OSPF Update Packet-Pacing Configurable Timers

In rare situations, you might need to change Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) packet-pacing default timers to mitigate CPU or buffer utilization issues associated with flooding very large numbers of link-state advertisements (LSAs). The OSPF Update Packet-Pacing Configurable Timers feature allows you to configure the rate at which OSPF LSA flood pacing, retransmission pacing, and group pacing updates occur.

• Configuring OSPF flood pacing timers allows you to control interpacket spacing between consecutive link-state update packets in the OSPF transmission queue.
• Configuring OSPF retransmission pacing timers allows you to control interpacket spacing between consecutive link-state update packets in the OSPF retransmission queue.
• Cisco IOS XE software groups the periodic refresh of LSAs to improve the LSA packing density for the refreshes in large topologies. The group timer controls the interval that is used for group LSA refreshment; however, this timer does not change the frequency at which individual LSAs are refreshed (the default refresh occurs every 30 minutes).

Caution

The default settings for OSPF packet-pacing timers are suitable for the majority of OSPF deployments. You should change the default timers only as a last resort.

The OSPF Update Packet-Pacing Configurable Timers feature provides the administrator with a mechanism to control the rate at which LSA updates occur in order to reduce high CPU or buffer utilization that can occur when an area is flooded with a very large number of LSAs.

Caution

The default settings for OSPF packet-pacing timers are suitable for the majority of OSPF deployments. You should change the default timers only as a last resort.

To configure a flood packet-pacing timer, use the following commands beginning in global configuration mode:

1.    Router(config)# router ospf process-id

2.    Router(config-router)# timers pacing flood milliseconds

1.    Router(config)# router ospf process-id

2.    Router(config-router)# timers pacing retransmission milliseconds

1.    Router(config)# router ospf process-id

2.    Router(config-router)# timers pacing lsa-group seconds

To verify that OSPF packet pacing has been configured, use the show ip ospf privileged EXEC command. The output of the show ip ospf command will display the type and delay time of the configurable pacing timers (flood, retransmission, group). The following sample output is from the show ip ospf command:

Router# show ip ospf
  Routing Process "ospf 1" with ID 10.0.0.1 and Domain ID 10.20.0.1 
  Supports only single TOS(TOS0) routes 
  Supports opaque LSA 
  SPF schedule delay 5 secs, Hold time between two SPFs 10 secs 
  Minimum LSA interval 5 secs. Minimum LSA arrival 1 secs 
  LSA group pacing timer 100 secs 
  Interface flood pacing timer 55 msecs 
  Retransmission pacing timer 100 msecs 
  Number of external LSA 0. Checksum Sum 0x0      
  Number of opaque AS LSA 0. Checksum Sum 0x0      
  Number of DCbitless external and opaque AS LSA 0 
  Number of DoNotAge external and opaque AS LSA 0 
  Number of areas in this router is 2. 2 normal 0 stub 0 nssa 
  External flood list length 0 
     Area BACKBONE(0) 
         Number of interfaces in this area is 2 
         Area has message digest authentication 
         SPF algorithm executed 4 times 
         Area ranges are 
         Number of LSA 4. Checksum Sum 0x29BEB  
         Number of opaque link LSA 0. Checksum Sum 0x0      
         Number of DCbitless LSA 3 
         Number of indication LSA 0 
         Number of DoNotAge LSA 0 
         Flood list length 0 
     Area 172.16.26.0 
         Number of interfaces in this area is 0 
         Area has no authentication 
         SPF algorithm executed 1 times 
         Area ranges are 
            192.168.0.0/16 Passive Advertise  
         Number of LSA 1. Checksum Sum 0x44FD   
         Number of opaque link LSA 0. Checksum Sum 0x0      
         Number of DCbitless LSA 1 
         Number of indication LSA 1 
         Number of DoNotAge LSA 0 
         Flood list length 0

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