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l00k3r_53179
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Apr 23, 2013

MSTP issue with Cisco switch

Good morning everybody,

After months of passive reading, the time has come for my first forum post.

Hope this is the right section for this topic.

To simplify my topology, I have an F5 3600 equipped with TMOS 10.2.4-build577, connected to a Cisco 2960 switch with two dot1q links: the former (VLAN 603) communicates with the public firewall, the latter (VLAN 600) with the private firewall.

I need Spanning tree because, actually, there are two LTM appliances in Active/Passive mode connected to the same switch stack.

Both F5's suffer the very same condition.

I previously tried with RSTP, but switched to MSTP hoping that separated instances would help.

On the surface, the second cable is blocking.

Some data might help:

- F5:


root@F5(Standby)(tmos) list net stp-globals
net stp-globals {
    config-name MSTP-PFQ-PUB
    config-revision 1
    mode mstp
}


root@F5(Standby)(tmos) show running-config net stp
net stp 0 {
    priority 49152
}
net stp 1 {
    interfaces {
        1.5 {
            external-path-cost 20000
            internal-path-cost 20000
        }
    }
    priority 49152
    vlans {
        600
    }
}
net stp 2 {
    interfaces {
        1.7 {
            external-path-cost 20000
            internal-path-cost 20000
        }
    }
    priority 49152
    vlans {
        603
    }
}
 
[root@F5:Standby] config  bigpipe stp
STP   MODE mstp
|     Forward delay 15   Hello time 2   Max age 20   Transmit hold 6
|     Max hops 20   Revision 1   ID MSTP-PFQ-PUB
+-> STP INSTANCE 0   priority 49152   root bridge 04:DA:D2:CC:B0:00
|   |     regional root bridge 00:01:D7:BE:E5:40
|   |     No topology changes
none+-> STP INSTANCE 1   priority 49152   regional root bridge 00:01:D7:BE:E5:40
|   |     No topology changes
|   +-> STP VLAN 1/Int_Interco_Pub
|       +-> STP INTERFACE 1/1.5
|           |     path cost 20000   priority 128   role master
|           |     state forward (forward)   link p2p   not edge - auto
+-> STP INSTANCE 2   priority 49152   regional root bridge 00:01:D7:BE:E5:40
    |     No topology changes
    +-> STP VLAN 2/Ext_Interco_Pub3
        +-> STP INTERFACE 2/1.7
            |     path cost 20000   priority 128   role alternate
            |     state block (block)   link p2p   not edge - auto

- Cisco:


Switchshow version
Cisco IOS Software, C2960S Software (C2960S-UNIVERSALK9-M), Version 12.2(55)SE5, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
 
Switchshow spanning-tree mst configuration
Name      [MSTP-PFQ-PUB]
Revision  1     Instances configured 3

Instance  Vlans mapped
--------  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
0         1-400,402-510,512-599,601-602,604-4094
1         401,511,600
2         603
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Switchshow spanning-tree vlan 600

MST1
  Spanning tree enabled protocol mstp
  Root ID    Priority    1
             Address     04da.d2cc.b000
             This bridge is the root
             Hello Time   2 sec  Max Age 20 sec  Forward Delay 15 sec

  Bridge ID  Priority    1      (priority 0 sys-id-ext 1)
             Address     04da.d2cc.b000
             Hello Time   2 sec  Max Age 20 sec  Forward Delay 15 sec

Interface           Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
------------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
Gi1/0/1             Desg FWD 20000     128.1    P2p
Po3                 Desg FWD 20000     128.240  P2p
Gi2/0/2             Desg FWD 20000     128.56   P2p

Note: g1/0/1 is connected to F5 n.1, g2/0/2 to F5 n. 2 and po3 to the private firewall


Switchshow spanning-tree vlan 603

MST2
  Spanning tree enabled protocol mstp
  Root ID    Priority    2
             Address     04da.d2cc.b000
             This bridge is the root
             Hello Time   2 sec  Max Age 20 sec  Forward Delay 15 sec

  Bridge ID  Priority    2      (priority 0 sys-id-ext 2)
             Address     04da.d2cc.b000
             Hello Time   2 sec  Max Age 20 sec  Forward Delay 15 sec

Interface           Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
------------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
Gi1/0/7             Desg FWD 20000     128.7    P2p
Po5                 Desg FWD 20000     128.256  P2p
Po6                 Desg FWD 20000     128.264  P2p
Gi2/0/8             Desg FWD 20000     128.62   P2p
 
Note: g1/0/7 is connected to F5 n. 1, g2/0/8 to F5 n. 2 and po5-6 to the public firewall.

The thing that really confuses me is that it seems to me that both devices think to be root bridge, but the switch has the lowest priority.

The same does not happen in an almost identical topology with Juniper switch.

Maybe I misconfigured anything?

Did anybody ever face a similar issue?

Thanks in advance.

