Intermediate System to

Intermediate System
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SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

2
Intermediate SystemtoIntermediate System

Features Terminology

Feature IS-IS OSPF

OSPF Term IS-IS Term

Updates Incremental Host Incremental End system

Multicast layer Layer 2 Layer 3

Router Intermediate system

Authentication Simple and MD5 Simple and MD5

Subnet Circuit
Metric Default: all ports cost 10 Auto-calculation on interface
Link State Advertisement (LSA) Link State PDU (LSP)
Metric type Link-state Link-state
Database Description packet Complete Sequence Number PDU (CSNP)
Update types L1 and L2 Multiple types

ACK Partial Sequence Number PDU (PSNP)

Area hierarchy Not required Backbone area

Designated Router Designated IS

Area boundaries On segment At interface

Convergence Fast Interface address Fast Network Service Access Point (NSAP)

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 IS-IS Databases
3 databases:
1. Adjacencies List of Neighbors
2. Link State Database Topology
3. Routing Information Base IS-IS routes calculated with SPF algorithm

ADJ LSDB IS-IS

RIB

BGP RT FIB
RIB

static
RIB

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 IS-IS Areas

Level 1 routers exchange topology information (LSPs) for the local area.
Level 2 routers exchange topology information (LSPs) between the different areas.
Level 1/Level 2 routers keep two separate link-state databases, allowing them to act as if they were
two IS-IS routers.
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 IS-IS Short Path First
IS-IS uses SPF for path determination.

SPF uses cost values to determine the best path to a destination.

Routes are calculated on each node using the Dijkstra's algorithm

Each router calculate the shortest path from itself to each destination prefix

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 IS-IS Networks Types

Broadcast for LAN and multipoint WAN topologies

LSPs on broadcast media (LANs) are sent to a multicast address.
On Ethernet, the following multicast addresses are reserved:
L1 updates use 0180:C200:0014.
L2 updates use 0180:C200:0015.
requires the election of a Designated Intermediate System (DIS).

Point-to-point for all other topologies

LSPs on point-to-point links are sent to a unicast address.
does not require a DIS

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 IS-IS Adjacencies

To be able to exchange topology information (LSPs), neighbor routers

have to establish adjacencies.

Separate adjacencies are established for Level 1 and Level 2.

In IS-IS, routers on a LAN establish adjacencies with all other routers

on the LAN and send LSPs to all routers on the LAN.

Routers with common area addresses form L1 and/or L2

adjacencies, if capable.
Routers with different area addresses form L2 adjacencies, if
capable.
Hello packets are used to establish and maintain adjacencies.

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 IS-IS Adjacencies types
On broadcast networks : Hello can be either an L1 LAN Hello or an L2 LAN Hello

On point-to-point links :A single Point-to-Point Hello is used for both L1 and L2 adjacencies.

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 IS-IS DIS election
Pseudo Node

Designated IS Election
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 IS-IS Protocol Characteristics
Characteristic Value
Maximum metric value for a link 16,777,215
Maximum total metric value for a path 4,261,412,864
All L1 IS multicast address 0180:C200:001
4
All L2 IS multicast address 0180:C200:001
5
Protocol discriminator for IS-IS 131
NSAP selector (SEL) for IS-IS 00
Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) 1492
Maximum age 1200
Zero life age 60
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Maximum area addresses in a single area 3
 IS-IS NSAP Addressing

NSAP Network service access point

IDP Initial domain part DSP Domain specific part
AFI Authority and format identifier IDI Initial domain identifier
(for example, 49 is local assigned, binary)
High Order-DSP High Order Domain Specific Part
NSEL NSAP Selector

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SECTION 2: PACKETS TYPES

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 IS-IS Packet Types

There are 4 types of PDUs. Each type can be L1 or L2.

Hello packets Used to establish and maintain

adjacencies

LSP (link-state PDU) Used to distribute link-state

information

PSNP (Partial Sequence Number PDU) Used to

acknowledge and request link-state information

CSNP (Complete Sequence Number PDU) Used to

distribute a router's complete link-state database
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 IS-IS Packet Format
IS-IS packets are called PDUs. Each type can be L1 or L2.

IS-IS packets use layer 2 encapsulation of the media.

IS-IS uses Ethernet 802.3/802.2, instead of the Ethernet II, which is used for IP traffic.

