Configuring Device Redundancy Using VSRP

Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol (VSRP) provides device redundancy in a port-based VLAN. Configuring VSRP device redundancy in your network leads to faster failover times if an interface goes offline.
VSRP is enabled after assigning a Virtual Routing ID (VRID) on specific ports in a port-based VLAN and setting a backup priority for the device. Repeat this task on each device selected for VSRP redundancy.
  1. Enable VSRP.
    VSRP is enabled by default on all ICX devices, however, it is automatically disabled when VRRP or VRRP-E are enabled. Alternatively, it could have been disabled manually with the no router vsrp command.
    1. Use the show vsrp command to verify if the feature is enabled or disabled.

      In the following example, VSRP is enabled but no instances have been configured (default behavior):

      device# show vsrp
Total number of VSRP routers defined: 0

      In the following example, VSRP is disabled either with the no router vsrp command or because of the existence of VRRP or VRRP-E configurations:

      device# show vsrp
router vsrp is not enabled

    2. Enter global configuration mode.
      device# configure terminal
    3. Enable the feature with the router vsrp command.
      device(config)# router vsrp
      Note: Attempting to enable VSRP in the presence of VRRP-E configuration, prompts you with the error message "Must disable router vrrp-extended first." Use the no router vrrp-e command to disable VRRP-E or no router vrrp to disable VRRP.
  2. If a VLAN is not already created, create the VLAN for which you want to enable device redundancy and assign the corresponding ports to it.
    device(config)# vlan 200
device(config-vlan-200)# tagged ethernet 1/1/2
Added tagged port(s) ethe 1/1/2 to port-vlan 200
  3. Create the VSRP VRID. 
    device(config-vlan-200)# vsrp vrid 200
device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)#
    Note: The VSRP VRID can be any number between 1 and 255, however, RUCKUS recommends as a best practice to use the same number as the VLAN identifier.
  4. Once the VSRP VRID has been created, configure the following:
    1. Use one the following methods to configure the device as a Backup device to participate in the Master device election.
      • Configure the device as a Backup using the default priority (100).
        device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# backup
      • Configure the device as a Backup with a custom priority to help you define the device role (the highest priority is elected as Master).
        device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# backup priority 122
    2. Configure a Backup advertisement for this device.
      device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# advertise backup
    3. Activate VSRP for this VRID.
      device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# activate
VSRP vrid 200 for this VLAN is activating
  5. (Optional) Choose and configure from the following list additional VSRP parameters for this VRID.
    • backup-hello-interval
    • dead-interval
    • hello-interval
    • hold-down-interval
    • include-port
    • ip-address
    • scale-timer
    • track-port

    For more details about each of the parameters, refer to Configuring Optional VSRP Parameters.

  6. Verify the VSRP settings and status.
    device(config)# show vsrp vrid 200
VLAN 200
 auth-type no authentication
 VRID 200
 ========
  State      Administrative-status Advertise-backup Preempt-mode save-current
  standby    enabled               enabled          true         false

  Parameter        Configured Current    Unit/Formula
  priority         90         90         (90-0)*(1.0/1.0)
  hello-interval   1          1          sec/1
  dead-interval    3          3          sec/1
  hold-interval    3          3          sec/1
  initial-ttl      2          2          hops

  next hello sent in 00:00:48.2
  master router with MAC xxxx.9e1b.4407 expires in 00:00:06.5
  Member ports:      ethe 1/1/2
  Operational ports: ethe 1/1/2
  Forwarding ports:  None
  Restart ports:     None
    Note: Attempting to make any changes to a VRID that has already been activated may result in the error "Error - You need to deactivate this virtual router for vrid 200 first". In such a case, run the no activate command in the VRID configuration context before making any changes. Once the changes are done, activate the VRID once again with the activate command.
The following example configures VSRP service for VRID 1 on Ethernet interfaces 1/1/1 to 1/1/8 of VLAN 200.
device# configure terminal
device(config)# router vsrp
device(config)# vlan 200
device(config-vlan-200)# tagged ethernet 1/1/1 to 1/1/8
device(config-vlan-200)# vsrp vrid 200
device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# backup priority 110
device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# advertise backup
device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# activate
device(config-vlan-200-vrid-200)# end
Parent topic: Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol (VSRP)