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This module contains information about Cisco Express Forwarding and describes the required and optional tasks for verifying Cisco Express Forwarding and distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation.
Cisco Express Forwarding is an advanced Layer 3 IP switching technology. It optimizes network performance and scalability for all kinds of networks: those that carry small amounts of traffic and those that carry large amounts of traffic in complex patterns, such as the Internet, and networks characterized by intensive web-based applications or interactive sessions.
Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the "Feature Information for Configuring Basic Cisco Express Forwarding" section.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco IOS and Catalyst OS software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
•Prerequisites for Configuring Cisco Express Forwarding
•Restrictions for Configuring Cisco Express Forwarding
•Information About Configuring Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
•How to Configure Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
•How to Verify Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
•Configuration Examples for Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
•Feature Information for Configuring Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
Cisco Express Forwarding requires a software image that includes Cisco Express Forwarding and IP routing enabled on the device.
Cisco Express Forwarding has the following restrictions:
•The Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers operate only in distributed Cisco Express Forwardingmode.
•If you enable Cisco Express Forwarding and then create an access list that uses the log keyword, the packets that match the access list are not Cisco Express Forwarding switched. They are process switched. Logging disables Cisco Express Forwarding.
•Cisco Platform Support for Cisco Express Forwarding and Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding
•Cisco Express Forwarding Benefits: Improved Performance, Scalability, and Resiliency
•Main Components for Cisco Express Forwarding Operation
•Cisco Express Forward Operation Modes: Central and Distributed
•How to Configure Basic Cisco Express Forwarding
If your network architecture requires that you disable or reenable Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding switching and forwarding, change your load balancing scheme, refresh Cisco Express Forwarding tables, configure network accounting for Cisco Express Forwarding, or customize the display of Cisco Express Forwarding events, go to the "Related Documents" section for links to information on these tasks. Otherwise, you need do nothing more to configure Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation in your network.
Note Cisco Express Forwarding is supported on interfaces on which IEEE 802.1Q encapsulation has been enabled at the subinterface level. You no longer need to disable CEF operation on interfaces that are using IEEE 802.1Q encapsulation on VLAN subinterfaces.
Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default on most Cisco platforms running Cisco IOS software Release 12.0 and later. When Cisco Express Forwarding in enabled on a router, the Route Processor (RP) performs the express forwarding.
To find out if Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default on your platform, enter the show ip cef command. If Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled, you receive output that looks like the following:
Router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
[...]
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
192.168.101.1 FastEthernet6/1
[...]
If Cisco Express Forwarding is not enabled on your platform, the output for the show ip cef command looks like this:
Router# show ip cef
%CEF not running
Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default on the Catalyst 6500 series switch, the Cisco 7500 series router, and the Cisco 12000 Series Internet Router. When distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled on your platform, the line cards perform the express forwarding.
If Cisco Express Forwarding is not enabled on your platform, use the ip cef command to enable Cisco Express Forwarding or the ip cef distributed command to enable distributed Cisco Express Forwarding.
•Improved performance—Cisco Express Forwarding is less CPU-intensive than fast switching route caching. As a result, more CPU processing power can be dedicated to Layer 3 services such as quality of service (QoS) and encryption.
•Scalability—Cisco Express Forwarding offers full switching capacity at each line card when distributed Cisco Express Forwarding mode is active. Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is a distributed switching mechanism that scales linearly with the number of interface cards and the bandwidth installed in the router.
•Resiliency—Cisco Express Forwarding offers an unprecedented level of switching consistency and stability in large dynamic networks. In dynamic networks, fast-switched cache entries are frequently invalidated by routing changes. These changes can cause traffic to be process-switched through use of the routing table, rather than fast-switched through use of the route cache. Because the forwarding information base (FIB) lookup table contains all known routes that exist in the routing table, it eliminates the need for route cache maintenance and the steps involved with fast-switch or process-switch forwarding. Cisco Express Forwarding can switch traffic more efficiently than typical demand caching schemes.
Information conventionally stored in a route cache is stored in several data structures for Cisco Express Forwarding switching. The data structures provide optimized lookup for efficient packet forwarding. The two main components of Cisco Express Forwarding operation are the forwarding information base (FIB) and the adjacency tables.
The FIB is conceptually similar to a routing table or information base. A router uses this lookup table to make destination-based switching decisions during Cisco Express Forwarding operation. The FIB is updated as changes occur in the network and contains all routes known at the time. For more information on the FIB, see the "Cisco Express Forwarding Overview" module.
Adjacency tables maintain Layer 2 next-hop addresses for all FIB entries. For more information on adjacency tables, see the "Cisco Express Forwarding Overview" module.
This separation of the reachability information (in the Cisco Express Forwarding table) and the forwarding information (in the adjacency table), provides two main benefits:
•The adjacency table can be built separately from the Cisco Express Forwarding table, allowing both tables to build without the process switching of any packets.
•The MAC header rewrite used to forward a packet isn't stored in cache entries, so changes in a MAC header rewrite string do not require invalidation of cache entries.
