OSPF Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Release

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OSPF Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Release

OSPF integrations and management support

Updated: June 26, 2026

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Explains OSPF integrations and management support options for Cisco 8000 Series Routers running IOS XR.

An OSPF integration and management support feature set is a routing solution that:

  • enables interoperability with multiple routing protocols through route redistribution,

  • supports robust monitoring and management via Management Information Base (MIB) standards, and

  • provides additional capabilities such as VRF-lite, Path Computation Element (PCE), security mechanisms, and automated LDP configuration.

Route Redistribution for OSPF: Redistribution allows different routing protocols to exchange routing information, enabling connectivity to span multiple routing protocols. The redistribute command controls redistribution into an OSPF process but not from OSPF.

VRF-lite capability in OSPFv2: OSPFv2 supports VRF-lite, which enables virtual routing and forwarding without using a BGP/MPLS backbone. In VRF-lite deployments, provider edge (PE) routers use VRF interfaces for direct connectivity. Configure VRF-lite capability for OSPFv2 using the capability vrf-lite command in VRF configuration mode. When VRF-lite is configured, DN bit processing and automatic Area Border Router (ABR) status setting are disabled.

Additional reference information

  • OSPF MIB support: Cisco IOS XR supports full MIBs and traps for OSPFv2 (RFC 4750) and OSPFv3 (RFC 5643). OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 MIB implementations follow relevant IETF drafts and RFCs. For more on MIB details, use the MIB Locator and review the Cisco ASR 9000 Series Router MIB Specification Guide.

  • Multiple OSPFv3 instances: SNMPv3 supports "contexts" to create MIB views for multiple OSPFv3 instances within the same system.

  • Path Computation Element (PCE) integration: A Path Computation Element (PCE) is an entity (component, application, or network node) that calculates network paths based on a network graph and constraints. PCE integration in OSPF is accomplished by configuring a PCE address and client for MPLS-TE. OSPF uses the PCE Discovery TLV in the Router Information LSA (RI LSA) to communicate PCE capabilities. Relevant IETF drafts include "draft-ietf-ospf-cap-09" and "draft-ietf-pce-disco-proto-ospf-00". The PCE Address Sub-TLV must specify a reachable (loopback) IP address. The Path Scope Sub-TLV indicates the scope of path computation.

  • OSPF security with GTSM: OSPF, as a link state protocol, requires fast convergence and the flooding of LSA updates. The Generalized TTL Security Mechanism (GTSM, RFC 3682) protects OSPF adjacencies by requiring that packets sent over point-to-point links use a TTL value of 255. This approach filters out OSPF packets that originate from more than one hop away, preventing certain types of network attacks.

  • LDP IGP auto-configuration: LDP IGP auto-configuration streamlines the process to enable LDP on multiple interfaces used by an IGP instance such as OSPF. The feature supports the IPv4 unicast address family for the default VRF. You can disable auto-configuration for specific interfaces using the igp auto-config disable command.