Table Of Contents
Configuring IP Multilayer Switching
Finding Feature Information
Contents
Prerequisites for Configuring IP MLS
Information About Configuring IP MLS
How to Configure MLS
Configuring MLS on a Router
Monitoring MLS
Monitoring MLS: Example
Monitoring MLS for an Interface
Monitoring MLS for an Interface: Example
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains: Example
Configuring NetFlow Data Export
Prerequisite
Specifying an NDE Address on the Router
Configuration Examples for MLS
Router Configuration Without Access Lists: Example
Router Configuration with a Standard Access List: Example
Router Configuration with an Extended Access List: Example
Additional References
Related Documents
Standards
MIBs
RFCs
Technical Assistance
Feature Information for Configuring MLS
Configuring IP Multilayer Switching
This module describes how to configure IP Multilayer Switching (MLS).
Note
This module 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 documented in the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide and the Catalyst 5000 Series Software Configuration Guide. For configuration information for the Catalyst 6000 series switch, see the Configuring and Troubleshooting IP MLS on Catalyst 6500/6000 Switches with an MSFC document or see the "Configuring IP Multilayer Layer 3 Switching" chapter in the Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide.
Finding Feature Information
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 MLS" 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.
Contents
•
Prerequisites for Configuring IP MLS
•
Information About Configuring IP MLS
•
How to Configure MLS
•
Configuration Examples for MLS
•
Additional References
•
Feature Information for Configuring MLS
Prerequisites for Configuring IP MLS
To ensure a successful MLS configuration, you must also configure the Catalyst switches in your network. For more information about Catalyst 5000 series switches, see the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide and the Catalyst 5000 Series Software Configuration Guide. For more information about Catalyst 6000 series switches, see the Configuring and Troubleshooting IP MLS on Catalyst 6500/6000 Switches with an MSFC document or see the "Configuring IP Multilayer Layer 3 Switching" chapter in the Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide.
Information About Configuring IP MLS
MLS provides high-performance Layer 3 switching for Cisco routers and switches. MLS switches IP data packets between subnets using advanced application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) switching hardware. Standard routing protocols, such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (Enhanced IGRP), Routing Information Protocol (RIP), and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS), are used for route determination.
For conceptual information about IP Multilayer Switching, see the "Multilayer Switching Overview" module.
How to Configure MLS
To configure your Cisco router for MLS, perform the tasks described in the following sections. The first section contains a required task; the remaining tasks are optional.
•
Configuring MLS on a Router (Required)
•
Monitoring MLS (Optional)
•
Monitoring MLS for an Interface (Optional)
•
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains (Optional)
•
Configuring NetFlow Data Export (Optional)
Configuring MLS on a Router
To configure MLS on your router, complete the following steps.
Note
Depending upon your configuration, you might not have to perform all the steps in the procedure.
SUMMARY STEPS
1.
enable
2.
configure terminal
3.
mls rp ip
4.
interface type number
5.
mls rp vtp-domain domain-name
6.
mls rp vlan-id [vlan-id]
7.
mls rp ip
8.
mls rp management-interface
9.
(Optional) Repeat Step 4 through Step 8 for each interface that will support MLS.
10.
end
DETAILED STEPS
| |
Command or Action
|
Purpose
|
Step 1
|
enable
Example:
Router> enable
|
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2
|
configure terminal
Example:
Router# configure terminal
|
Enters global configuration mode.
|
Step 3
|
mls rp ip
Example:
Router(config)# mls rp ip
|
Globally enables MLSP. MLSP is the protocol that runs between the MLS-SE and the MLS-RP.
Note To globally disable MLS on the router, use the no mls rp ip command.
|
Step 4
|
interface type number
Example:
Router(config)# interface vlan 1
|
Selects a router interface and enters interface configuration mode.
• Enter the interface type and interface number.
|
Step 5
|
mls rp vtp-domain domain-name
Example:
Router(config-if)# mls rp vtp-domain
engineering
|
Selects the router interface to be Layer 3 switched and then adds 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.
• Enter the domain name.
|
Step 6
|
mls rp vlan-id [vlan-id]
Example:
Router(config-if)# mls rp vlan-id 1
|
Assigns 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.
• Enter the VLAN number.
|
Step 7
|
mls rp ip
Example:
Router(config-if)# mls rp ip
|
Enables each MLS interface.
|
Step 8
|
mls rp management-interface
Example:
Router(config-if)# mls rp
management-interface
|
Selects 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.
|
Step 9
|
(Optional) Repeat Step 4 through Step 8 for each interface that will support MLS.
|
Step 10
|
end
Example:
Router(config-if)# end
|
Returns to privileged EXEC mode.
|

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 a directly attached external router.
Monitoring MLS
To display MLS details including specifics for MLSP, complete the following steps.
