Policy-based routing can be used to change the next hop IP address for traffic matching certain criteria. This can be useful to overrule your routing table for certain traffic types. I will show you how to configure policy based routing.
Configuration
here’s the topology that we will use:
Take a look at the topology picture above. OSPF is configured on all routers. Since we are using Gigabit interfaces everywhere, traffic from R1 destined to 4.4.4.4 would normally be load balanced between R2 and R3. However, I changed the cost on the Gigabit Ethernet 0/3 interface of R1 so that all traffic will go from R1 > R2 > R4.
Configurations
Want to try this for yourself? Here you will find the startup configuration of each device.
H1
hostname H1
!
no ip routing
!
no ip cef
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
ip address 192.168.1.100 255.255.255.0
!
ip default-gateway 192.168.1.254
!
end
R1
hostname R1
!
ip cef
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
ip address 192.168.1.254 255.255.255.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/2
ip address 192.168.12.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/3
ip address 192.168.13.1 255.255.255.0
ip ospf cost 1000
!
router ospf 1
network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.12.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.13.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
end
R2
hostname R2
!
ip cef
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
ip address 192.168.12.2 255.255.255.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/2
ip address 192.168.24.2 255.255.255.0
!
router ospf 1
network 192.168.12.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.24.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
end
R3
hostname R3
!
ip cef
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
no ip address
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
ip address 192.168.13.3 255.255.255.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/2
ip address 192.168.34.3 255.255.255.0
!
router ospf 1
network 192.168.13.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.34.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
end
R4
hostname R4
!
ip cef
!
interface Loopback0
ip address 4.4.4.4 255.255.255.255
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
ip address 192.168.24.4 255.255.255.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/2
ip address 192.168.34.4 255.255.255.0
!
router ospf 1
network 4.4.4.4 0.0.0.0 area 0
network 192.168.24.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
network 192.168.34.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
!
end
Let’s verify this:
R1#show ip ospf interface GigabitEthernet 0/2 | include Cost:
Process ID 1, Router ID 192.168.13.1, Network Type BROADCAST, Cost: 1
R1#show ip ospf interface GigabitEthernet 0/3 | include Cost:
Process ID 1, Router ID 192.168.13.1, Network Type BROADCAST, Cost: 1000
Above you can see the increased cost. Let’s try a quick traceroute from H1:
H1#traceroute 4.4.4.4 probe 1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Tracing the route to 4.4.4.4
VRF info: (vrf in name/id, vrf out name/id)
1 192.168.1.254 7 msec
2 192.168.12.2 6 msec
3 192.168.24.4 8 msec
Now let’s say that I want to use the link in between R1 and R3 to reach 4.4.4.4. I could influence the metric for OSPF, but this applies to all traffic. What if I wanted to use this link for certain traffic only?
We could use the link in between R1/R2 for the majority of our traffic and use the link between R1/R3 only for certain traffic. This can be very useful. For example, imagine that the link between R1/R3 is a dedicated link that offers QoS for VoIP traffic.
This is something we can achieve with PBR (Policy Based Routing) Let me show you how!
Right now, all traffic is sent towards R2:
R1#show ip route | include 4.4.4.4
O 4.4.4.4 [110/3] via 192.168.12.2, 00:16:48, GigabitEthernet0/2
Now let’s say that we want all ICMP traffic from H1 destined for 4.4.4.4 to cross the link between R1/R3. Here’s how to do this:
R1(config)#ip access-list extended ICMP_H1
R1(config-ext-nacl)#permit icmp host 192.168.1.100 host 4.4.4.4
First, I create an access-list that matches my traffic. Now we have to create a route-map:
R1(config)#route-map PBR_H1 permit 10
R1(config-route-map)#match ip address ICMP_H1
R1(config-route-map)#set ip next-hop 192.168.13.3
Whenever the traffic matches the access-list, we will change the next hop to 192.168.13.3 (R3).
Last but not least, let’s activate it:
R1(config)#interface GigabitEthernet 0/1
R1(config-if)#ip policy route-map PBR_H1
Let’s see if it works, to see it in action I will enable a debug on R1:
R1#debug ip policy
Policy routing debugging is on
Now let’s send a ping from H1:
H1#ping 4.4.4.4 repeat 1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 1, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 4.4.4.4, timeout is 2 seconds:
!