The type length value (TLV) identifies the type of information in the IS-IS packet.

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IS-IS Standard Packet Header

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 IS-IS Hello Packet
Common Fixed header Hello Header TLVs

Circuit type: 1=accept L1 adjacencies, 2=accept L2 adjacencies, 3= accept

L1 and L2 adjacencies
Source ID: System Id
Holding time: to maintain an adjacency with the transmitting IS.
PDU length: The length of the entire PDU
Priority: The priority of the IS in the election of a DIS
LAN ID/Circuit ID: the system ID of the DIS plus a one-octet identifier if
broadcast. only one-byte identifier if point-to-point

TLV fields
Area Addresses
Intermediate System Neighbors
Padding
IP Interface Address
Authentication Information
Protocols Supported
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 IS-IS Adjacencies on Broadcast Networks

1. Down State R-A Sends Hello

2. Initializing State R-B records R-A MAC address; R-B Sends Hello

3. R-A sees its MAC address, R-A knows that bidirectional communication has been
verified, changes state of adjacency to Up State.

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 IS-IS Adjacencies on Point-to-Point Networks

RFC 3373 extension allows IS-IS to use a Point-to-Point Three-Way Adjacency TLV.

Three-Way Adjacency states are Down, Initializing, and Up

Type (0xF0) / Three-Way Adjacency

Length
Adjacency Three-Way State
Extended Local Circuit ID
Neighbor System ID
Neighbor Extended Local Circuit ID

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 IS-IS Hello Packet Example
ISIS HELLO
Circuit type : Level 1 and 2,
System-ID {Sender of PDU} : 0020.0200.2002
Holding timer : 27
PDU length : 51
Local circuit ID : 0

Area address(es) (3)

Area address (2): 49.02
Protocols Supported (1)
NLPID(s): IP (0xcc)
IP Interface address(es) (4)
IPv4 interface address : 10.12.1.2 (10.12.1.2)
Point-to-point Adjacency State (15)
Adjacency State: Up
Extended Local circuit ID: 0x00000003
Neighbor SystemID: 0010.0100.1001
Neighbor Extended Local circuit ID: 0x00000003
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 IS-IS Link State PDU
Common Fixed header LSP Header TLVs

Packet length total length of the packet, including headers

Remaining lifetime starts at 1200 seconds and decrements until it reaches 0
LSP ID Used to identify the system originating the link state information
Sequence number starts at 1 and increments with each update.
Attached bits (ATT) used in L1 areas to identify routers with L2 adjacencies
IS Type originating router is L1 (IS type =1) or L2 (IS type = 3)

TLV fields
Area Addresses
Intermediate System Neighbors
End System Neighbor TLV
IP Interface Address
Authentication Information
Protocols Supported
Originating LSP Buffer Size
Prefix Neighbor
End System Neighbor TLVI
IP Internal Reachability Information
IP External Reachability Information

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 IS-IS LSP Example

LSP-ID: 0030.0300.3003.00-00

IS Reachability (12)
IS Neighbor: 0040.0400.4004.00 Default Metric: 10, Internal

IS Reachability (12)
IS Neighbor: 0020.0200.2002.00 Default Metric: 10, Internal

IP Internal reachability (72)

IPv4 prefix: 3.3.3.3/32 Default Metric: 0
IPv4 prefix: 10.23.1.0/2 Default Metric: 10
IPv4 prefix: 10.34.1.0/2 Default Metric: 10
IPv4 prefix: 192.168.33.0/3 Default Metric: 10
IPv4 prefix: 33.33.33.33/32 Default Metric: 10
IPv4 prefix: 192.168.3.0/24 Default Metric: 10

IP Interface address(es) (12)

IPv4 interface address: 3.3.3.3 (3.3.3.3)
IPv4 interface address: 10.23.1.3 (10.23.1.3)
IPv4 interface address: 10.34.1.3 (10.34.1.3)
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 IS-IS Complete Sequence Number PDU (CSNP)
Common Fixed header CSNP Header TLVs

Packet length total length of the packet, including headers

Source ID The System ID for the IS that originated the CSNP
Start LSP ID The ID of the first LSP in the CSNP range
End LSP ID The ID of the last LSP in the CSNP range.

