This topic describes IP-in-IP tunneling on the Cisco 8000 Series Router, which encapsulates one IP packet as a payload within another IP packet to transport traffic across an intermediate IP network.
IP-in-IP tunneling is a mechanism that
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provides transport of packets of one protocol within another protocol through encapsulation
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encapsulates and decapsulates an IP packet as a payload in another IP packet, and
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supports all four combinations of inner and outer IP versions: IPv4 over IPv4, IPv6 over IPv4, IPv4 over IPv6, and IPv6 over IPv6.
For example, an IPv4 over IPv6 refers to an IPv4 packet as a payload encapsulated within an IPv6 packet and routed across an IPv6 network to reach the destination IPv4 network, where it is decapsulated.
Feature Name |
Release Information |
Feature Description |
|---|---|---|
| IPv4 packets with IPv6 outer header |
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. |
| IPv4 packets with IPv6 outer header |
Release 25.4.1 |
Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8700 [ASIC: K100], 8010 [ASIC: A100])(select variants only*) *This feature is now supported on:
|
| Increased IP-in-IP tunnel scale for gRIBI-based nexthops |
Release 25.4.1 |
Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8200 [ASIC: Q200 ]); Centralized Systems (8600 [ASIC:Q200]) ; Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: Q200]) This feature enables the router to efficiently load balance and manage high traffic volumes by increasing the scale for encapsulation and decapsulation nexthops programmed using gRPC Routing Information Base Interface (gRIBI) to 12K IP-in-IP tunnels. This feature introduces these changes: CLI: The hw-module profile cef iptunnel scale command is modified. |
| Increase in IP-in-IP decapsulation tunnels support |
Release 25.3.1 |
Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8200 [ASIC: Q200]; Centralized Systems (8600 [ASIC:Q200]); Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: Q200]) With this release, we have revised the maximum number of IPv4 and IPv6 IP-in-IP decapsulation tunnels from 64 to 200 on Cisco Silicon One Q200 ASIC-based systems. An increased number enhances the router's ability to support larger and more complex IP-in-IP tunneling scenarios improving scalability, efficiency, and flexibility in network design. |
| IPv4 packets with IPv6 outer header |
Release 25.1.1 |
Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems (8010 [ASIC: A100])(select variants only*) *This feature is supported on Cisco 8011-4G24Y4H-I routers. |
| IPv4 packets with IPv6 outer header |
Release 24.4.1 |
Introduced in this release on: Fixed Systems(8200, 8700)(select variants only*); Modular Systems (8800 [LC ASIC: P100])(select variants only*). This feature that allows decapsulation of IPv4 and IPv6 tunnels with IPv6 headers helps the administrators to benefit from an improved IPv6 routing and security without upgrading their entire network to IPv6. *This feature is now supported on:
|
IPv4 packets with IPv6 outer header |
Release 7.5.3 |
With this release, decapsulation of IPv4 and IPv6 tunnels with IPv6 outer headers are supported. This feature helps the administrators to take advantage of the benefits of IPv6, such as improved routing and security, without having to upgrade their entire network to IPv6. |
IP-in-IP tunneling can be used to connect remote networks securely or provide virtual private network (VPN) services.
This simplified network topology provides the transport VRF as the default VRF for an IPv4 or IPv6 network.
A maximum of 3500 IP-in-IP tunnels are supported until Cisco IOS XR Release 25.4.1. From Cisco IOS XR Release 25.4.1, you can use the hw-module profile cef iptunnel scale command to configure up to 12,000 IP-in-IP tunnels that are shared between the gRIBI-based encapsulation and decapsulation next-hop tunnels. For more information, see Configure improved scale for IP-in-IP tunnels.