•Central Cisco Express Forwarding Mode Operation
•Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding Mode Operation
You can use central Cisco Express Forwarding mode when line cards are not available for Cisco Express Forwarding switching, when you need to use features not compatible with distributed Cisco Express Forwarding switching, or when you are running on a platform that is not a distributed platform. When central Cisco Express Forwarding mode is enabled, the Cisco Express Forwarding FIB and adjacency tables reside on the RP, and the RP performs the express forwarding.
Figure 1 shows the relationship between the routing table, the FIB, and the adjacency table during central Cisco Express Forwarding mode operation. The Catalyst switches forward traffic from workgroup LANs to a Cisco 7500 series router on the enterprise backbone running central Cisco Express Forwarding. The RP performs the express forwarding.
Figure 1 Central Cisco Express Forwarding Mode Operation
For additional scalability, Cisco Express Forwarding runs in the form of distributed Cisco Express Forwarding on certain platforms by spreading processing tasks across two or more line cards. When distributed Cisco Express Forwarding mode is enabled, line cards maintain identical copies of the FIB and adjacency tables. The line cards perform the express forwarding between port adapters, relieving the RP of involvement in the switching operation, thus also enhancing system performance.
Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding uses an interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism to ensure synchronization of FIB tables and adjacency tables on the RP and line cards.
Figure 2 shows the relationship between the RP and line cards when distributed Cisco Express Forwarding mode is active.
Figure 2 Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding Mode Operation
In the Cisco 12000 Series Internet Router, shown in Figure 2, the line cards perform the switching. In other routers, where you can mix various types of cards in the same router, all cards might not support distributed Cisco Express Forwarding. When a line card that does not support distributed Cisco Express Forwarding receives a packet on one of these other routers, the line card forwards the packet to the next higher switching layer (the RP). This structure allows legacy interface processors to exist in the router with newer interface processors.
Note The Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers operate only in distributed Cisco Express Forwarding mode.
There are no configuration tasks. Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default.
The following section contains instructions for verifying basic Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation.
Before you perform the remaining tasks in this section you need to know which mode of Cisco Express Forwarding is running on your router. Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default on the Cisco 7100, 7200, and 7500 series routers. Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default on the Catalyst 6500 switch and on Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers. To determine if Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled on your router, you can enter the show ip interface command and look for the entry "IP CEF switching enabled" or "IP Distributed CEF switching enabled." If Cisco Express Forwarding is not enabled, the entry in the command display would indicate that "IP CEF switching is disabled."
To verify basic Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation, perform the following procedures and tasks:
•Determining If the Router Is Configured for Central or Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding (required)
•Verifying Cisco Express Forwarding Operation on Your Router (optional)
•Verifying Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding Operation on Your Router (optional)
•Interpreting Information in Cisco Express Forwarding Command Output (optional)
To determine if the router is configured for Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding, perform the following task.
1. enable
2. show ip interface [type number] [brief]
3. exit
•If the router is configured for Cisco Express Forwarding, complete the steps in each of the tasks on the RP in the "Verifying Cisco Express Forwarding Operation on Your Router" section.
•If the router is configured for distributed Cisco Express Forwarding, complete the steps in each of the tasks on the line card in the "Verifying Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding Operation on Your Router" section. You might also need to complete steps, as indicated in each task, on the RP. By performing the same steps on the RP that you do on the line cards, you can verify that the forwarding tables on the RP and the line cards are synchronized.
Perform the following tasks, in the order presented, to verify Cisco Express Forwarding operation on your router or to look for Cisco Express Forwarding operation information on your router:
•Verifying That Cisco Express Forwarding Switching Is Enabled on the Input Interface on the Router
•Locating the Prefix in a Forwarding Table on the RP
•Finding the Cisco Express Forwarding Output Information Associated with the Prefix on the RP
•Verifying the Adjacency or Next-Hop Information on the RP
See the "Verifying Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding Operation on Your Router" section for the tasks to perform for d istributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation.
To verify tha Cisco Express Forwarding switching is enabled on the input (ingress) interface on the router, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. show cef interface type number detail
4. show ip interface type number
5. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to verify that Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled globally. For example:
Router# show ip cef
%CEF not running
If Cisco Express Forwarding is not running, use the ip cef command to enable Cisco Express Forwarding or the ip cef distributed command to enable distributed Cisco Express Forwarding.
When Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled, the show ip cef command shows a brief display of all FIB entries.
