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HSRP, VRRP, and GLBP

Redundancy Considerations

  • How fast can this happen?
  • How does the client know?
  • What about ARP cache issues?
  • What if just the WAN link fails?

HSRP vs VRRP vs GLBP

  • Cisco Hot-Standby Router Protocol (HSRP):
    • Created by Cisco, for Cisco in 1994
    • Uses a default hello timer of 3 seconds with a hold timer of 10 seconds
  • Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP):
    • Created by the IETF in 1999
    • Works between multiple vendors
    • Has faster timers than HSRP by default - hello of 1 second, hold timer of 3 seconds
  • Gateway Load Balancing Protocol (GLBP):
    • Created by Cisco, for Cisco in 2005
    • Identical features to HSRP, but allows active-active connection that adds load balancing

HSRP

  • Gateways organised into standby groups
  • One gateway active, others in standby state
  • Phantom (virtual) router IP and MAC address generated
  • Hello messages sent once every 3 seconds, dead after 10 sec

Mac Address Structure:

  • 0000.0C07.ACXX
  • 0000.0C - Cisco Vendor ID
  • 07.AC - HSRP ID
  • XX - Standby group number

HSRP Base Configuration

  • Step 1: Create standby group
  • Step 2: Reassign IP Addresses
  • Step 3: Verify
  • Step 4: optimize and tune
# Switch A
int vlan 70
standby 1 ip 172.30.70.1
standby 1 priority 150
# Switch B (default priority of 100)
int vlan 70
standby 1 ip 172.30.70.1
standby 1 priority 100

# Verify
show standby

Tuning and Optimizing HSRP

  • Priority
  • Preempt
  • Tracking
  • Timers
standby group 1 preempt
standby 1 track f0/23 60
standby 1 preempt delay reload 180
standby 1 timers msec 150 msec 700

VRRP

  • Active/standby becomes master/backup
  • Standby group becomes VRRP group
  • master router can share virtual IP
  • One second hello timer, three times hello = down time (+ skew timer)

VRRP Configuration

  • Step 1: Configure VRRP Group
  • Step 2: Optimize settings
  • Step 3: Verify
# Master
int f0/0
vrrp 20 ip 172.30.4.90
vrrp 20 preempt
vrrp 20 timers advertise msec 100
# Backup
# same, except instead of advertise, learn

# Verify
show vrrp

GLBP

  • Single VIP with Multiple MACs
  • Active Virtual gateway (AVG) acts as the 'point man'
  • Other routers act as active virtual forwarders (AVF)

GLBP Configuration

# AVG
int f0/0
glbp 1 ip 172.30.4.70
glbp 1 priority 150

# AVF
# get priority 100

# other options
glbp 1 load-balancing
glbp 1 timers
glbp 1 weighting

# Verify
show glbp