IX.br Promotes the Use of Segment Routing v6 VPN

11/11/2024

IXP.br, the Brazilian Internet Exchange Point, is promoting the use of Segment Routing v6 (SRv6) in Ethernet Virtual Private Networks (EVPN) to improve network optimization and management for the purpose of reducing complexity and increasing efficiency in packet switching and routing for high-demand networks.

During LACNIC 42 LACNOG 2024, Fabio Pessoa Nunes, who holds a master’s degree and is currently network supervisor at IX Brasil, gave a presentation about the implementation of this technology in a Brazilian IX which has shown promising results.

IX.Br is a Brazilian Internet exchange point project that facilitates communication between different networks to improve Internet quality within the country, promoting the efficient and cost-effective exchange of data between ISPs, CDNs, businesses, and other organizations. Maintained by NIC.br, it is a non-profit entity that promotes Internet stability and development in Brazil.

The significant volume of traffic and number of participants of the 38 IXPs established in Brazil’s metropolitan regions, including the world’s largest IXP (IXP São Paulo), has led IX Brasil’s technology department to search for new solutions to improve the scalability and capacity of their network.

This also addresses the growing demand and complexity of network operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as IXPs connect to their infrastructure to exchange traffic directly, thus reducing latency and increasing route optimization.

According to Pessoa, these challenges and the various difficulties faced by IXPs on a daily basis have led them to use Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) as one of the best solutions for providing a Layer 2 network.

What is EVPN? EVPN is a control protocol designed to provide Layer 2 network connectivity over a common network infrastructure. Its primary function is to provide Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for Ethernet networks.

Building on their experience with EVPN, IX Brasil incorporated the use of segment routing, as the source selects a route and encodes it within the packet as a list of segments. These segments serve as identifiers for an instruction (packet forwarding or service).

This is where the use of SRv6 enters the scene: the entire state represented by the SRv6 instructions is coded inside the IPv6 packet header, creating a stateless mesh. This helps improve hardware scalability and efficiency.

It simplifies the network, all forwarding information is exchanged within the IGP, it facilitates the implementation of traffic engineering and avoids micro loops.

Why SRv6? IX.br chose Segment Routing version 6 technology because it provides a resilient network that is easy to configure and has fewer protocols. “SRv6 EVPN helps us build future-proof networks,” Pessoa said.

In addition to the advantages of segment routing, it is a very simple protocol that uses pure IPv6. The extensibility of IPv6 makes it easier to implement new features in SRv6.

In line with the transition to IPv6, it allows implementation to begin even if segment routing is not enabled on all devices.

In summary, IXP.br’s use of Segment Routing v6 (SRv6) on EVPN networks has resulted in simplified and scalable routing, optimized costs and reduced latency, and enabled dynamic traffic management.