Step 3 show cef interface type number detail
Use this command to verify that Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled on a particular ingress interface. Look for the entry "IP CEF switching enabled." For example:
Router# show cef interface fastethernet 1/0/0 detail
FastEthernet1/0/0 is up (if_number 9)
Corresponding hwidb fast_if_number 9
Corresponding hwidb firstsw->if_number 9
Internet address is 10.2.61.8/24
ICMP redirects are always sent
Per packet load-sharing is disabled
IP unicast RPF check is disabled
Inbound access list is not set
Outbound access list is not set
IP policy routing is disabled
Hardware idb is FastEthernet1/0/0
Fast switching type 1, interface type 5
IP CEF switching enabled
IP Feature Fast switching turbo vector
IP Feature CEF switching turbo vector
Input fast flags 0x0, Output fast flags 0x0
ifindex 7(7)
Slot 1 Slot unit 0 VC -1
Transmit limit accumulator 0x48001A82 (0x48001A82)
IP MTU 1500
Step 4 show ip interface type number
Use this command to display the Cisco IOS switching methods enabled on an interface. For example:
router# show ip interface fastethernet 1/0/0
FastEthernet1/0/0 is up, line protocol is up
IP fast switching is enabled
IP fast switching on the same interface is enabled
IP Flow switching is disabled
IP CEF switching is enabled
IP Distributed switching is enabled
IP Fast switching turbo vector
IP Normal CEF switching turbo vector
IP multicast fast switching is enabled
IP multicast distributed fast switching is disabled
IP route-cache flags are Fast, Distributed, No CEF
In the above output, the "IP CEF switching is enabled" entry indicates that Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default. The "No CEF" IP route-cache flag indicates that Cisco Express Forwarding is disabled because an administrator entered the no ip route-cache cef command on this interface.
To enable Cisco Express Forwarding on this interface, enter the ip route-cache cef command. Once you do that, the "CEF" flag indicates that Cisco Express Forwarding is running.
Step 5 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To locate the prefix in a forwarding table, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. show ip cef vrf vrf-name
4. Repeat Step 2 as many times as required to locate the prefix.
5. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to show entries in the FIB and confirm that prefixes are listed in the FIB. For example:
Router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
[...]
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
192.168.101.1 FastEthernet6/1
[...]
Step 3 show ip cef vrf vrf-name
Use this command to locate prefixes in forwarding tables associated with Virtual Private Network (VPN) routing/forwarding table instances (VRFs). For example, this command shows prefixes in the left-hand column for a VRF named vpn1:
Router# show ip cef vrf vpn1
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/32 receive
10.1.0.0/8 10.0.0.1 Ethernet1/3
10.2.0.0/8 10.0.0.2 POS6/0
10.0.0.0/8 attached Ethernet1/3
10.0.0.0/32 receive
10.0.0.1/32 10.0.0.1 Ethernet1/3
10.0.0.2/32 receive
10.255.255.255/32 receive
10.3.0.0/8 10.0.0.2 POS6/0
10.50.0.0/24 receive
255.255.255.255/32 receive
Step 4 Repeat Step 2 as many times as required to locate the prefix.
If Cisco Express Forwarding is in a VPN, you might need to look at multiple VRFs.
Step 5 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To find the Cisco Express Forwarding output information associated with the prefix on the RP, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. show ip cef prefix
4. show ip cef prefix detail
5. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to confirm that the prefix is listed in the FIB. For example:
router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.0/30 attached Serial2/0/0:1
192.168.0.0/32 receive
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
Step 3 show ip cef prefix
Use this command to display the prefix entry in the FIB for centralized Cisco Express Forwarding. For example:
Router# show ip cef 10.2.61.8 255.255.255.0
10.0.0.0/8, version 72, per-destination sharing
0 packets, 0 bytes
via 192.168.100.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
traffic share 1
next hop 192.168.100.1, FastEthernet1/0/0 via 192.168.100.1/32
valid adjacency
via 192.168.101.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
traffic share 1
next hop 192.168.101.1, FastEthernet6/1 via 192.168.101.1/32
valid adjacency
0 packets, 0 bytes switched through the prefix
Step 4 show ip cef prefix detail
Use this command to show more detail for each of the active paths associated with a destination prefix. For example:
Router# show ip cef 10.0.0.0 detail
10.0.0.0/8, version 72, per-destination sharing
0 packets, 0 bytes
via 192.168.100.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
traffic share 1
next hop 192.168.100.1, FastEthernet1/0/0 via 192.168.100.1/32
valid adjacency
via 192.168.101.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
traffic share 1
next hop 192.168.101.1, FastEthernet6/1 via 192.168.101.1/32
valid adjacency
0 packets, 0 bytes switched through the prefix
Step 5 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To verify the adjacency or next-hop information, perform the following steps.
Adjacencies are added to the adjacency table when the adjacency is
•Indirectly configured manually
•Dynamically discovered through ARP
•Created when a routing protocol, for example, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) or Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), forms a neighbor relationship
For more information on adjacencies, see the "Cisco Express Forwarding Overview" module.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. show adjacency detail
4. show adjacency summary
5. show adjacency type number
6. show ip cef exact-route source-address destination-address
7. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to find the output interface. For example:
router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.0/30 attached Serial2/0/0:1
192.168.0.0/32 receive
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
In this example, the output interface for the prefix 10.2.61.8/24 is FastEthernet 1/0/0, and the next hop address is 192.168.100.1.
