EVPN Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

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EVPN Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Updated: June 10, 2026

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Explains how EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming modes provide simultaneous active connections, redundancy, and efficient traffic distribution within Ethernet LAN environments.

An EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming mode is a networking model that

  • enables multiple simultaneous active connections from an EVPN to a single Ethernet LAN

  • allows all PE routers attached to a particular Ethernet segment to forward traffic to and from that Ethernet segment, and

  • provides redundancy and load balancing by allowing traffic distribution across all available links, enhancing network reliability and efficiency by utilizing all potential paths without requiring a failover mechanism.

The EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming mode uses the same conceptual framework as the EVPN E-LAN all-active multihoming mode. For more details, refer to the EVPN E-LAN all-active multihoming mode section.

Table 1. Feature History Table

Feature Name

Release Information

Feature Description

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

 Release 26.2.1

Introduced in this release on: Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: K100])(select variants only*);

*This feature is supported on Cisco 88-LC1-48Y8H-EM line cards.

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

 Release 26.1.1

Introduced in this release on: Centralized Systems (8400 [ASIC: K100])(select variants only*)

*This feature is now supported on Cisco 8404-SYS-D routers.

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Release 25.4.1

Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8010 [ASIC: A100])(select variants only*)

*This feature is supported on:

  • 8011-32Y8L2H2FH

  • 8011-12G12X4Y-A

  • 8011-12G12X4Y-D

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Release 25.1.1

Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8010 [ASIC: A100]) (select variants only*)

*This feature is now supported on the Cisco 8011-4G24Y4H-I routers.

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Release 24.4.1

Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8200, 8700) ; Centralized Systems (8600); Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: Q200])(select variants only*)

*The EVPN E-line all-active multihoming mode is now extended to:

  • 8712-MOD-M

  • 8201-32FH

  • 8201-24H8FH

  • 8202-32FH-M

  • 8608

  • 88-LC0-34H14FH

  • 88-LC0-36FH

  • 88-LC0-36FH-M

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Release 24.3.1

Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8200, 8700); Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: P100]) (select variants only*)

*The E-Line all-active multihoming mode is now extended to:

  • 8212-48FH-M

  • 8711-32FH-M

  • 88-LC1-52Y8H-EM

  • 88-LC1-12TH24FH-E

E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Release 24.2.11

Introduced in this release on: Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: P100]) (select variants only*)

In all-active multihoming mode, multiple PE devices connected to the same CE are simultaneously active. Traffic is distributed across all active links, optimizing bandwidth usage and ensuring high availability.

*This feature is supported only on routers with the 88-LC1-36EH line cards.

Configure EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming mode

Configure an EVPN E-Line service in all-active multihoming mode to enable load balancing and redundancy across multiple links.

In all-active multihoming mode, all PE devices in a redundant set actively forward traffic for the same Ethernet segment. This allows efficient bandwidth utilization and rapid failover while maintaining loop-free connectivity.

Before you begin

You must configure BGP when you set up EVPN with an EVI under a bridge-domain because BGP enables EVPN to work properly. Without BGP, the EVPN instance only functions locally and cannot connect to remote PEs.

Procedure

1.

Create a cross-connect group on all the PE devices.

Example:


Router# configure 
Router(config)# l2vpn 
Router(config-l2vpn)# xconnect group xg1
2.

Configure point-to-point (p2p) cross-connect and assign an interface to the cross-connect on all the PE devices.

  1. Point-to-point (p2p) cross-connect and assign an interface to the cross-connect on PE1.

    Example:

    
Router(config-l2vpn-xc)# p2p e1_5-6
Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# interface Bundle-Ether10.2

  2. Point-to-point (p2p) cross-connect and assign an interface to the cross-connect on PE2.

    Example:

    
Router(config-l2vpn-xc)# p2p e1_5-6
Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# interface Bundle-Ether10.2

  3. Point-to-point (p2p) cross-connect and assign an interface to the cross-connect on PE3.

    Example:

    
Router(config-l2vpn-xc)# p2p e1_5-6
Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# interface Bundle-Ether20.1

  4. Point-to-point (p2p) cross-connect and assign an interface to the cross-connect on PE4.

    Example:

    
Router(config-l2vpn-xc)# p2p e1_5-6
Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# interface Bundle-Ether20.1
3.

Enable EVPN E-Line endpoint on all PE devices.

  1. Enable EVPN E-Line endpoint on the p2p cross-connect for PE1.

    Example:

    Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# neighbor evpn evi 1 target 5 source 6

  2. Enable EVPN E-Line endpoint on the p2p cross-connect for PE2.

    Example:

    Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# neighbor evpn evi 1 target 5 source 6

  3. Enable EVPN E-Line endpoint on the p2p cross-connect for PE3.

    Example:

    Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# neighbor evpn evi 1 target 6 source 5

  4. Enable EVPN E-Line endpoint on the p2p cross-connect for PE4.

    Example:

    Router(config-l2vpn-xc-p2p)# neighbor evpn evi 1 target 6 source 5
4.

Configure the ESI on all PE devices.

  1. Configure the ESI on PE1.

    Example:

    Router(config)# evpn
Router(config-evpn)# interface Bundle-Ether10
Router(config-evpn-ac)# ethernet-segment
Router(config-evpn-ac-es)# identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.0a.00

  2. Configure the ESI on PE2.

    Example:

    Router(config)# evpn
Router(config-evpn)# interface Bundle-Ether10
Router(config-evpn-ac)# ethernet-segment
Router(config-evpn-ac-es)# identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.0a.00

  3. Configure the ESI on PE3.

    Example:

    Router(config)# evpn
Router(config-evpn)# interface Bundle-Ether20
Router(config-evpn-ac)# ethernet-segment
Router(config-evpn-ac-es)# identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.14.00

  4. Configure the ESI on PE4.

    Example:

    Router(config)# evpn
Router(config-evpn)# interface Bundle-Ether20
Router(config-evpn-ac)# ethernet-segment
Router(config-evpn-ac-es)# identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.14.00
5.

Running configuration of EVPN E-Line all-active multihoming mode.

Example:

/* On PE1 */
!
configure
l2vpn xconnect group xg1
 p2p e1_5-6
  interface Bundle-Ether10.2
  neighbor evpn evi 1 target 5 source 6
!
evpn
interface Bundle-Ether10
  ethernet-segment
   identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.0a.00

!


/* On PE2 */
!
configure
l2vpn xconnect group xg1
 p2p e1_5-6
  interface Bundle-Ether10.2
  neighbor evpn evi 1 target 5 source 6
!
evpn
interface Bundle-Ether10
  ethernet-segment
   identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.0a.00

!

/* On PE3 */
!
configure
l2vpn xconnect group xg1
 p2p e1_5-6
  interface Bundle-Ether20.1
  neighbor evpn evi 1 target 6 source 5
!
evpn
interface Bundle-Ether20
  ethernet-segment
      identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.14.00

!

/* On PE4 */
!
configure
l2vpn xconnect group xg1
 p2p e1_5-6
  interface Bundle-Ether20.1
  neighbor evpn evi 1 target 6 source 5
!
evpn
interface Bundle-Ether20
  ethernet-segment
      identifier type 0 00.01.00.ac.ce.55.00.14.00

!