Success rate is 100 percent (1/1), round-trip min/avg/max = 13/13/13 ms
The ping is working, let’s see what R1 thinks of it:
R1#
IP: s=192.168.1.100 (GigabitEthernet0/1), d=4.4.4.4, len 100, FIB policy match
IP: s=192.168.1.100 (GigabitEthernet0/1), d=4.4.4.4, len 100, PBR_H1 Counted
IP: s=192.168.1.100 (GigabitEthernet0/1), d=4.4.4.4, g=192.168.13.3, len 100, FIB policy routed
Above you can see that it has been policy routed towards 192.168.13.3. We can also verify this by looking at the route-map:
R1#show route-map PBR_H1
route-map PBR_H1, permit, sequence 10
Match clauses:
ip address (access-lists): ICMP_H1
Set clauses:
ip next-hop 192.168.13.3
Nexthop tracking current: 0.0.0.0
192.168.13.3, fib_nh:0,oce:0,status:0
Policy routing matches: 1 packets, 114 bytes
Let’s try some traffic that doesn’t match our access-list. Telnet for example:
H1#telnet 4.4.4.4
Trying 4.4.4.4 ... Open
H1 is able to connect but it’s not policy routed:
R1#
IP: s=192.168.1.100 (GigabitEthernet0/1), d=4.4.4.4, len 40, FIB policy rejected(no match) - normal forwarding
As you can see above, this telnet traffic is routed using the normal path.
There is one more thing I’d like to show you. With policy-based routing, there is a difference between traffic that is going through the router and traffic that is originated from the router.
The example above is for traffic that went through our router. What if we want to policy route traffic that is originated from R1? We will have to use another command to activate it. Let’s create another route-map:
R1(config)#ip access-list extended ICMP_R1
R1(config-ext-nacl)#permit icmp host 192.168.12.1 host 4.4.4.4
R1(config-ext-nacl)#permit icmp host 192.168.13.1 host 4.4.4.4
R1(config)#route-map PBR_R1 permit 10
R1(config-route-map)#match ip address ICMP_R1
R1(config-route-map)#set ip next-hop 192.168.13.3
The route-map above will redirect all traffic from R1 to 4.4.4.4 towards R3. To activate this, we need to use another command:
R1(config)#ip local policy route-map PBR_R1
This time, we need to use the ip local policy command. Let’s test this:
R1#ping 4.4.4.4 repeat 1
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 1, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 4.4.4.4, timeout is 2 seconds:
!
Success rate is 100 percent (1/1), round-trip min/avg/max = 19/19/19 ms
R1#
IP: s=192.168.12.1 (local), d=4.4.4.4, len 100, policy match
IP: route map PBR_R1, item 10, permit
IP: s=192.168.12.1 (local), d=4.4.4.4 (GigabitEthernet0/3), len 100, policy routed
IP: local to GigabitEthernet0/3 192.168.13.3
Great, our traffic from R1 is policy routed.
Hi Rene,
I have a question and it’s not in any of the subjects, maybe you can answer it.
... Continue reading in our forumI have a router with 2 interfaces:
G0/1–> ip address 172.16.254.6/30, G0/2–> 172.16.254.2/30, running OSPF. G0/1 Connects to my MASTER firewall with ip add 172.16.254.1/30 and G0/2 connects to my SECONDARY firewall with ip address 172.16.254.1, the firewalls are configure HA. If I try to configure G0/2 with an ip add of 172.16.254.3 it gives me an error. How can I make this scenario work with the 2 interfaces and the firewalls? or Do I need to get a switch module with 2 in
Hi Alfredo,
The interfaces on a router are “routed ports”, each interface requires an IP address in a unique subnet. 172.16.254.3/30 is in the same subnet as your first interface and it’s also a broadcast address. You’ll have to use a larger subnet, /30 only offers you two IP addresses. A /29 would work.
Somehow you need to add the interfaces of the two firewalls and the router in a single broadcast domain. You can’t turn the routed ports into switchports so a switch module is not a bad idea…or create a VLAN on a switch and connect the firewall + router interfa
... Continue reading in our forumHi Rene
For activating PBR using method 2, we it is enable on the Fa 0/0? Since this is the next hop for 4.4.4.0 from the routing table?
Thanks
Palani
Hi Laz,
Thanks for your answering and clearing this up for me. Yes, it makes perfect sense and provides clarity to my doubts in logic. I thought this was the case. However, a second opinion from the experts is always a great way of confirmation. I will go and have a play with this again and see if I can produce the right results in my lab. Very many thanks for the clarification.
Floyd
Hi Laz,
In my lab environment, I am able to use policy-based routing to push routes from internal VLANs to one single IP gateway and it works like a charm. My issue now is: I am trying to implement a DMZ in my lab. From the diagram, you will see that all the the default traffic is sent to the firewall from LAN to Internet (That is working fine as it’s just a default route). Routes from the firewall to the internal LAN is flowing well via firewall routing using (router on a stick method).
Therefore traffic is flowing from LAN to internet - OK
... Continue reading in our forumFrom Firewall to