Step 3 show adjacency detail
Use this command to display adjacency information, including Layer 2 information. For example:
Router# show adjacency detail
Protocol Interface Address
IP Ethernet1/0/0 10.2.61.8(7)
0 packets, 0 bytes
00107BC30D5C
00500B32D8200800
ARP 02:01:49
The encapsulation string 00107BC30D5C00500B32D8200800 is that of an adjacency used for traffic switched out of a router on an Ethernet link by means of Ethernet II encapsulation.
Step 4 show adjacency summary
Use this command to display Cisco Express Forwarding adjacency table summary information. For example:
Router# show adjacency summary
Adjacency Table has 1 adjacency
Interface Adjacency Count
Ethernet1/0/0 1
Step 5 show adjacency type number
Use this command to display adjacency information for a particular interface. For example:
Router# show adjacency fastethernet 2/3
Protocol Interface Address
IP FastEthernet2/3 172.20.52.1(3045)
IP FastEthernet2/3 172.20.52.22(11)
Step 6 show ip cef exact-route source-address destination-address
Use this command to display the exact route for a source-destination IP address pair and verify the next-hop address. For example:
Router# show ip cef exact-route 10.1.1.1 10.2.61.8
10.1.1.1 -> 10.2.61.8 :FastEthernet1/0/0 (next hop 192.168.100.1)
In this example, the exact route from source address 10.1.1.1 to destination address 10.2.61.8 is through interface Ethernet1/0/0 to next hop address 192.168.100.1.
Step 7 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
Perform the following tasks, in the order presented, to verify distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation on your router:
•Locating the Prefix in a Forwarding Table on a Line Card
•Verifying the Adjacency or Next-Hop Information on a Line Card
To perform tasks on router line cards, you need to use the following syntax: execute-on [slot slot-number | all] command. The execute-on commands apply only to the Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers and the Cisco 7500 series routers. The all keyword is available only on the Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers.
For example, use the following command to display FIB entries on the line cards in the first slot:
Router# execute-on 0 show ip cef
To perform tasks on a Catalyst 6500 series switch, you use the following syntax: remote command module mod command. For example:
Router# remote command module 2 show ip cef
The tasks in this document apply to the Cisco 7500 series and Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers.
To verify that distributed Cisco Express Forwarding switching is enabled on the input (ingress) interface on the line card, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix
4. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to verify that Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled globally. For example:
Router# show ip cef
%CEF not running
If Cisco Express Forwarding is not running, use the ip cef command to enable (central) Cisco Express Forwarding or the ip cef distributed command to enable distributed Cisco Express Forwarding.
When Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled, the show ip cef command shows a brief display of all FIB entries.
Step 3 execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix
Use this command to verify information about interfaces on a line card. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 0 show ip cef 192.68.0.0 255.255.255.0
show ip cef 192.68.0.0 255.255.255.0 from slot 0:
192.68.0.0/24, version 19, epoch 0, attached, connected
0 packets, 0 bytes
via Ethernet5/0/0, 0 dependencies
valid glean adjacency
Step 4 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To locate the prefix in a forwarding table on the line card, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
3. execute-on all show ip cef vrf vrf-name
4. Repeat Step 2 as many times as required to locate the prefix.
5. show ip cef
6. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
Use this command to show entries in the FIB on the line card and confirm that prefixes are listed in the FIB. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 0 show ip cef
show ip cef from slot 0:
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/0 192.168.0.1 Ethernet5/0/0
0.0.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.0/24 attached Ethernet5/0/0
192.168.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.1/32 192.168.0.1 Ethernet5/0/0
192.168.0.141/32 receive
192.168.0.255/32 receive
239.224.0.0/4 drop
239.224.0.0/24 receive
255.255.255.255/32 receive
Step 3 execute-on all show ip cef vrf vrf-name
Use this command to locate prefixes in forwarding tables associated with Virtual Private Network (VPN) routing/forwarding instances (VRFs). For example, this command shows prefixes in the left-hand column for a VRF named vpn1:
Router# execute-on all show ip cef vrf vpn1
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/32 receive
10.1.0.0/8 10.0.0.1 Ethernet1/3
10.2.0.0/8 10.0.0.2 POS6/0
10.0.0.0/8 attached Ethernet1/3
10.0.0.0/32 receive
10.0.0.1/32 10.0.0.1 Ethernet1/3
10.0.0.2/32 receive
10.255.255.255/32 receive
10.3.0.0/8 10.0.0.2 POS6/0
10.50.0.0/24 receive
255.255.255.255/32 receive
Step 4 Repeat Step 2 as many times as required to locate the prefix.
If distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is in a VPN, you might need to look at multiple VRFs.
Step 5 show ip cef
Use this command to show entries in the FIB on the RP and to verify that the FIB on the line card is synchronized with the FIB maintained by the router. For example:
Router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
[...]
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
192.168.101.1 FastEthernet6/1
[...]
