Configuring IPv6 Multicast Load Splitting
Pre-configuration Tasks
Before configuring IPv6 multicast load splitting, complete the following tasks:
- Configure an IPv6 unicast routing protocol to ensure normal unicast routing on the IPv6 network.
- Globally enable Layer 3 IPv6 multicast routing (using the multicast ipv6 routing-enable command in the system view).
Context
By default, if there are multiple equal-cost routes to a multicast source, the device selects the route with the largest next-hop address as the RPF route. After multicast load splitting is configured, the device uses the specified load splitting policy to distribute multicast data among multiple paths. This function improves quality of multicast forwarding.
It is recommended that you use a fixed load splitting policy based on the actual situation on your network. The stable-preferred or balance-preferred load splitting policy is recommended.
The load splitting timer and load splitting weights can be configured when the stable-preferred or balance-preferred load splitting policy is used.
If IPv6 PIM-DM is enabled on the current switch, the stable-preferred or balance-preferred policy cannot be used.
Procedure
- Run system-view
The system view is displayed.
- Run multicast ipv6 load-splitting { balance-preferred | group | source | source-group | stable-preferred }
Multicast load splitting is configured.
The keywords in the command specify different multicast load splitting policies:
balance-preferred: load splitting that ensures even load distribution among forwarding paths. This policy applies to scenarios where users frequently join and leave multicast groups. It enables traffic distribution to be automatically adjusted to adapt to frequent changes of group memberships.
If this load splitting policy is used, the switch automatically adjusts traffic on equal-cost routes when equal-cost routes are added or deleted, multicast routing entries are deleted, or load splitting weights on interfaces are changed.
group: load splitting based on group addresses. This policy applies to the scenarios where one multicast source sends data to multiple groups.
source: load splitting based on source addresses. This policy applies to the scenarios where one group receives data from multiple sources.
source-group: load splitting based on source addresses and group addresses. This policy applies to the scenarios with multiple sources and multiple groups.
stable-preferred: load splitting that ensures stable multicast forwarding. This policy applies to networks with stable multicast services.
If the stable-preferred load splitting policy is used, the switch automatically adjusts traffic on equal-cost routes when equal-cost routes are added or deleted. When multicast routing entries are deleted or load splitting weights on interfaces are changed, the switch does not automatically adjust the traffic on the equal-cost routes.
- (Optional) Run multicast ipv6 load-splitting-timer interval
The multicast load splitting timer is set.
By default, the value of a load splitting timer is 1800 seconds.
- (Optional) Set the load splitting weight
of an interface.
- (Optional) On an Ethernet interface, run undo portswitch
The interface is switched to Layer 3 mode.
By default, an Ethernet interface works in Layer 2 mode.
Only the S5720-EI, S5720-HI, S5730-HI, S5731-H, S5731-S, S5731S-H, S5731S-S, S5732-H, S6720-EI, S6720-HI, S6720S-EI, S6730-H, S6730S-H, S6730-S, and S6730S-S support switching between Layer 2 and Layer 3 modes.
- (Optional) On an Ethernet interface, run undo portswitch
Verifying the Configuration
After IPv6 multicast load splitting is configured, run the following command to check whether the loading splitting policy is configured successfully.
Run the display multicast ipv6 routing-table [ ipv6-source-address [ ipv6-source-mask-length ] | ipv6-group-address [ ipv6-group-mask-length ] | incoming-interface { interface-type interface-number | register } | outgoing-interface { exclude | include | match } { interface-type interface-number | register | none } ] * [ outgoing-interface-number [ number ] ] command to view the IPv6 multicast routing table.