Table Of Contents
Configuring Multilayer Switching
Configuring and Monitoring MLS
Configuring MLS on a Router
Monitoring MLS
Monitoring MLS for an Interface
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains
Configuring NetFlow Data Export
Specify a NetFlow Data Export Address on the Router
Multilayer Switching Configuration Examples
Router Configuration without Access Lists
Router Configuration with Standard Access List
Router Configuration with Extended Access List
Configuring Multilayer Switching
This chapter describes how to configure your network to perform Multilayer Switching (MLS) For a complete description of the Multilayer Switching commands see the chapter "Multilayer Switching Commands" in the Cisco IOS Switching Services Command Reference. For documentation of other commands that appear in this chapter, you can use the command reference master index or search online.
Note
The information in this document, Cisco IOS Switching Services Configuration Guide, is a brief summary of the information contained in the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide. The commands and configurations described in this guide apply only to the devices that provide routing services. Commands and configurations for Catalyst 5000 series switches are not documented here
Configuring and Monitoring MLS
Perform the tasks in this section to configure your Cisco router for MLS. To ensure a successful MLS configuration, you must also configure the Catalyst Switches in your network. For a full description, see the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide. Only configuration tasks and commands for routers are described in this chapter.
The following task is required:
•
Configuring MLS on a Router
The following tasks are optional:
•
Monitoring MLS
•
Monitoring MLS for an Interface
•
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains
Configuring MLS on a Router
Perform the steps in this section to configure your router(s) for MLS. Depending upon your configuration, you might not have to perform all the steps in the procedure. Use the following commands to configure MLS on your router:
Step
|
Command
|
Purpose
|
1
|
mls rp ip
|
Globally enable MLSP. MLSP is the protocol that runs between the MLS-SE and the MLS-RP.
|
| |
Use steps 2 through 5 for each interface that will support MLS.
|
|
2
|
interface type number
|
Select a router interface
|
3
|
mls rp vtp-domain [domain-name]
|
Select the router interface to be Layer 3 switched and then add that interface to the same VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) domain as the switch. This interface is referred to as the MLS interface. This command is required only if the Catalyst switch is in a VTP domain.
|
4
|
mls rp vlan-id [vlan-id-num]
|
Assign a VLAN ID to the MLS interface. MLS requires that each interface has a VLAN ID. This step is not required for RSM VLAN interfaces or ISL-encapsulated interfaces.
|
5
|
mls rp ip
|
Enable each MLS interface.
|
6
|
mls rp management-interface
|
Select one MLS interface as a management interface. MLSP packets are sent and received through this interface. This can be any MLS interface connected to the switch.
|

Note
The interface-specific commands in this section apply only to Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, VLAN, and Fast Etherchannel interfaces on the Catalyst RSM/Versatile Interface Processor 2 (VIP2) or directly attached external router.
Use the following command to globally disable MLS on the router:
Command
|
Purpose
|
no mls rp ip
|
Disable MLS on the router.
|
Monitoring MLS
Use the show mls rp command to display MLS details including specifics for MLSP. Displays include:
•
MLS status (enabled or disabled) for switch interfaces and subinterfaces
•
Flow mask used by this MLS-enabled switch when creating Layer 3-switching entries for the router
•
Current settings of the keepalive timer, retry timer, and retry count
•
MLSP-ID used in MLSP messages
•
List of interfaces in all VTP domains that are enabled for MLS
Command
|
Purpose
|
show mls rp
|
Show MLS details for all interfaces.
|
After entering this command, you see this display:
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 10.20.26.64
current flow mask: ip-flow
current sequence number: 80709115
current/maximum retry count: 0/10
current domain state: no-change
current/next global purge: false/false
current/next purge count: 0/0
keepalive timer expires in 9 seconds
1 management interface(s) currently defined:
7 mac-vlan(s) configured for multi-layer switching:
router currently aware of following 1 switch(es):
Monitoring MLS for an Interface
Use the following command to show MLS information for a specific interface:
Command
|
Purpose
|
show mls rp [interface]
|
Show MLS details for a specific interface.
