COOP (End Point Learning on Spine)

SPINEs do NOT learn EP from data plane like LEAF.

SPINEs receive all EP data from Leafs

• LEAF learns EP (either MAC or/and IP) as local
• LEAF reports local EP to Spine via COOP process
• SPINE stores these in COOP DB and synchronize with other SPINEs

What is the purpose of COOP?

When Leaf doesn’t know dst EP, LEAF can forward packet to Spine in order to let Spine decide where to send. This behavior is called Spine Proxy

PS.

Normally SPINE doesn’t push COOP DB entries to each LEAF. It just receives and stores. The exception is for bounce entries.

Remote Endpoints are stored on each Leaf nodes as cache. This is not reported to Spine COOP.

Because of spine proxy, Cisco ACI packet forwarding will work without remote endpoint learning. Spine proxy enables leaf switches to forward traffic directly to the COOP database located on the spine switches.

Remote endpoint learning helps Cisco ACI forward packets more efficiently by allowing leaf switches to send packets directly to a destination leaf switch without using the resources on the spine switch that would be used to look up endpoints in the COOP database, which contains all the fabric endpoint information.

Remote endpoints are learned from data-plane traffic, as are local endpoints. Therefore, only leaf switches with actual communication traffic create a cache entry for remote endpoints. This is called conversational learning.

Remote endpoints have either one MAC address or one IP address per endpoint, instead of a MAC address and IP address combination as is the case for local endpoints

Differences between local and remote endpoints

Key Functions of COOP

1. Endpoint Information Distribution: COOP ensures that the information about endpoint locations (such as virtual machines, servers, and other networked devices) is consistently and accurately propagated across the ACI fabric. This is essential for maintaining up-to-date Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding tables.
2. Scalability: By leveraging a distributed database model, COOP allows the ACI fabric to scale efficiently. Each spine switch maintains a portion of the overall endpoint database, reducing the burden on any single device and ensuring rapid, reliable access to endpoint information.
3. Reliability and Redundancy: COOP is designed with high availability in mind. It ensures that endpoint information is redundantly stored across multiple spine switches, providing resilience against failures and enabling seamless failover and recovery.
4. Performance Optimization: Through efficient data distribution mechanisms, COOP minimizes the latency and overhead associated with endpoint information synchronization. This contributes to the overall performance optimization of the ACI fabric.

The Impact of COOP on Network Management

COOP’s impact on network management within ACI is profound:

• Enhanced Network Visibility: Network administrators gain real-time visibility into endpoint locations and movements, facilitating better monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Improved Security: With accurate and timely endpoint information, security policies can be dynamically enforced, ensuring that traffic flows are properly controlled and monitored.
• Operational Efficiency: The automated distribution and synchronization of endpoint information reduce the manual configuration burden, allowing IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

Conclusion

The Control Plane Protocol (COOP) is a cornerstone of Cisco ACI’s robust and scalable network architecture. By efficiently managing the distribution and synchronization of endpoint information, COOP ensures that the ACI fabric operates with high performance, reliability, and scalability. As data centers continue to evolve, protocols like COOP will remain critical in driving the next generation of network innovation.

If you’re looking to delve deeper into the technical aspects of COOP or explore how ACI can transform your network infrastructure, feel free to reach out or leave your questions in the comments below.

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