Administrator Guide

Equal Cost Multi-Path (ECMP)
ECMP for Flow-Based Affinity
ECMP for flow-based affinity includes link bundle monitoring.
Configuring the Hash Algorithm
TeraScale has one algorithm that is used for link aggregation groups (LAGs), ECMP, and NH-ECMP, and ExaScale can use three different
algorithms for each of these features.
To adjust the ExaScale behavior to match TeraScale, use the following command.
• Change the ExaScale hash-algorithm for LAG, ECMP, and NH-ECMP to match TeraScale.
CONFIGURATION mode.
hash-algorithm ecmp checksum 0 lag checksum 0 nh-ecmp checksum 0
Dell EMC Networking OS Behavior: In the Dell EMC Networking OS versions prior to 8.2.1.2, the ExaScale default hash-algorithm is 0.
Beginning with Dell EMC Networking OS version 8.2.1.2, the default hash-algorithm is 24.
Enabling Deterministic ECMP Next Hop
Deterministic ECMP next hop arranges all ECMPs in order before writing them into the content addressable memory (CAM).
For example, suppose the RTM learns eight ECMPs in the order that the protocols and interfaces came up. In this case, the forwarding
information base (FIB) and CAM sorts them so that the ECMPs are always arranged. This implementation ensures that every chassis
having the same prefixes orders the ECMPs the same.
With eight or less ECMPs, the ordering is lexicographic and deterministic. With more than eight ECMPs, ordering is deterministic, but it is
not in lexicographic order.
To enable deterministic ECMP next hop, use the appropriate command.
NOTE: Packet loss might occur when you enable ip/ipv6 ecmp-deterministic for the first-time only.
• Enable IPv4 Deterministic ECMP next hop.
CONFIGURATION mode.
ip ecmp-deterministic
• Enable IPv6 Deterministic ECMP next hop.
CONFIGURATION mode.
ipv6 ecmp-deterministic
Configuring the Hash Algorithm Seed
Deterministic ECMP sorts ECMPs in order even though RTM provides them in a random order. However, the hash algorithm uses as a
seed the lower 12 bits of the chassis MAC, which yields a different hash result for every chassis.
This behavior means that for a given flow, even though the prefixes are sorted, two unrelated chassis can select different hops.
Dell EMC Networking OS provides a command line interface (CLI)-based solution for modifying the hash seed to ensure that on each
configured system, the ECMP selection is same. When configured, the same seed is set for ECMP, LAG, and NH, and is used for incoming
traffic only.
NOTE:
While the seed is stored separately on each port-pipe, the same seed is used across all CAMs.
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