Configuring a BGP confederation

BGP confederation provides another way to reduce IBGP connections in an AS.

A confederation contains sub-ASs. In each sub-AS, IBGP peers are fully meshed. Sub-ASs establish EBGP connections in between.

Configuring a BGP confederation

After you split an AS into multiple sub-ASs, configure a router in a sub-AS as follows:

  1. Enable BGP and specify the AS number of the router. For more information, see "Enabling BGP."

  2. Specify the confederation ID. From an outsider's perspective, the sub-ASs of the confederation is a single AS, which is identified by the confederation ID.

  3. If the router needs to establish EBGP connections to other sub-ASs, you must specify the peering sub-ASs in the confederation.

A confederation can contain a maximum of 32 sub-ASs. The AS number of a sub-AS is effective only in the confederation.

To configure a BGP confederation:

Step

Command

Remarks

1. Enter system view.

system-view

N/A

2. Enter BGP view.

bgp as-number

N/A

3. Configure a confederation ID.

confederation id as-number

By default, no confederation ID is configured.

4. Specify confederation peer sub-ASs in the confederation.

confederation peer-as as-number-list

By default, no confederation peer sub-AS is specified.

Configuring confederation compatibility

If any routers in the confederation do not comply with RFC 3065, enable confederation compatibility to allow the router to work with those routers.

To configure confederation compatibility:

Step

Command

Remarks

1. Enter system view.

system-view

N/A

2. Enter BGP view.

bgp as-number

N/A

3. Enable confederation compatibility.

confederation nonstandard

By default, confederation compatibility is disabled.