TLV fields

Entries (remaining lifetime, sequence number)

Authentication Information

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 IS-IS Database Synchronization (1)
CSNP contains the list of router LSPs and their sequence numbers

For each LSP in its database, the CSNP

contains:
Remaining life of the LSP, in seconds
..
LSP ID Remaining Life : 1190
LSP sequence number LSP ID : 01 00 10 01 00 01 00 00
Sequence Num : 0000008c
Checksum value Checksum : c88f
Remaining Life : 758
LSP ID : 01 00 10 01 00 02 00 00
Sequence Num : 0000008d
Checksum : e039
.. 24
 IS-IS CSNP Example
PDU length: 99
Source-ID: 0020.0200.2002.00
Start LSP-ID: 0000.0000.0000.00-00
End LSP-ID: ffff.ffff.ffff.ff-ff

LSP entries (64)

LSP-ID: 0010.0100.1001.00-00, Sequence: 0x00000096,

Lifetime: 934s, Checksum: 0x2dd5
LSP-ID: 0020.0200.2002.00-00, Sequence: 0x00000093,
Lifetime: 1175s, Checksum: 0xc0f9
LSP-ID: 0030.0300.3003.00-00, Sequence: 0x00000092,
Lifetime: 881s, Checksum: 0x78a1
LSP-ID: 0040.0400.4004.00-00, Sequence: 0x00000095,
Lifetime: 1069s, Checksum: 0x8f96

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 IS-IS Partial Sequence Number PDU (PSNP)
Common Fixed header PSNP Header TLVs

Packet length total length of the packet, including headers

Source ID The System ID for the IS that originated the PSNP

TLV fields

Entries (remaining lifetime, sequence number)

Authentication Information

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 IS-IS Database Synchronization (2)

PSNP to request an LSP for an entry missing in the originating router's

topology database

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 IS-IS Database Updates
An IS-IS router generates and floods a new LSP, when there is a modification in the
topology.

The LSP is flooded to all neighbors.

Neighbors place a copy of the LSP in their databases.
Neighbors re-flood the LSP on all IS-IS interfaces except the source.

On point-to-point links : LSP are acknowledged with PSNP.

On broadcast links : DIS sends periodic (every 10 Seconds) CSNP to affirm

synchronization.
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SECTION 3: MULTI-AREAS

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IS-IS Multi-Areas

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 IS-IS Route Leaking

Inter-area Routing: Each L1-only router has a default route to the nearest L1/L2
router. The possible consequences are:

Suboptimal Routing: Because the shortest route to the ultimate destination may
not be through the nearest L1/L2 router, this hierarchy results in suboptimal
routing.

Asymmetrical Path : In some network designs, it is possible to have

asymmetrical paths between 2 routers.

To avoid the less than optimal and asymmetric routing, routers can be configured
to leak routes into Level 1

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 IS-IS Route Summarization

Summarization reduces the number of routing updates that will be flooded

across the areas and the routing domain.
Internal routes can be summarized from Level 1 into Level 2.
Summarization should be configured on an L1/L2 router, which injects the
Level 1 routes into Level 2.

Ex: R1 summarizes network 20.20.1.0/24 and

20.20.2.0/24 as 20.20.0.0/16

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 SECTION 4:
CONFIGURATION

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 IS-IS Sample IS-IS Configuration

ALA-1>config>router#
ALA-1>config>router# isis
isis
ALA-1>config>router>isis#
ALA-1>config>router>isis# area-id
area-id 49.0051
49.0051
ALA-1>config>router>isis#
ALA-1>config>router>isis# level-capability
level-capability level-1
level-1
ALA-1>config>router>isis# interface system
ALA-1>config>router>isis# interface system
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if#
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if# exit
exit
ALA-1>config>router>isis#
ALA-1>config>router>isis# interface igp-4
interface igp-4
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if#
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if# exit
exit
ALA-1>config>router>isis#
ALA-1>config>router>isis# interface igp-1
interface igp-1
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if#
ALA-1>config>router>isis>if# exit
exit

