PfR (Cisco Performance Routing)

In this post I would like to explore PfR (Cisco Performance Routing) earlier called OER (Optimized Edge Routing). I will start with an introduction by presenting what is PfR and the goals of it and I will finally demonstrate how to configure basic PfR. To illustrate the different configuration examples I will use the following topology:

 

 Side note: As I am using IOS 12.4 (15)T, PfR is configured with OER commands. In this IOS version PfR is not mature. So if you want to use PfR in production you should use IOS 15.0 and up after. The keyword PfR has been introduced in IOS release 15.1(2)T. From simplicity I will use the term PfR instead of OER even if I am configuring PfR in version earlier than 15.1(2)T.

Platform/IOS: Cisco 2691/12.4(15)T11 Adv IP services.

IGP for Spoke site: EIGRP 10

IGP for Hub site: EIGRP 10

 Both sites use eBGP to peer with their respective ISP. R2 is running eBGP over the GRE tunnel path and iBGP with R1.

Scenario: The Hub location is hosting a Citrix server and a HTTP server. Citrix traffic should always be routed over the MPLS path via R1 while HTTP traffic should be routed over the GRE tunnel via R2. The Voice traffic between the two locations should be routed over the MPLS path via R1.

•  If the voice traffic delay goes over 300 ms, voice traffic should be moved to the GRE tunnel path via R2

• The HTTP traffic should only be routed through the GRE tunnel path as long as this path is up and running

• If the MPLS link utilization goes over 50 % move only the Citrix traffic to the GRE tunnel path via R2