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Security Services Administration Guide
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Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages

date_range 24-Nov-23

Using storm control can prevent problems caused by broadcast storms. You can configure storm control to rate-limit broadcast traffic, multicast traffic (on some devices), and unknown unicast traffic at a specified level so that the switch drops packets when the specified traffic level is exceeded, thus preventing packets from proliferating and degrading the LAN. You can also have the device shut down or temporarily disable an interface when the storm control limit is exceeded.

A traffic storm occurs when broadcast packets prompt receiving devices to broadcast packets in response. This prompts further responses, creating a knock-on effect that results in a broadcast storm that floods the device with packets, and causing poor performance or even a complete loss of service by some clients

Storm control monitors the level of applicable incoming traffic and compares it with the level that you specify. If the combined level of the applicable traffic exceeds the specified level, the switch drops packets for the controlled traffic types. As an alternative to having the switch drop packets, you can configure storm control to shut down interfaces or temporarily disable interfaces (see the action-shutdown statement or the recovery-timeout statement) when the storm control level is exceeded.

  • On ELS systems, storm control is enabled by default on all interfaces at a level of 80 percent of the available bandwidth.

  • On non-ELS systems, storm control is disabled by default on all interfaces. If you enable storm control, the default level is 80 percent of the available bandwidth.

Note:

If you configure storm control on an aggregated Ethernet interface, the storm-control level is applies to each member interface individually. For example, if the aggregated interface has two members and you configure a storm-control level of 20 kbps, Junos will not detect a storm if one or both of the member interfaces receives traffic at 15 kbps because in neither of these cases does an individual member receive traffic at a rate greater than the configured storm-control level. In this example, Junos detects a storm only if at least one member interface receives traffic at greater than 20 Kbps.

  • On EX2200, EX3200, EX3300, and EX4200 switches—Storm control is not enabled for multicast traffic by default. The factory default configuration enables storm control on all interfaces at 80 percent of the available bandwidth used by the combined unknown unicast and broadcast traffic streams.

  • On EX4500 and EX8200 switches—The factory default configuration enables storm control on all interfaces at 80 percent of the available bandwidth used by the combined broadcast, multicast, and unknown unicast traffic streams.

  • On EX6200 switches—Storm control is not enabled for multicast traffic by default. The factory default configuration enables storm control on all interfaces at 80 percent of the available bandwidth used by the combined unknown unicast and broadcast traffic streams. Storm control can be disabled for each type of traffic individually.

Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages (ELS)

This example uses a Junos OS release that supports the Enhanced Layer 2 Software (ELS) configuration style.

Requirements

This example uses the following hardware and software components:

  • One QFX Series switch running Junos OS with ELS

  • Junos OS Release 13.2 or later

Overview and Topology

The topology used in this example consists of one switch connected to various network devices. This example shows how to configure the storm control level on interface xe-0/0/0 by setting the level to a traffic rate of 15,000 Kbps, based on the traffic rate of the combined applicable traffic streams. If the combined traffic exceeds this level, the switch drops packets for the controlled traffic types to prevent a network outage.

Configuration

Procedure

CLI Quick Configuration

To quickly configure storm control based on the traffic rate in kilobits per second of the combined traffic streams, copy the following command and paste it into the switch terminal window:

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[edit]
set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc-profile all bandwidth-level 15000
set interfaces xe-0/0/0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching storm-control sc-profile
Step-by-Step Procedure

To configure storm control:

  1. Configure a storm control profile, sc-profile, and specify the traffic rate in kilobits per second of the combined traffic streams:

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@switch> set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc-profile all bandwidth-level 15000 
  2. Bind the storm control profile, sc, to a logical interface:

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@switch> set interfaces xe-0/0/0 unit 0 family ethernet-switching storm-control sc-profile 
Results