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 IS-IS Show Status

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis status
status
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
IS-IS
IS-IS Status
Status
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
System
System Id
Id :: 0100.1001.0103
0100.1001.0103
Admin
Admin State : Up
State : Up
Last
Last Enabled
Enabled :: 04/12/2010
04/12/2010 23:59:40
23:59:40
Level Capability : L1L2
Level Capability : L1L2
Authentication
Authentication Check
Check :: False
False
Authentication
Authentication Type
Type :: Password
Password
Traffic
Traffic Engineering
Engineering :: Disabled
Disabled
Graceful Restart : Disabled
Graceful Restart : Disabled
LSP
LSP Lifetime
Lifetime :: 1200
1200
LSP
LSP Wait
Wait :: 55 sec
sec (Max)
(Max) 00 sec
sec (Initial)
(Initial) 11 sec
sec (Second)
(Second)

<output
<output removed>
removed>

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 IS-IS Show IS-IS Routes

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis routes
routes
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
Route
Route Table
Table
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
Prefix Metric Lvl/Typ
Lvl/Typ Version
Version Nexthop SysID/Hostname
Prefix Metric Nexthop SysID/Hostname
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.1.0.0/24 40 2/Int. 14 180.0.5.2 core_west
7.1.0.0/24 40 2/Int. 14 180.0.5.2 core_west
7.2.0.0/24 60 2/Int. 14 180.0.6.5 core_east
7.2.0.0/24 60 2/Int. 14 180.0.6.5 core_east
180.100.25.4/30 50 2/Int. 14 180.0.6.5 core_east
180.100.25.4/30 50 2/Int. 14 180.0.6.5 core_east
180.100.25.12/30 70 2/Int. 14 180.0.7.9 asbr_west
180.100.25.12/30 70 2/Int. 14 180.0.7.9 asbr_west
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Routes
Routes :: 44
===============================================================================
===============================================================================
ALA-A#
ALA-A#

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 IS-IS Show Adjacencies

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis adjacency
adjacency
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
IS-IS
IS-IS Adjacency
Adjacency
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
System
System ID Usage State Hold Interface
ID Usage State Hold Interface
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
asbr_east L2 Up 23 if2/5
asbr_east L2 Up 23 if2/5
dist_oak L1 Up 27 if2/2
dist_oak L1 Up 27 if2/2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adjacencies
Adjacencies :: 22
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
ALA-A#
ALA-A#

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 IS-IS Show Database

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis database
database
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
IS-IS
IS-IS Database
Database
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
LSP
LSP ID Sequence
ID Sequence Checksum
Checksum Lifetime
Lifetime Attributes
Attributes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Displaying
Displaying Level
Level 11 database
database
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
abr_dfw.00-00 0x50 0x164f 603 L1L2
abr_dfw.00-00 0x50 0x164f 603 L1L2
Level
Level (1)
(1) LSP
LSP Count
Count :: 11
Displaying
Displaying Level
Level 22 database
database
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
asbr_east.00-00 0x53 0xe3f5 753
asbr_east.00-00 0x53 0xe3f5 753 L2
L2
abr_dfw.00-00 0x57 0x94ff 978 L1L2
abr_dfw.00-00 0x57 0x94ff 978 L1L2
Level
Level (2)
(2) LSP
LSP Count
Count :: 22
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
ALA-A#
ALA-A#

38
 IS-IS Show Hostname

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis hostname
hostname

=========================================================================
=========================================================================
Hosts
Hosts
=========================================================================
=========================================================================
System
System Id Hostname
Id Hostname
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1800.0000.0002 core_west
1800.0000.0002 core_west
1800.0000.0005 core_east
1800.0000.0005 core_east
1800.0000.0008 asbr_west
1800.0000.0008 asbr_west
=========================================================================
=========================================================================
ALA-A#
ALA-A#

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 IS-IS Show Interface

ALA-A#
ALA-A# show
show router
router isis
isis interface
interface
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
IS-IS
IS-IS Interfaces
Interfaces
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
Interface Level CircID Oper
Oper State L1/L2
Interface Level CircID State L1/L2 Metric
Metric
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
system L1L2 11 Up 10/10
system L1L2 Up 10/10
if2/1 L2 88 Up -/10
if2/1 L2 Up -/10
if2/2 L1 55 Up 10/-
if2/2 L1 Up 10/-
if2/3 L1 66 Up 10/-
if2/3 L1 Up 10/-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interfaces
Interfaces :: 44
=============================================================================
=============================================================================
ALA-A#
ALA-A#

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END OF MODULE

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