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%BGP-4-VPNV4NH_MASK and OSPF advertising loopback as /32 by default

moonie -

Recently when doing some MPLS VPN lab work I came across the error

%BGP-4-VPNV4NH_MASK: Nexthop 4.4.4.4 may not be reachable from neigbor 2.2.2.2 - not /32 mask

It occurs because by default OSPF advertises loopback interfaces with a /32 mask even if you have configured another mask e.g. /24! This is the expected way for OSPF to work and is defined under RFC2328 section 9.1 (page 67).  This default behavior can be changed by the ip ospf network point-to-point under the loopback interface config mode.

I was running ospf as the IGP between my P/PE routers in the MPLS backbone and using loopback interfaces on the PE routers for BGP updates and for testing. I did make these interfaces use a /24 mask.  So for PE1 my config was as follows

PE1#show run
interface loopback 0
ip address 2.2.2.2 255.255.255.0
....
router ospf 1
log-adjacency-changes
network 2.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

Checking the routing table on the second router would show that a /32 mask has been advertised for the 2.2.2.2 network rather than 2.2.2.0/24 as I had intended.

PE2#show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS
level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static
route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route

Gateway of last resort is not set

 2.0.0.0/32 is subnetted, 1 subnets  <-----------------[HERE YOU CAN SEE THE /32]
O       2.2.2.2 [110/3] via 192.168.34.3, 00:13:55, FastEthernet1/0

It is therefore not as I intended in the mpls forwarding table as a /24 either

PE2#show mpls forwarding-table
Local  Outgoing    Prefix            Bytes tag  Outgoing   Next Hop
tag    tag or VC   or Tunnel Id      switched   interface
16     16          2.2.2.2/32 0          Fa1/0      192.168.34.3
17     Untagged    3.3.3.3/32 0          Fa1/0      192.168.34.3
18     Pop tag     192.168.23.0/24 0          Fa1/0      192.168.34.3

Its very easy to resolve though buy issuing the ip ospf network point-to-point command under the interface config mode.

PE1#show run
interface loopback 0
ip address 2.2.2.2 255.255.255.0
ip ospf network point-to-poin
....
router ospf 1
log-adjacency-changes
network 2.2.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

Now we can check the routing table and the mplf forwarding table are correct and the error %BGP-4-VPNV4NH_MASK no longer appears.

PE2#show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS
level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static
route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route

Gateway of last resort is not set

2.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets  <-------------[NOW A /24 :D]
O       2.2.2.0 [110/3] via 192.168.34.3, 00:01:17, FastEthernet1/0

PE2#show mpls forwarding-table
Local  Outgoing    Prefix            Bytes tag  Outgoing   Next Hop
tag    tag or VC   or Tunnel Id      switched   interface
17     Untagged    3.3.3.3/32        0          Fa1/0      192.168.34.3
21     18          2.2.2.0/24        0          Fa1/0      192.168.34.3

Basically just remember OSPF always advertises loopbacks with a /32 unless manually told otherwise.

m00nie :)