Part 3: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller: Deploy and Manage VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site Fabrics (Greenfield Import)

Lab Objectives

After creating 2 VXLAN EVPN sites as standalone fabric we will move them under the VXLAN EVPN MSD as a member.

1. Create second Site VXLAN EVPN - Site DC2
2. Create NDFC ISN
3. Create MSD (Multi-Site Domain)

Topology

1. Configure the Second Site VXLAN EVPN - Site DC2

You can also follow the same steps described in the previous article and go directly to point 2.

Step 1 : Create Site DC2 VXLAN EVPN Fabric

Step 2 : Give a name to this new fabric. NDFC has many built-in templates for different types of fabrics. "Data Center VXLAN EVPN" is used for NX-OS based VXLAN EVPN fabric.

Step 3 : Set BGP AS 65200, Multicast Group and others specific parameters for DC2

For Greenfield, when the Greenfield Cleanup Option setting is disabled, switches will be reloaded after first being imported into an NDFC fabric to bootup with clean configuration.

In Ressources define Site-2 underlay routing parameters

Click Save and go to Add Switches

Step 4: Once clicking Save in the previous step, Site VXLAN_DC2 created and we can check fabric Healthy

Step 5: Now for a Greenfield fabric in NDFC is to discover and import the switches that make up the fabric

Once clicking Add Switches The import progress will start and display In-Progress for the Status column along with a progress bar in the Progress column:

Step 6: Switches will reboot and be integrate the fabric

Step 7: Select and define switches role

Step 8: After Recalculate and Deploy the configurations of the VXLAN EVPN Template

Step 9: Check deployed configurations

Step 10: After Deployment and Synchronization

Step 11: Validation

2. Configure the ISN

DCI-CORE will act as the Inter-Site Network (ISN) providing connectivity between DC1 and DC2. Use NDFC to manage this router.

Step 1 : Create new fabric Multi-Site External Network

Step 2 : Set BGP AS and Desactivate Fabric Monitore Mode

Step 3: Adding Switches

Step 4: Set CORE Router role

Step 5: Recalculate and Deploy configurations

Step 6: Review Topology

3. Create Multi-Site Domain (MSD)

MSD is a single point of control for definition of overlay networks and VRFs that are shared across member fabrics.

Step 1: Create MSD fabric

• Defines how the DC connect through the border gateways - Manually, Direct_To_BGWs or Centralized_To_Route_Server.
• The Multisite IFCs can be created between the border gateways in the VXLAN EVPN fabrics and router server in external fabric, or back-to-back between border gateways in two VXLAN EVPN fabrics.

• Enables auto configuration. Uncheck the check box for manual configuration.
• Enables the Enable BGP Send-Community both setting in auto-created multi-site underlay IFC, which will generate the send-community both in the eBGP session for multi-site underlay.
• Configures the Enable BGP log neighbor change setting in auto created multi-site underlay IFC.

• Specifies the Multi-Site loopback IP address range used for the EVPN Multi-Site function.
• A unique loopback IP address is assigned from this range to each member fabric because each member site must have a Multi-site Routing Loopback IP address (Loopback 100) assigned for overlay network reachability. The per-fabric loopback IP address is assigned on all the BGWs in a specific member fabric.
• Specifies the Data Center Interconnect (DCI) subnet IP address.

Step 2: Add the 2 VxLAN EVPN Network fabrics and Multi-Site External Network fabric to the Multi-Site Domain (MSD)

Step 3: Review Added Child Fabrics

Viewing Topology

Step 4: “Recalculate and Deploy.” will configure both border gateways and ISN CORE router with the best practice configuration

Step 5: Check onboard Fabrics into an MSD Fabric

Step 6: View MSD Fabric Sidebar

View MSD Fabric Dashboard

4. Validation

BGP between ISN and BGW

BGW : BGP, VXLAN EVPN

End of the Part 3. Follow Part 4 for Overlay, Creating and Deploying Networks and VRFs in a VXLAN Multi-Site Fabric NDFC

Author:?S. Oumar NDIAYE CCIE #63716 – Cisco Champion 2023 & 2024

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/dcn/whitepapers/managing-and-monitoring-vxlan-evpn-fabrics-using-cisco-ndfc.html