known as the segment routing global block
(SRGB).

Global Segments: Global Label Indexes

Global segments are always distributed as a label range + index.
• SRGB defines the label range.
• Index must be unique in segment routing domain.
• “Global model”; requested by all operators.
• Global segments are global label values, simplifying network operations.

Best practice: same SRGB on all nodes

• “Global model,” requested by all operators
• Global segments are global label values, simplifying network operations.
• Default SRGB: 16,000–23,999
• Other vendors also use this label range.

8 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 Global segments are distributed as a label range plus an index value within that range. Within a given
segment routing domain, the index must be unique. The SRGB defines the label range.

Summary
Topic summary for “Exploring Segment Routing Concepts”:
• Segment routing concepts are a network technology focused on addressing the limitations of existing IP
and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks in terms of simplicity, scale, and ease of
operation.
• With segment routing (SR), a node steers a packet through an ordered list of instructions, called
segments.
• Segments can be either global or local. Global segments are defined in the segment routing global block
(SRGB).

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 9
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

10 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 11
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

12 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 13
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

14 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 15
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

16 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 17
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

18 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 19
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

20 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 21
0EMPTY TOPIC. YOU MUST FIX OR REMOVE.

22 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0[V5.0 Video]
[Short video description]

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 23
0Summary

24 Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) Error! No text of specified style in document.
 0Progress Check

Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 25
Error! No text of specified style in document. Cisco IOS XR Segment Routing Operation and Configuration ([Solomon ID]) 27