18 Replies

  • Also the firewalls are configured in active/passive cluster, and they use dot1q subinterfaces.

     

    No [m]stp-related commands available there, but they behave as expected, all their interfaces are up, and respective active/passive failover is working properly.

     

     

    No other switches involved in this part of the network.
  • OK, it's interesting that it's the higher numbered interfaces that are both blocking. Can you provide the output of this command from the switch please;

    
    show spanning-tree mst
    
  • Here is the switch output:

    
    Switchshow spanning-tree mst
    
     MST0    vlans mapped:   1-400,402-510,512-599,601-602,604-4094
    Bridge        address 04da.d2cc.b000  priority      0     (0 sysid 0)
    Root          this switch for the CIST
    Operational   hello time 2 , forward delay 15, max age 20, txholdcount 6
    Configured    hello time 2 , forward delay 15, max age 20, max hops    20
    
    Interface        Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
    ---------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
    Gi1/0/1          Desg FWD 20000     128.1    P2p
    Gi1/0/7          Desg FWD 20000     128.7    P2p
    Gi1/0/37         Desg FWD 20000     128.37   P2p
    Gi1/0/38         Desg FWD 20000     128.38   P2p Edge
    Gi1/0/39         Desg FWD 20000     128.39   P2p Edge
    Gi1/0/45         Desg FWD 20000     128.45   P2p Edge
    Gi1/0/48         Desg FWD 20000     128.48   P2p Edge
    Po1              Desg FWD 20000     128.224  P2p
    Po2              Desg FWD 20000     128.232  P2p
    Po3              Desg FWD 20000     128.240  P2p
    Po5              Desg FWD 20000     128.256  P2p
    Po6              Desg FWD 20000     128.264  P2p
    Gi2/0/2          Desg FWD 20000     128.56   P2p
    Gi2/0/4          Desg FWD 20000     128.58   P2p
    Gi2/0/8          Desg FWD 20000     128.62   P2p
    Gi2/0/37         Desg FWD 20000     128.91   P2p
    Gi2/0/38         Desg FWD 20000     128.92   P2p Edge
    Gi2/0/39         Desg FWD 20000     128.93   P2p Edge
    Gi2/0/45         Desg FWD 20000     128.99   P2p Edge
    Gi2/0/48         Desg FWD 20000     128.102  P2p Edge
    
     MST1    vlans mapped:   401,511,600
    Bridge        address 04da.d2cc.b000  priority      1     (0 sysid 1)
    Root          this switch for MST1
    
    Interface        Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
    ---------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
    Gi1/0/1          Desg FWD 20000     128.1    P2p
    Gi1/0/39         Desg FWD 20000     128.39   P2p Edge
    Po1              Desg FWD 20000     128.224  P2p
    Po2              Desg FWD 20000     128.232  P2p
    Po3              Desg FWD 20000     128.240  P2p
    Po5              Desg FWD 20000     128.256  P2p
    Po6              Desg FWD 20000     128.264  P2p
    Gi2/0/2          Desg FWD 20000     128.56   P2p
    Gi2/0/4          Desg FWD 20000     128.58   P2p
    Gi2/0/39         Desg FWD 20000     128.93   P2p Edge
    
     MST2    vlans mapped:   603
    Bridge        address 04da.d2cc.b000  priority      2     (0 sysid 2)
    Root          this switch for MST2
    
    Interface        Role Sts Cost      Prio.Nbr Type
    ---------------- ---- --- --------- -------- --------------------------------
    Gi1/0/7          Desg FWD 20000     128.7    P2p
    Po5              Desg FWD 20000     128.256  P2p
    Po6              Desg FWD 20000     128.264  P2p
    Gi2/0/4          Desg FWD 20000     128.58   P2p
    Gi2/0/8          Desg FWD 20000     128.62   P2p
    
  • Thanks. I see Po5 and 6 are configured in both instance 1 and 2, is there a reason for that? Also, shouldn't Po3, 5 and 6 be configured as edge ports?
  • Po5 and 6 are connected to public firewall and they both carry vlan 511 and 603.

     

    Po3 connected to private firewall instead with vlans 511, 600.

     

     

    Since the firewall interfaces forward dot1q tagged frames, I did not configure them as edge.

     

     

    Thank you very much for your endurance.
  • As long as the far end isn't participating in STP then you can enabled edge; this might converge quicker if you do.

     

     

    Do you actually have L3 connectivity between the ext firewall and the F5s over VLAN 603. I can't see why it's blocking on both F5s but perhaps it's not an issue anyway?
  • Yes the public firewall is using dot1q subinterfaces with IP address, and the same is true for F5.

     

     

    At the end, I have removed STP from the F5.

     

    Right now it is working properly, since the cluster is active/passive and accidental loops should be avoided in case of failover issues because active role preemption is not configured.

     

     

    I am performing several tests, I will post back in case of problems.

     

     

    Thanks again for the support.