Multicast Support in EVPN-VXLAN Overlay Networks

Benefits of Inter-VLAN Multicast Forwarding Modes

• The configuration statement enables you to choose the inter-VLAN multicast forwarding mode that suits the architecture of your EVPN-VXLAN overlay network.

Supported EVPN-VXLAN Architectures and Inter-VLAN Multicast Forwarding Modes

We support the following modes of inter-VLAN multicast forwarding:

• EVPN-VXLAN CRB overlays (EVPN-VXLAN networks with a two-layer IP fabric) support central routing and forwarding of multicast traffic at the spine layer using a local-remote model. CRB overlay networks have a layer of Layer 3 spine devices and another layer of Layer 2 leaf devices. You configure all spine devices with IRB interfaces that route the multicast packets from one VLAN to another. One spine device is elected to handle the inter-VLAN routing for the network.

  In this mode, you configure the devices in the fabric with the irb local-remote option at the [edit forwarding-options multicast-replication evpn] hierarchy. (See multicast-replication.)

• EVPN-VXLAN ERB overlays (EVPN-VXLAN networks with a collapsed IP fabric) support multicast traffic routing and forwarding at the leaf layer using either a local-only model or the OISM model. ERB overlay networks have leaf devices with IRB interfaces that handle multicast routing at Layer 3 and multicast forwarding at Layer 2. The leaf devices essentially act as spine-leaf devices. This fabric model usually has a layer of spine devices acting only as IP transit devices in the fabric, which we commonly refer to as lean spines. All of the leaf devices handle routing multicast packets from one VLAN to another.

  You configure supported leaf devices in the ERB fabric with either the irb local-only option or irb oism option at the [edit forwarding-options multicast-replication evpn] hierarchy. (See multicast-replication.)

  Note:

  This topic describes the local-only model.

  See Optimized Intersubnet Multicast in EVPN Networks for complete details on leaf device configuration and operation with the OISM model.

For centrally-routed bridging overlays, you can simply retain the default setting, irb local-remote, at the [edit forwarding-options multicast-replication evpn] hierarchy level on all spine devices. For edge-routed bridging overlays, you must explicitly specify the irb local-only or irb oism option on all leaf devices.

Understanding Multicast Traffic Flows in a Centrally-Routed Bridging Overlay

This section describes the multicast traffic flows in a centrally-routed bridging overlay.

The network shown in Figure 1 includes the following devices.

Figure 1: Centrally-Routed Bridging Overlay

• Two QFX10000 switches that function as Layer 3 spine devices, on which the following key features are configured:

  • Centrally-routed (local-remote) multicast forwarding mode.

  • Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM). By virtue of PIM hello messages, Spine 1 is elected as the PIM designated router (PIM DR).

  • VLANs A and B.

    Note:

    For inter-VLAN multicast forwarding to work properly in this scenario, you must configure all VLANs on each spine device.

  • IRB interfaces associated with VLANs A and B.

• Four QFX5100 switches that function as Layer 2 leaf devices, on which VLANs A and B are configured are follows:

  • Leafs 1 and 3 are configured with VLAN A only.

  • Leaf 2 is configured with VLAN B only.

  • Leaf 4 is configured with VLANs A and B.

• A multicast source and various receivers.

When the multicast source shown in Figure 1 sends a packet from VLAN A, the following flows occur:

• Flow 1: Intra-VLAN traffic—Based on the ingress replication mechanism, Leaf 1 replicates and switches the packet to all spine and other leaf devices. Leafs 3 and 4, on which VLAN A is configured, receive and forward the packet to the connected multicast receivers.

• Flow 2: Inter-VLAN traffic—Upon receipt of the packet from Leaf 1 as described in flow 1, Spine 1, which is the PIM DR, takes the following action:

  • Routes the packet over the IRB interface associated with VLAN B.

  • Based on the ingress replication mechanism, replicates and forwards the packet to the other spine and the leaf devices.

    Leafs 2 and 4, on which VLAN B is configured, receive and forward the packet to the connected multicast receivers.

Understanding Multicast Traffic Flows in an Edge-Routed Bridging Overlay

This section describes the multicast traffic flow in an edge-routed bridging overlay.

The network shown in Figure 2 includes the following devices.

Figure 2: Edge-Routed Bridging Overlay

• Four QFX10002 switches that function as Layer 3 and Layer 2 spine-leaf devices, on which the following key features are configured:

  • Edge-routed (local-only) multicast forwarding mode.

  • PIM. To support the edge-routed mode of multicast forwarding, each spine-leaf device must act as the PIM DR for each VLAN. To enable a spine-leaf device to elect itself as the PIM DR, for each IRB interface, specify the distributed-dr configuration statement at the [edit protocols pim interface interface-name] hierarchy.

  • VLANs A and B.

    Note:

    For inter-VLAN multicast forwarding to work properly in this scenario, you must configure all VLANs on each spine-leaf device.

  • IRB interfaces associated with VLANs A and B.

• A multicast source and various receivers.

When the multicast source shown in Figure 2 sends a packet from VLAN A, the following flows occur:

• Flow 1: Intra-VLAN traffic—Based on the ingress replication mechanism, Spine-Leaf 1 replicates and switches the packet to the other spine-leaf devices. The spine-leaf devices forward the packet to VLAN A. Further, Spine-Leafs 2 and 3 forward the packet to VLAN A receivers.

• Flow 2: Inter-VLAN traffic—Upon receipt of the packet from Spine-Leaf 1 as described in flow 1, the spine-leaf devices route the packet over the IRB interface associated with VLAN B. Further, Spine-Leafs 2 and 4 forward the packet to the VLAN B receivers.

Differences Between Inter-VLAN Multicast Forwarding Modes

There is an important difference between the centrally-routed and edge-routed modes.

With centrally-routed mode, for each VLAN, the spine device elected as the PIM-DR must replicate and send the packet to the other devices in the network. Keep in mind that the additional instances of replication consume bandwidth, and if many VLANs are configured, can potentially flood the EVPN core with multicast packets.

With edge-routed mode with the local-only model, the first spine-leaf device to receive a multicast packet replicates and sends the packet to the other spine-leaf devices. Upon receipt of the packet, the other spine-leaf devices route the packet to each VLAN and send the packet to access-side interfaces that handle traffic for the multicast receivers. In other words, the spine-leaf devices do not replicate the packet and send the packet out of the EVPN core-facing interfaces, which prevents excessive bandwidth consumption and congestion in the EVPN core.

The OISM model uses local routing, similar to the local-only model, to minimize multicast traffic flow in the EVPN core. However, with OISM, the leaf devices can also efficiently handle multicast traffic flow from sources outside the fabric to receivers within the fabric. OISM similarly enables multicast sources inside the fabric to send traffic to multicast receivers outside the fabric. See Optimized Intersubnet Multicast in EVPN Networks for details on OISM configuration and operation.