VRF and VRF LITE

[ncnaveen_arasu]

Dear Team,

Could you please explain the diffrence b/n normal VRF and VRF lite. where can we use these types.

I come to know that VRF uses IP MPLS backbone and VRF lite does'nt use MPLS as backbone.

Please guide.

Thanks in advance,

Naveen

[Raju Sekharan]

Hi Naveen,

vrf-lite allows you to have different virtual routing instances on the local router. But it won't have MB-BGPif you want to use for MPLS VPN

You require normal vrf support if you want to run MPLS VPN on the PEs. If you want to divide your router to seperate virtual routers, vrf-lite will do

Thanks

Raju

[ncnaveen_arasu]

Hi Rajs,

Thanks for the reply,

When we use this VRF lites.

Regards,

Naveen

[Raju Sekharan]

Hi

Using vrf-lite you can do independant routing for different  customers which has overlapping addresses.

I simiple terms, it will provide you to have multiple virtual routers.

Thanks

Raju

[ncnaveen_arasu]

Hi Rajs thanks for the reply,

You mean to say only diffrence in VRF lite is it does not run MP-BGP/MPLS. Rest every thing will be same as Normal VRF right?

Regards,

Naveen

[Raju Sekharan]

Yes

Raju

[Joseph W. Doherty]

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Posting

VRF-lite only devices usually don't support native MPLS.  Instead they often isolate different VRF traffic using VLAN or GRE or different interfaces.

VRF-lite only devices are usually also noted as being unable to run as many VRF instances.

VRF-lite only devices may support "ordinary" BGP.

[ncnaveen_arasu]

HI Joseph,

Thanks for the reply,

Normally MP-BGP is used to carry the extended communinty attributes i.e RD,RT along with normal IPV4 packet right ?

So if VRF-LITE does'nt support Mp-BGP how it carries  extended community attributes.

Please refer the attachment where in we found address family is defined inder VRF lite configuration.

Please clarify.http://www.google.co.in/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&tbo=d&q=vrf+lite+configuration+example&oq=vrf+lite+&gs_l=hp.1.1.0l4.917.3102.0.4534.9.6.0.3.3.0.136.723.0j6.6.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.xU7ZNzm5EZ4&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&bvm=bv.41642243,d.bmk&fp=ce972c1...

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Naveen,

in the context of VRF lite a MP BGP configuration is performed with the target of allowing some grade of route leaking between different VRFs by manipulating route targets. No real MP BGP sessions with external routers are needed for this, but the MP BGP process with several ipv4 vrf VRF-NAME is used for route leaking between different VRFs.

The key missing part in MP BGP configuration in VRF lite context is the address-family vpnv4 that is fondamental in a true PE configuration.

You can see VRF lite as a subset of features of a full PE role.

Hope to help

Giuseppe