[c-nsp] Tuning HSRP timers for BGP routers

[Mack McBride]

We use timers 2 and 6 on multiple sets of 6500s with a relatively large number of VLANs.
The 6500 has a much less powerful CPU and seems to handle it ok.
However, the 7200 is a software device so through traffic can have a major effect on CPU.
It may be you have large high BW bursts during backups or something similar.
You should probably do some correlation analysis before blaming the BGP.
If you are getting that kind of BGP event on a nightly  basis you should probably talk to your provider.

LR Mack McBride
Network Architect

-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net [mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net] On Behalf Of Matthew Huff
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 7:46 AM
To: 'cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net'
Subject: [c-nsp] Tuning HSRP timers for BGP routers

We have a pair of Cisco 7204VXR with NPE-G2 running 15.1(4)M3. We are using default timers for the HSRP interfaces, and we are seeing nightly HSRP state changes. Not a lot, but 1-2 a night. This appears to only have started recently.  We are looking at logs, but I assume it's due to BGP cpu exhaustion. We don't see any L2 errors on the VLAN where the HSRP is running, so I don't think it's a physical problem. 

 

What timers do people use for HSRP on BGP routers as a practice?  Obviously we want the smallest timers that would be possible.

 

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