Display the results of the configuration:

content_copy zoom_out_map
[edit forwarding-options]
user@switch> show storm-control-profiles sc-profile
all {
    bandwidth 15000;
}
content_copy zoom_out_map
[edit]
user@switch> show interfaces xe-0/0/0
unit 0 {
    family ethernet-switching {
        vlan {
            members default;
        }
        storm-control sc-profile;
    }
}

Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages (non-ELS)

This example uses a Junos OS release that does not support the Enhanced Layer 2 Software (ELS) configuration style on a single EX Series switch. If your switch runs software that supports ELS, see Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages (ELS). For information about how to configure the switch to shut down or temporarily disable an interface when the storm control limit is exceeded, see Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages

Requirements

This example uses the following hardware and software components:

  • A switch

  • Junos OS Release 11.1 or later

Overview and Topology

Topology

This example shows how to configure the storm control level on interface xe-0/0/0 by setting the level to a traffic rate of 5000000 Kbps, based on the total of the combined broadcast and unknown unicast streams. If broadcast traffic and unknown unicast traffic exceed these levels, the switch drops packets for the controlled traffic types.

Configuration

Procedure

Step-by-Step Procedure

To configure storm control for a 10-Gigabit Ethernet interface to the equivalent of 50 percent of the available bandwidth:

  • Specify the level of allowed broadcast traffic and unknown unicast traffic on a specific interface:

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit ethernet-switching-options]
    user@switch# set storm-control interface xe-0/0/0 bandwidth 5000000 
Results

Display the results of the configuration:

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[edit ethernet-switching-options]
user@switch# show storm-control
interface xe-0/0/0 {
    bandwidth 5000000;
}

Verification

Verifying That the Storm Control Configuration Is in Effect

Purpose

Confirm that storm control is limiting the rate of traffic on the interface.

Action

Use the show interfaces ge-0/0/0 detail or show interfaces ge-0/0/0 extensive operational mode command to view traffic statistics on the storm controlled interface. The input rate (bps) must not exceed the storm control limit.

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user@switch> show interfaces ge-0/0/0 extensive
Physical interface: ge-0/0/0, Enabled, Physical link is Up
  Interface index: 160, SNMP ifIndex: 503, Generation: 163
  Link-level type: Ethernet, MTU: 1514, Speed: Auto, Duplex: Auto,
  BPDU Error: None, MAC-REWRITE Error: None, Loopback: Disabled,
  Source filtering: Disabled, Flow control: Enabled, Auto-negotiation: Enabled,
  Remote fault: Online
  Device flags   : Present Running
  Interface flags: SNMP-Traps Internal: 0x0
  Link flags     : None
  CoS queues     : 8 supported, 8 maximum usable queues
  Hold-times     : Up 0 ms, Down 0 ms
  Current address: b0:c6:9a:67:90:84, Hardware address: b0:c6:9a:67:90:84
  Last flapped   : 2013-05-16 22:46:42 UTC (14w3d 03:13 ago)
  Statistics last cleared: Never
  Traffic statistics:			5000000
   Input  bytes  :            312742788                  512 bps
   Output bytes  :            245552919                    0 bps
   Input  packets:              3550009                    1 pps
   Output packets:              2622101                    0 pps
   IPv6 transit statistics:
    Input  bytes  :                   0
    Output bytes  :                   0
    Input  packets:                   0
    Output packets:                   0
  Dropped traffic statistics due to STP State:
   Input  bytes  :                    0
   Output bytes  :                    0
   Input  packets:                    0
   Output packets:                    0
  Input errors:
    Errors: 0, Drops: 0, Framing errors: 0, Runts: 0, Policed discards: 0,
    L3 incompletes: 0, L2 channel errors: 0, L2 mismatch timeouts: 0,
    FIFO errors: 0, Resource errors: 0
  Output errors:
    Carrier transitions: 0, Errors: 0, Drops: 0, Collisions: 0, Aged packets:
    FIFO errors: 0, HS link CRC errors: 0, MTU errors: 0, Resource errors: 0
  Egress queues: 8 supported, 4 in use
  Queue counters:       Queued packets  Transmitted packets      Dropped packets
    0 best-effort                    0                    1                    0
    1 assured-forw                   0                    0                    0
    5 expedited-fo                   0                    0                    0
    7 network-cont                   0              2622100                    0
  Queue number:         Mapped forwarding classes
    0                   best-effort
    1                   assured-forwarding
    5                   expedited-forwarding
    7                   network-control
  Active alarms  : None
  Active defects : None
  MAC statistics:                      Receive         Transmit
    Total octets                             0                0
    Total packets                            0                0
    Unicast packets                          0                0
    Broadcast packets                        0                0
    Multicast packets                        0                0
    CRC/Align errors                         0                0
    FIFO errors                              0                0
    MAC control frames                       0                0
    MAC pause frames                         0                0
    Oversized frames                         0
    Jabber frames                            0
    Fragment frames                          0
    VLAN tagged frames                       0
    Code violations                          0
  Autonegotiation information:
    Negotiation status: Incomplete
  Packet Forwarding Engine configuration:
    Destination slot: 0  
  Interface transmit statistics: Disabled
Meaning