Compare the prefixes, next hops, and interfaces in this output with those in the output from Step 1 to verify that FIB on the line card is synchronized with the FIB maintained by the router.
Step 6 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To find the distributed Cisco Express Forwarding output information associated with the prefix on a line card, perform the following steps.
1. enable
2. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
3. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix
4. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix detail
5. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
Use this command to confirm that the prefix is listed in the FIB. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 0 show ip cef
show ip cef from slot 0:
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/0 192.168.0.1 Ethernet5/0/0
0.0.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.0/24 attached Ethernet5/0/0
192.168.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.1/32 192.168.0.1 Ethernet5/0/0
192.168.0.141/32 receive
192.168.0.255/32 receive
239.224.0.0/4 drop
239.224.0.0/24 receive
255.255.255.255/32 receive
Step 3 execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix
Use this command to display the prefix entry in the FIB on a line card. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 3 show ip cef 192.68.0.0 255.255.255.0
show ip cef 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 from slot 0:
192.168.0.0/24, version 19, epoch 0, attached, connected
0 packets, 0 bytes
via Ethernet5/0/0, 0 dependencies
valid glean adjacency
Step 4 execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef prefix detail
Use this command to show more detail for each of the active paths associated with a destination prefix on a line card. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 0 show ip cef 10.24.48.32 detail
show ip cef 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 from slot 0:
192.168.0.0/24, version 19, epoch 0, attached, connected
0 packets, 0 bytes
via Ethernet5/0/0, 0 dependencies
valid glean adjacency
Step 5 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
To verify the adjacency or next-hop information on a line card, perform the following steps.
Cisco Express Forwarding adds an adjacency to the adjacency table when the adjacency is
•Indirectly configured manually
•Dynamically discovered through ARP
•Created when a routing protocol, for example, BGP or OSPF, forms a neighbor relationship
For more information on adjacencies, see the Cisco Express Forwarding Overview module.
1. enable
2. show ip cef
3. show adjacency detail
4. show adjacency summary
5. show adjacency type number
6. show ip cef exact-route source-address destination-address
7. execute-on all show ip cef destination
8. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef
Use this command to determine the output interface. For example:
router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/32 receive
192.168.0.0/30 attached Serial2/0/0:1
192.168.0.0/32 receive
10.2.61.8/24 192.168.100.1 FastEthernet1/0/0
In this example, the output interface for the prefix 10.2.61.8/24 is FastEthernet 1/0/0, and the next hop address is 192.168.100.1.
Step 3 show adjacency detail
Use this command to display adjacency information, including Layer 2 information. For example:
Router# show adjacency detail
Protocol Interface Address
IP Ethernet1/0/0 10.2.61.8(7)
0 packets, 0 bytes
00107BC30D5C
00500B32D8200800
ARP 02:01:49
The encapsulation string 00107BC30D5C00500B32D8200800 is that of an adjacency used for traffic switched out of a router on an Ethernet link by means of Ethernet II encapsulation. (The first 12 characters are the MAC address of the destination next-hop interface. The next 12 characters represent the MAC address of the source interface of the packet. The last 4 characters [0x0800] represent the Ethernet II encapsulation value for IP.)
Step 4 show adjacency summary
Use this command to display Cisco Express Forwarding adjacency table summary information. For example:
Router# show adjacency summary
Adjacency Table has 1 adjacency
Interface Adjacency Count
Ethernet1/0/0 1
Step 5 show adjacency type number
Use this command to display adjacency information for a particular interface. For example:
Router# show adjacency fastethernet 2/3
Protocol Interface Address
IP FastEthernet2/3 172.20.52.1(3045)
IP FastEthernet2/3 172.20.52.22(11)
Step 6 show ip cef exact-route source-address destination-address
Use this command to display the exact route for a source-destination IP address pair and verify the next-hop address. For example:
Router# show ip cef exact-route 10.1.1.1 10.2.61.8
10.1.1.1 -> 10.2.61.8 :FastEthernet1/0/0 (next hop 192.168.100.1)
In this example, the exact route from source address 10.1.1.1 to destination address 10.2.61.8 is through interface Ethernet1/0/0 to next hop address 192.168.100.1.
Step 7 execute-on all show ip cef destination
Use this command to display output interfaces and next hops for all line cards. For example:
Router# execute-on all show ip cef 10.20.84.32
========= Line Card (Slot 1) =======
10.16.0.0/13, version 408935, cached adjacency 0.0.0.0
0 packets, 0 bytes
Flow: AS 6172, mask 13
via 172.16.213.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
next hop 172.16.213.1, POS1/0.500 via 172.16.213.0/30
valid cached adjacency
========= Line Card (Slot 2) =======
10.16.0.0/13, version 13719, cached adjacency 0.0.0.0
0 packets, 0 bytes
Flow: AS 6172, mask 13
via 172.16.213.1, 0 dependencies, recursive
next hop 172.16.213.1, POS1/0.500 via 172.16.213.0/30
valid cached adjacency
Step 8 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
Perform the following tasks to interpret information in Cisco Express Forwarding command output:
•Verifying That the Cisco Express Forwarding Information Looks As Expected (optional)
•Interpreting MPLS Information in Cisco Express Forwarding Output (optional)
Perform the following tasks to verify that the Cisco Express Forwarding information looks as you expected.
