can this one-armed router cause multicast failure?

ewang · ‎12-15-2006

pls look at diagram attached.

Router A and B are branch routers. B is PIM DR on the LAN becuase it has higher IP 10.36.200.3. There is only sparse-mode running and RP is WAN2 across the WAN links.

1. Normally, multicast tree is built from router B to WAN2(RP)

2. But if link B goes down, router B must build tree from B, A, WAN1, core-rtr1 then WAN2

3. however would this ever work? because when link B goes down, router B is one-armed with only interface F1/0 connected. But I was told interface F1/0 can't be incoming and outgoing interfaces at the same time. As a result, the tree can never be set up.

is it true?

3. if true, does it mean this design is flawed for multicast?

4. remedy?

a backup link between router A and B via interface F1/1?

Thus router B can build tree via interface F1/1 which also becomes incoming int while F1/0 is outgoing interface

Harold Ritter · ‎12-15-2006

This design is perfectly valid even without the additional link between router A and B (F1/1 to F1/1).

If you loose link B, router B remains the DR and sends a PIM join towards router A as it receives the IGMP report message from the receiver. Router A puts F1/0 in the OIList for the specific group and therefore the receiver gets the multicast stream directly from Router A. As you stated router B doesn't put F1/0 in its OIList as this interface is also the incoming interface (rpf interface).

Hope this helps,

Harold Ritter
Sr Technical Leader
CCIE 4168 (R&S, SP)
harold@cisco.com
México móvil: +52 1 55 8312 4915
Cisco México
Paseo de la Reforma 222
Piso 19
Cuauhtémoc, Juárez
Ciudad de México, 06600
México

ewang · ‎12-17-2006

"router B doesn't put F1/0 in its OIList as this interface is also the incoming interface (rpf interface)"

1. does it imply router B would "refuse" to build the multicast tree or not?

2. in short, should this design work for multicast when link B goes down?

Harold Ritter · ‎12-17-2006

1. Router B doesn't need to build the mcast tree since it is not in the forwarding path. It simply needs to send the PIM join to router A when it gets the IGMP report message from the mcast listener (aka mcast receiver).

2. As I already stated, this design is perfectly valid even when link B goes down.

Hope this helps,

Harold Ritter
Sr Technical Leader
CCIE 4168 (R&S, SP)
harold@cisco.com
México móvil: +52 1 55 8312 4915
Cisco México
Paseo de la Reforma 222
Piso 19
Cuauhtémoc, Juárez
Ciudad de México, 06600
México