The traffic statistics input bytes field shows the ingress traffic rate at 512 bits per second (bps). This rate is within the storm control limit of 5000000 Kbps.

Example: Using Storm Control to Prevent Network (MX Routers)

This example shows how to configure storm control on an pair of MX Series routers running Junos OS with Enhanced Layer 2 Software (ELS).

Requirements

This example uses the following hardware and software components:

  • Two MX Series routers

  • Junos OS Release 14.1 or later with ELS

  • A traffic generator that can send broadcast and unknown unicast traffic at a rate that exceeds 100 Kbps

  • A second host

Overview and Topology

On MX Series routers, storm control is not enabled by default.

Topology

This example shows how to configure the storm control level on interface ge-0/0/1 by setting the level to a traffic rate of 100 Kbps. The topology used consists of two routers that could be connected to various network devices. If the combined traffic exceeds this level, the router drops packets for the controlled traffic types to prevent a network outage. (Starting in Junos OS release 17.4R1 for MX Series routers, you can also configure storm control on logical systems.)

Figure 1: Example Storm Control to Prevent Network OutagesExample Storm Control to Prevent Network Outages

Configuration

This example excludes multicast traffic from the storm traffic. Many protocols use multicast for control traffic, and for that reason network administrators and operators may want to keep multicast working to avoid obstructing protocol operation.

Procedure

CLI Quick Configuration

To quickly configure storm control based on the traffic rate in Kbps of the combined traffic streams, copy the following commands and paste them into the terminal window. The configurations of routers R1 and R2 are exactly the same:

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set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family bridge interface-mode access 
set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family bridge vlan-id 15 
set interfaces ge-0/0/1 vlan-tagging 
set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge interface-mode trunk 
set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge vlan-id-list 15 
set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge storm-control sc 
set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge recovery-timeout 120 
set bridge-domains bd1 domain-type bridge vlan-id 15
set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc all bandwidth-level 100 no multicast
set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc action-shutdown
Step-by-Step Procedure

To configure storm control:

  1. Configure a storm control profile, sc, and specify the traffic rate in Kbps of the combined traffic streams. Exclude multicast traffic from the storm control profile.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@host# set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc all bandwidth-level 100 no-multicast
    user@host# set forwarding-options storm-control-profiles sc action-shutdown
    
  2. Bind the storm control profile sc to a logical interface. Remember to do this for both interfaces between the routers.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@host#set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge storm-control sc 
    
  3. Configure interface ge-0/0/1 (the interface between routers). Do this for both interfaces between the routers.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@host# set interfaces ge-0/0/1 vlan-tagging 
    user@host#set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge interface-mode trunk 
    user@host#set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge vlan-id-list 15 
    user@host#set interfaces ge-0/0/1 unit 0 family bridge recovery-timeout 120 
    
