Configuring VRRP-E hitless upgrade

Configure the VRRP-E hitless upgrade capability to avoid traffic loss while upgrading or troubleshooting a VRRP-E master device.

Before configuring VRRP-E hitless upgrade, VRRP-E must be configured on all devices used in the VRRP-E session. To avoid any traffic loss during the failover process, enable short-path forwarding on all VRRP-E devices.

Perform this task on the master VRRP-E Layer 3 devices to configure the VRRP-E hitless upgrade capability.
  1. Enter global configuration mode. 
    device# configure terminal
  2. To globally enable VRRP-E, enter the router vrrp-extended command. 
    device(config)# router vrrp-extended
  3. Configure the Virtual Ethernet (VE) interface for the VRRP-E device. 
    device(config-vrrpe-router)# interface ve 10
  4. Configure the IP address of the interface. All devices configured for the same virtual router ID (VRID) must be on the same subnet. 
    device(config-vif-10)# ip address 192.168.4.1/24
  5. Assign this device to VRID 5. 
    device(config-vif-10)# ip vrrp-extended vrid 5
  6. Designate this router as a backup VRRP device. The backup device with the highest priority assumes the role of master VRRP-E device. 
    device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# backup priority 110
  7. Enter the ip-address command with an IP address that is not used on any VRRP-E device interface to add a virtual IP address to the VRRP-E instance. 
    device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# ip-address 192.168.4.254
  8. Enter the short-path-forwarding command. 
    device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# short-path-forwarding
  9. Activate the VRRP-E instance. 
    device(config-vif-10-vrid-5# activate
  10. Return to virtual interface configuration mode. 
    device(config-vif-10-vrid-5# exit
  11. Return to global configuration mode. 
    device(config-vif-10)# exit
  12. Enter the activate backup command to work in conjunction with the short-path forwarding configuration to enable VRRP-E hitless upgrade. 
    device(config-vrrpe-router)# activate backup
    In this example, VRRP-E hitless upgrade is enabled on the master VRRP-E device. The priority of the master VRRP-E device is set to 1 and the backup device with the highest priority assumes the role of the master VRRP-E device.
  13. Return to global configuration mode. 
    device(config-vrrpe-router)# exit
  14. (Optional) You can write the running configuration file to the startup configuration file to ensure that the device remains as a backup device until after the reload. 
    device(config)# write memory
    Be aware that while the hitless upgrade is enabled, no other device configuration is recommended; the system is in maintenance mode. After your upgrade or troubleshooting is complete, remove the activate backup command.

In the following example, VRRP-E hitless upgrade is enabled and the running-config file is saved to the startup-config file. 

device# configure terminal
device(config)# router vrrp-extended
device(config-vrrpe-router)# interface ve 10
device(config-vif-10)# ip address 192.168.4.1/24
device(config-vif-10)# ip vrrp-extended vrid 5
device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# backup priority 110
device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# ip-address 192.168.4.254
device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# short-path-forwarding
device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# activate
device(config-vif-10-vrid-5)# exit
device(config-vif-10)# exit
device(config-vrrpe-router)# activate backup
device(config-vrrpe-router)# exit
device(config)# write memory

While the VRRP-E hitless upgrade is enabled, load your upgrade image and reboot the device or perform any troubleshooting.

Parent topic: VRRP-E hitless upgrade