SUMMARY STEPS
1.
enable
2.
show mls rp
3.
end
| |
Command or Action
|
Purpose
|
Step 1
|
enable
Example:
Router> enable
|
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2
|
show mls rp
Example:
Router# show mls rp
|
Displays MLS details for all interfaces. The information displayed includes the following:
• 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
|
Step 3
|
end
Example:
Router# end
|
Exits privileged EXEC mode.
|
DETAILED STEPS
Monitoring MLS: Example
After entering the show mls rp command, the following is displayed:
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
To show MLS information for a specific interface, complete the following steps:
SUMMARY STEPS
1.
enable
2.
show mls rp interface type number
3.
end
DETAILED STEPS
| |
Command or Action
|
Purpose
|
Step 1
|
enable
Example:
Router> enable
|
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2
|
show mls rp interface type number
Example:
Router# show mls rp interface vlan 10
|
Displays MLS details for a specific interface.
• Enter the interface type and interface number.
|
Step 3
|
end
Example:
Router# end
|
Exits privileged EXEC mode.
|
Monitoring MLS for an Interface: Example
After entering the show mls rp interface command, the following is displayed:
Router# show mls rp interface vlan 10
mls active on Vlan10, domain WBU
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains
To show MLS information for a specific VTP domain, complete the following steps.
SUMMARY STEPS
1.
enable
2.
show mls rp vtp-domain domain-name
3.
end
| |
Command or Action
|
Purpose
|
Step 1
|
enable
Example:
Router> enable
|
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2
|
show mls rp vtp-domain domain-name
Example:
Router# show mls rp vtp-domain WBU
|
Displays MLS interfaces for a specific VTP domain.
• Enter the VTP domain name.
|
Step 3
|
end
Example:
Router# end
|
Exits privileged EXEC mode.
|
DETAILED STEPS
Monitoring MLS Interfaces for VTP Domains: Example
After entering the show mls rp vtp-domain command, the following is displayed:
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
To configure your Cisco router for NetFlow Data Export (NDE), complete the following steps.
Note
You need to enable NDE only if you want to export MLS cache entries to a data collection application.
Prerequisite
To ensure a successful NDE configuration, you must also configure the Catalyst switch. For more information, see the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide.
Specifying an NDE Address on the Router
To specify an NDE address on the router, complete the following steps.
SUMMARY STEPS
1.
enable
2.
configure terminal
3.
mls rp nde-address ip-address
4.
end
| |
Command or Action
|
Purpose
|
Step 1
|
enable
Example:
Router> enable
|
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2
|
configure terminal
Example:
Router# configure terminal
|
Enters global configuration mode.
|
Step 3
|
mls rp nde-address ip-address
Example:
Router(config)# mls rp nde-address 192.168.0.0
|
Specifies 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.
• Enter the IP address.
|
Step 4
|
end
Example:
Router(config)# end
|
Exits global configuration mode.
|
DETAILED STEPS
Configuration Examples for MLS
This section contains the following examples:
•
Router Configuration Without Access Lists: Example
•
Router Configuration with a Standard Access List: Example
•
Router Configuration with an Extended Access List: Example
Note
In these examples, VLAN interfaces 1 and 3 are in VTP domain named Engineering. The management interface is configured on the VLAN 1 interface. Only information relevant to MLS is shown in the configurations.
Router Configuration Without Access Lists: Example
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# show running-config
Building configuration...
ip address 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
mls rp management-interface
ip address 192.168.2.73 255.255.255.0
ip address 192.168.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 192.168.26.56
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 a Standard Access List: Example
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 192.168.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 192.20.26.56
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 an Extended Access List: Example
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 192.16.3.73 255.255.255.0
mls rp vtp-domain Engineering
multilayer switching is globally enabled
mls ip address 192.16.26.56
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):
Additional References
The following sections provide references related to configuring IP multilayer switching.
Related Documents
Standards
Standard
|
Title
|
No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature.
|
—
|
MIBs
MIB
|
MIBs Link
|
No new or modified MIBs are supported by this feature, and support for existing MIBs has not been modified by this feature.
|
To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs
|
RFCs
RFC
|
Title
|
No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature.
|
—
|
Technical Assistance
Description
|
Link
|
The Cisco Support website provides extensive online resources, including documentation and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies.
To receive security and technical information about your products, you can subscribe to various services, such as the Product Alert Tool (accessed from Field Notices), the Cisco Technical Services Newsletter, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds.
Access to most tools on the Cisco Support website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.
|
http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html
|
Feature Information for Configuring MLS
Table 1 lists the release history for this feature.
Not all commands may be available in your Cisco IOS software release. For release information about a specific command, see the command reference documentation.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and software image support. Cisco Feature Navigator enables you to determine which Cisco IOS and Catalyst OS 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 Cisco IOS software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given Cisco IOS software release. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that Cisco IOS software also support that feature.
Table 1 Feature Information for Configuring MLS
Feature Name
|
Releases
|
Feature Information
|
This table is intentionally left blank because no features were introduced or modified in Cisco IOS Release 12.2(1) or later. This table will be updated when feature information is added to this module.
|
—
|
—
|
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