1. enable
2. show ip route
3. show ip cef
4. Compare the command output in Steps 2 and 4.
5. execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
6. Compare the command output in Steps 2 and 4.
7. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip route
Use this command to look at the forwarding information contained in the IP routing table. For example:
Router# show ip route
...
10.1.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O 10.1.2.3 [110/3] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:03, POS2/0/0
10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 10.5.5.5/32 is directly connected, POS2/0/0
C 10.5.5.0/24 is directly connected, POS2/0/0
10.7.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O 10.7.8.0 [110/3] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 2 subnets
O 10.23.64.0 [110/12] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
O 10.23.66.0 [110/12] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
10.47.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets
O 10.47.0.10 [110/3] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
O 172.16.57.0/24 [110/3] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
10.150.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C 10.150.3.0 is directly connected, Fddi0/0/0
O 192.168.92.0/24 [110/2] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
In the example, c indicates a directly connected route and o represents a route discovered by means of OSPF.
Step 3 show ip cef
Use this command to display entries in the FIB. For example:
Router# show ip cef
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/0 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0 (default route)
0.0.0.0/32 receive
10.1.2.3/32 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0 (two paths)
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.5.5.0/24 attached POS2/0/0
10.5.5.0/32 receive
10.5.5.5/32 attached POS2/0/0 (glean adjacency)
10.5.5.6/32 receive (our interface)
10.5.5.255/32 receive (broadcast)
10.7.8.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.23.64.0/24 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.23.66.0/24 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0 (normal route)
10.47.0.10/32 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.150.3.0/24 attached Fddi0/0/0
10.150.3.0/32 receive
10.150.3.1/32 receive
10.150.3.255/32 receive
192.168.92.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
172.16.57.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
239.224.0.0/4 receive (multicast)
255.255.255.255/32 receive (all 1s broadcast)
Step 4 Compare the command output in Steps 2 and 3.
Cisco Express Forwarding maintains the information contained in the IP routing table structured in a way that optimizes forwarding. Check that there is a one-to-one correlation between FIB entries and routing table entries. For example, the following lines from the sample output in Step 2 and Step 3 show a one-to-one correlation. The destination prefix 192.92.92.0/24, the next hop IP address 10.5.5.5, and the next-hop interface POS2/0/0 are the same.
•From the show ip route command output in Step 2:
192.168.92.0/24 [110/2] via 10.5.5.5, 00:00:04, POS2/0/0
•From the show ip cef command output in Step 3:
192.168.92.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
If there is not a one-to-one correlation, you can recreate the central FIB table by clearing the IP routing table and allowing the routing table to be rebuilt, which in turn causes the central FIB table to be repopulated with up-to-date routing information.
Step 5 (For distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation only) execute-on slot slot-number show ip cef
Use this command to display FIB entries on all line cards. For example:
Router# execute-on slot 2 show ip cef
show ip cef from slot 2:
Prefix Next Hop Interface
0.0.0.0/0 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
0.0.0.0/32 receive
10.1.2.3/32 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
105.5.5.0/24 attached POS2/0/0
10.5.5.0/32 receive
10.5.5.5/32 attached POS2/0/0
10.5.5.6/32 receive
10.5.5.255/32 receive
10.7.8.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.7.54.0/24 attached Fddi0/1/0
10,7.54.0/32 receive
10.7.54.3/32 receive
10.7.54.255/32 receive
10.23.64.0/24 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.23.66.0/24 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.47.0.10/32 10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
10.150.3.0/24 attached Fddi0/0/0
10.150.3.0/32 receive
10.150.3.1/32 receive
10.150.3.255/32 receive
192.168.92.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
172.16.57.0/24 10.5.5.5 POS2/0/0
10.150.3.9 Fddi0/0/0
239.224.0.0/4 receive
255.255.255.255/32 receive
Step 6 (For distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation only) Compare the command output in Steps 3 and 5.
The output from the show ip cef command in Step 3 should be identical to the output from the execute-on slot 2 show ip cef command in Step 5. If the outputs are not identical, see the Configuring Cisco Express Forwarding Consistency Checkers for Route Processors and Line Cards module for information on synchronizing FIB entries on the RP and the line card.
Step 7 exit
Use this command to exit privileged EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
Perform the following steps to interpret Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) information in Cisco Express Forwarding output.
Cisco Express Forwarding interacts with a label switched path (LSP) primarily at the beginning and end of the LSP—that is, on label imposition (IP packet to MPLS packet) and label disposition (MPLS packet to IP packet). Output from Cisco Express Forwarding commands should show these processes.