  4. Configure interface ge-0/0/0 (the interface from host to router). Remember to do this for both interfaces between the routers.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@host# set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family bridge interface-mode access 
    user@host# set interfaces ge-0/0/0 unit 0 family bridge vlan-id 15  
    
  5. Set the bridge domain domain type and VLAN ID.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    [edit]
    user@host# set bridge-domains bd1 domain-type bridge vlan-id 15 
    
Results

Display the results of the configuration:

content_copy zoom_out_map
[edit forwarding-options]
user@router> show storm-control-profiles sc
all {
    bandwidth-level 100;
    no-multicast;
}
action-shutdown;
content_copy zoom_out_map
[edit]
user@router> show interfaces ge-0/0/0
unit 0 {
    family bridge {
        interface-mode access;
        vlan-id 15;
    }
}
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[edit]
user@router> show interfaces ge-0/0/1
vlan-tagging;
unit 0 {
    family bridge {
        interface-mode trunk;
        vlan-id-list 15;
        storm-control sc;
        recovery-timeout 120;
    }
}
content_copy zoom_out_map
[edit]
user@router> show bridge-domains bd1
domain-type bridge;
vlan-id 15;

Verification

Verifying That the Storm Control Configuration Is in Effect

Purpose

Confirm that storm control is limiting the rate of traffic on the interface.

Action
  1. From Host A to Host B, use a traffic generator to send broadcast and unknown unicast traffic at a rate that exceeds 100 Kbps.

  2. Verify on device R1’s ge-0/0/0 interface that traffic is entering at a rate that exceeds 100 Kbps.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    user@R1# run show interfaces detail ge-0/0/0     
    Physical interface: ge-0/0/0, Enabled, Physical link is Up
      Interface index: 137, SNMP ifIndex: 513, Generation: 140
      Link-level type: Ethernet-Bridge, MTU: 1514, MRU: 1522, Speed: 1000mbps,
      BPDU Error: None, MAC-REWRITE Error: None, Loopback: Disabled,
      Source filtering: Disabled, Flow control: Enabled
      Pad to minimum frame size: Disabled
      Device flags   : Present Running
      Interface flags: SNMP-Traps Internal: 0x20004000
      Link flags     : None
      CoS queues     : 8 supported, 8 maximum usable queues
      Hold-times     : Up 0 ms, Down 0 ms
      Current address: 00:05:86:71:6a:00, Hardware address: 00:05:86:71:6a:00
      Last flapped   : 2014-05-20 14:43:25 PDT (1w1d 01:20 ago)
      Statistics last cleared: 2014-05-28 15:59:39 PDT (00:04:02 ago)
      Traffic statistics:
       Input  bytes  :               830088               180432 bps
       Output bytes  :               0                    0 bps
       Input  packets:               8472                 230 pps
       Output packets:               0                    0 pps
       IPv6 transit statistics:
        Input  bytes  :                   0
        Output bytes  :                   0
        Input  packets:                   0
        Output packets:                   0
      Active alarms  : None
      Active defects : None
      Interface transmit statistics: Disabled
    

    The Input bytes field shows the ingress traffic rate in bytes per second (bps). The input rate is within the storm control limit of 100 Kbps.

  3. Verify that interface ge-0/0/1 on R1 is down (Admin down).

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    user@R1# run show interfaces ge-0/0/1.0 terse   
    Interface               Admin Link   Proto    Local                 Remote
    ge-0/0/1.0              down    up   bridge  
    

    Because the link remains up, control traffic continues to flow.

  4. After the timeout period of 120 seconds (2 minutes), verify that the interface comes back up.

    content_copy zoom_out_map
    user@R1# run show interfaces ge-0/0/1.0 terse   
    Interface               Admin Link Proto    Local                 Remote
    ge-0/0/1.0              up    up   bridge  
    

Change History Table

Feature support is determined by the platform and release you are using. Use Feature Explorer to determine if a feature is supported on your platform.

Release
Description
17.4R1
(Starting in Junos OS release 17.4R1 for MX Series routers, you can also configure storm control on logical systems.)
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