Box to Box Redundancy in a C8200 Call Manager Express context
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04-27-2025 02:54 AM
Good Day
I have a pair of C8200L devices racked and online.
These will be running a redundant Call Manager Express install.
First I am told I must configure Box-to-Box redundancy.
I navigate here but find this document unusable:
Home > Support > Product Support > Routers > Cisco Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms > Configuration Guides >
Cisco Catalyst 8300 and Catalyst 8200 Series Edge Platforms Software Configuration Guide >
Chapter: Configuring High Availability
That chapter refers to this guide which is not much better:
Home > Support
IP Addressing: NAT Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Release 3S >
Chapter: Configuring Stateful Interchassis Redundancy
At least in the second guide there is in fact some instructions about how to actually configure the redundancy.
But still for example there is a step to set the protocol number:
Device(config-red-app)# protocol 4
But protocol 4? what is this?
I can discern from my box there are 8 available at least on this device
XXXX-02(config-red-app-grp)#control g0/0/0 protocol ? <1-8> RG protocol instance
I can find no command reference whatsoever.
I infer form these very confusing documents that there are 2 configurable groups.
Are these groups like say HSRP has groups?
I have also see hints that the setup will monitor interfaces (using BFD) and failover according to default or specified criteria (Priority, timeouts etc, interfaces being tracked etc.)
I presume there is more to B2B redundancy that that?
Where is this documented?
Not even sure where to post this. Chose Application Networking as that is where I have seen other Box-2Box posts (Though quite old)
Much appreciate any reply.
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04-27-2025 03:53 AM
You may want to take a look at the following document that contains better explanations what e.g. protocol instances are used for and also includes a detailed step-by-step configuration guide on how to implement box-to-box redundancy for the CUBE functionality:
HTH!
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04-27-2025 04:07 AM
Yes thank you @Jen I have seen that document
Similar questions.
That one instructs to configure protocol 1 (CF 4 above)
Not sure if this is just a locally significant number or if protocol 1 refers to a... umm specific protocol :)>
This command also was not available for me.
track 1 shutdown
Very unclear
Appreciate your reply though.....
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04-27-2025 10:04 AM
Regarding the "protocol <num>" command the number does not refer to any specific protocol but is just a number that is significant for the HA group you configure.
The "track 1 shutdown" command assumes that you already created the tracking object. In most cases the line-protocol of the corresponding interface is tracked so that e.g. the command "track 1 interface Gig0/0/0 line-protocol" needs to be entered beforehand. Otherwise you get an error message because the tracking object does not exist.
Have you seen the video posted by Cisco regarding this feature?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm8AksllC6Q
It includes the prerequisites like configuring the tracking objects, shows the configuration of both routers including verification and hence serves as a better starting point.
HTH!
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04-27-2025 09:49 PM
Is it accurate to say in the scenario above there are 2 redundancy groups
Lets say
RG1 = Pair of WAN interfaces redundant to each other (Red); and
RG2 = Pair of LAN interfaces redundant to each other (Green) ?
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04-28-2025 12:19 AM
I cannot find anywhere which defines what in fact Box-2Box redundancy does.
Judging by the Youtube video and links mentioned above it seems to provide
A1. Interface redundancy (LAN/CUCM side) and (WAN/Service Provider side); AND
A2. CUBE function redundancy via the dedicated Control and Data interfaces.
Q06 - Is the above description of Box2Box redundancy accurate i.e. A1 and A2?
I have been tasked with implementing a Call Manager Express solution on a pair of C8200L devices.
As part of the setup I am to implement Box2Box redundancy on the C8200L pair.
This is of course topologically different from the CUCM/CUBE scheme mentioned above.
I cannot find any document which suggests to spells out that Box2Box redundancy can be integrated with such a solution
Q07 Can box2Box redundancy indeed be properly integrated with such a solution?