The Cisco implementation of MPLS leverages the advantages of Cisco Express Forwarding. When you use a router as an MPLS edge router, Cisco Express Forwarding identifies the route for incoming packets and finds the label to apply to the packet.
However, when you use a router as a label switch router (LSR), tables from the MPLS label forwarding information base (LFIB) are used to switch MPLS packets. These tables are distributed to the Versatile Interface Processor (VIP) or to line cards in the same way that the FIB tables are distributed in Cisco Express Forwarding.
A customer-site VRF contains all the routes available to the site from the VPNs to which it belongs. VPN routing information is stored in the IP routing table and in the Cisco Express Forwarding table for each VRF. A separate set of tables is maintained for each VRF, which prevents information from being forwarded outside a VPN and prevents packets that are outside a VPN from being forwarded to a router within the VPN. Based on the routing information stored in the VRF IP routing table and the VRF Cisco Express Forwarding table, packets are forwarded to their destinations. Output from Cisco Express Forwarding commands shows details from the VRF Cisco Express Forwarding tables.
1. enable
2. show ip cef vrf vrf-name detail
3. exit
Step 1 enable
Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter this command in user EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example:
Router> enable
Router#
Step 2 show ip cef vrf vrf-name detail
Use this command to display detailed information from the Cisco Express Forwarding forwarding table that is associated with a VRF. For example:
Router# show ip cef vrf vpn1 detail
IP CEF with switching (Table Version 10), flags=0x0
8 routes, 0 reresolve, 0 unresolved (0 old, 0 new)
46 leaves, 51 nodes, 54640 bytes, 361 inserts, 315 invalidations
0 load sharing elements, 0 bytes, 0 references
universal per-destination load sharing algorithm, id F968AD29
5 CEF resets, 38 revisions of existing leaves
refcounts: 1400 leaf, 1392 node
Adjacency Table has 2 adjacencies
0.0.0.0/32, version 0, receive
192.168.6.0/24, version 9, cached adjacency to Serial0/1.1
0 packets, 0 bytes
The following section of the Cisco Express Forwarding output provides MPLS information for the first adjacency. The "tag rewrite" is an equivalent of a Cisco Express Forwarding adjacency. Look at the tags imposed field. The first tag {20} is the tag used to reach the next hop, 10.1.1.13. The second tag {30} is the tag advertised to the local provider edge (PE) router by the remote PE router.
tag information set
local tag: VPN-route-head
fast tag rewrite with Se0/1.1, point2point, tags imposed: {20 30}
via 10.10.10.6, 0 dependencies, recursive
next hop 10.1.1.13, Serial0/1.1 via 10.10.10.6
valid cached adjacency
tag rewrite with Se0/1.1, point2point, tags imposed: {20 30}
The following section of the output provides information about the second adjacency. For the second adjacency, no tag rewrite occurs as indicated by the entry "tag rewrite with , ," and MPLS tags are not imposed on the packet indicated by the entry "tags imposed : {}." The router also discards this packet indicated by the entry "valid discard adjacency."
192.168.4.0/24, version 6, attached, connected
0 packets, 0 bytes
tag information set
local tag: 28
via Loopback102, 0 dependencies
valid discard adjacency
tag rewrite with , , tags imposed: {}
192.168.4.0/32, version 4, receive
192.168.4.1/32, version 3, receive
192.168.4.255/32, version 5, receive
192.168.0.0/24, version 2, receive
255.255.255.255/32, version 1, receive
Step 3 exit
Use this command to exit to user EXEC mode. For example:
Router# exit
Router>
There are no configuration examples for Cisco Express Forwarding. Cisco Express Forwarding is enabled by default.
If you want to disable Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding operation, refer to Enabling or Disabling Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding to Customize Switching/Forwarding for Dynamic Networks.
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Cisco IOS commands |
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IP switching commands: complete command syntax, command modes, command history, defaults, usage guidelines, and examples. |
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List of the features documented in the Cisco Express Forwarding modules |
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Overview of the Cisco Express Forwarding feature |
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Tasks for enabling or disabling Cisco Express Forwarding or distributed Cisco Express Forwarding |
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Tasks for configuring a load-balancing scheme for Cisco Express Forwarding |
Configuring a Load-Balancing Scheme for Cisco Express Forwarding Traffic |
Tasks for configuring Cisco Express Forwarding consistency checkers |
Configuring Cisco Express Forwarding Consistency Checkers for Route Processors and Line Cards |
Tasks for configuring epochs for Cisco Express Forwarding tables |
Configuring Epochs to Clear and Rebuild Cisco Express Forwarding and Adjacency Tables |
Tasks for configuring and verifying Cisco Express Forwarding network accounting |
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Tasks for customizing the display of recorded Cisco Express Forwarding events |
Customizing the Display of Recorded Cisco Express Forwarding Events |
Verification steps for Cisco Express Forwarding switching |
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Troubleshooting tips for incomplete adjacencies |
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Description and use of the Cisco Express Forwarding consistency checkers available for the Cisco 7500 and 12000 series routers |
Troubleshooting Prefix Inconsistencies with Cisco Express Forwarding |
Information about troubleshooting Cisco Express Forwarding routing loops and suboptimal routing |
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Causes of common Cisco Express Forwarding-related error messages on platforms running distributed Cisco Express Forwarding switching (Cisco 7500 series routers and Cisco 12000 Series Internet routers) and how to troubleshoot them |
Troubleshooting Cisco Express Forwarding-Related Error Messages |
Explanation of and troubleshooting information for the Cisco IOS software implementation of Layer 3 load balancing across multiple parallel links when Cisco Express Forwarding is used |
Troubleshooting Load Balancing Over Parallel Links Using Cisco Express Forwarding |
QoS features that require Cisco Express Forwarding |
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No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature. |
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No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature. |
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Table 1 lists the release history for this feature.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and software image support. Cisco Feature Navigator enables you to determine which software images support a specific software release, feature set, or platform. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Note Table 1 lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.