|
After entering this command, you see this display:
router# show mls rp int vlan 10
mls active on Vlan10, domain WBU
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains
Command
|
Purpose
|
show mls rp vtp-domain [domain-name]
|
Show MLS interfaces for a specific VTP domain.
|
After entering this command, you see this display:
router# show mls rp vtp-domain WBU
current flow mask: ip-flow
current sequence number: 80709115
current/maximum retry count: 0/10
current domain state: no-change
current/next global purge: false/false
current/next purge count: 0/0
keepalive timer expires in 8 seconds
1 management interface(s) currently defined:
7 mac-vlan(s) configured for multi-layer switching:
router currently aware of following 1 switch(es):
Configuring NetFlow Data Export
Note
You need to enable NDE only if you are going to export MLS cache entries to a data collection application.
Perform the task in this section to configure your Cisco router for NDE. To ensure a successful NDE configuration, you must also configure the Catalyst Switch. For a full description, see the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide. Only configuration tasks and commands for routers are described in this chapter.
Perform the following tasks to configure NetFlow Data Export on your network. The first task is for the router, the remaining tasks are for the switch:
•
Specify a NetFlow Data Export Address on the Router
•
Specify a NetFlow Data Export Collector
•
Enable NetFlow Data Export on the Switch
•
Specify a Filter for NDE Flow from the Switch
Specify a NetFlow Data Export Address on the Router
Use the following command to specify a NewFlow Data Export address on the router:
Command
|
Purpose
|
mls rp nde-address ip-address
|
Specify an NDE IP address for the router doing the Layer 3 switching. The router and the Catalyst 5000 series switch use the NDE IP address when sending MLS statistics to a data collection application.
|
Multilayer Switching Configuration Examples
In these examples, VLAN interfaces 1 and 3 are in VTP domain Engineering. The management interface is configured on the VLAN 1 interface. Only information relevant to MLS is shown in the following configurations:
•
Router Configuration without Access Lists
•
Router Configuration with Standard Access List
•
Router Configuration with Extended Access List
Router Configuration without Access Lists
This sample configuration shows a router configured without access lists on any of the VLAN interfaces. The flow mask is configured to be destination-ip.
router# more system:running-config
Building configuration...
ip address 172.20.26.56 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
mls rp management-interface
ip address 128.6.2.73 255.255.255.0
ip address 128.6.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 172.20.26.56
mls flow mask is destination-ip
number of domains configured for mls 1
vlan domain name: Engineering
current flow mask: destination-ip
current sequence number: 82078006
current/maximum retry count: 0/10
current domain state: no-change
current/next global purge: false/false
current/next purge count: 0/0
keepalive timer expires in 11 seconds
1 management interface(s) currently defined:
2 mac-vlan(s) configured for multi-layer switching:
router currently aware of following 1 switch(es):
Router Configuration with Standard Access List
This configuration is the same as the previous example but with a standard access list configured on the VLAN 3 interface. The flow mask changes to source-destination-ip.
ip address 128.6.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 172.20.26.56
mls flow mask is source-destination-ip
number of domains configured for mls 1
vlan domain name: Engineering
current flow mask: source-destination-ip
current sequence number: 82078007
current/maximum retry count: 0/10
current domain state: no-change
current/next global purge: false/false
current/next purge count: 0/0
keepalive timer expires in 4 seconds
1 management interface(s) currently defined:
2 mac-vlan(s) configured for multi-layer switching:
router currently aware of following 1 switch(es):
Router Configuration with Extended Access List
This configuration is the same as the previous examples but with an extended access list configured on the VLAN 3 interface. The flow mask changes to ip-flow.
ip address 128.6.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 172.20.26.56
number of domains configured for mls 1
vlan domain name: Engineering
current flow mask: ip-flow
current sequence number: 82078009
current/maximum retry count: 0/10
current domain state: no-change
current/next global purge: false/false
current/next purge count: 0/0
keepalive timer expires in 3 seconds
1 management interface(s) currently defined:
2 mac-vlan(s) configured for multi-layer switching:
router currently aware of following 1 switch(es):