adjacency—A relationship formed between selected neighboring routers and end nodes for the purpose of exchanging routing information. Adjacency is based upon the use of a common media segment by the routers and nodes involved.
Cisco Express Forwarding—A Layer 3 switching technology. Cisco Express Forwarding can also refer to central Cisco Express Forwarding mode, one of two modes of Cisco Express Forwarding operation. Cisco Express Forwarding enables a Route Processor (RP) to perform express forwarding. Distributed Cisco Express Forwarding is the other mode of Cisco Express Forwarding operation.
distributed Cisco Express Forwarding—A type of Cisco Express Forwarding switching in which line cards (such as Versatile Interface Processor (VIP) line cards) maintain identical copies of the forwarding information base (FIB) and adjacency tables. The line cards perform the express forwarding between port adapters; this relieves the Route Switch Processor of involvement in the switching operation.
FIB—forwarding information base. A component of Cisco Express Forwarding. The router uses the FIB lookup table to make destination-based switching decisions during Cisco Express Forwarding operation. The router maintains a mirror image of the forwarding information in an IP routing table.
IPC—interprocess communication. The mechanism that enables the distribution of Cisco Express Forwarding tables from the Route Switch Processor (RSP) to the line card when the router is operating in distributed Cisco Express Forwarding mode.
label disposition—The removal of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) headers at the edge of a network. In MPLS label disposition, packets arrive on a router as MPLS packets and, with the headers removed, are transmitted as IP packets.
label imposition—The action of putting a label on a packet.
LER—label edge router. A router that performs label imposition.
LFIB—label forwarding information base. The data structure used by switching functions to switch labeled packets.
LIB—label information base. A database used by a label switch router (LSR) to store labels learned from other LSRs, as well as labels assigned by the local LSR.
line card—A general term for an interface processor that can be used in various Cisco products. For example, a Versatile Interface Processor (VIP) is a line card for the Cisco 7500 series router.
LSP—label switched path. A sequence of hops (Router 0...Router n). A packet travels from R0 to Rn by means of label switching mechanisms. An LSP can be chosen dynamically, based on normal routing mechanisms, or it can be configured manually.
LSR—label switch router. A Layer 3 router that forwards a packet based on the value of a label encapsulated in the packet.
MPLS—Multiprotocol Label Switching. An emerging industry standard for the forwarding of packets along the normal routing paths (sometimes called MPLS hop-by-hop forwarding).
prefix—The network address portion of an IP address. A prefix is specified by a network and mask and is generally represented in the format network/mask. The mask indicates which bits are the network bits. For example, 1.0.0.0/16 means that the first 16 bits of the IP address are masked, making them the network bits. The remaining bits are the host bits. In this example, the network number is 10.0.
RIB—Routing Information Base. A central repository of routes that contains Layer 3 reachability information and destination IP addresses or prefixes. The RIB is also known as the routing table.
RP—Route Processor. The processor module in the Cisco 7000 series routers that contains the CPU, system software, and most of the memory components that are used in the router. It is sometimes called a supervisory processor.
RSP—Route Switch Processor. The processor module used in the Cisco 7500 series routers that integrates the functions of the Route Processor (RP) and the Switch Processor (SP).
SP—Switch Processor. Cisco 7000 series processor module that acts as the administrator for all CxBus activities. It is also sometimes called a CiscoBus controller.
VIP—Versatile Interface Processor. An interface card used in Cisco 7000 and Cisco 7500 series routers. The VIP provides multilayer switching and runs Cisco IOS.
VPN—Virtual Private Network. The result of a router configuration that enables IP traffic to use tunneling to travel securely over a public TCP/IP network.
VRF—A Virtual Private Network (VPN) routing/forwarding instance. A VRF consists of an IP routing table, a derived forwarding table, a set of interfaces that use the forwarding table, and a set of rules and routing protocols that determine what goes into the forwarding table. In general, a VRF includes the routing information that defines a customer VPN site that is attached to a PE router.