Bug #187: Asymmetric VLAN generates loop - batman-adv - Open Mesh

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Bug #187

closed

Asymmetric VLAN generates loop

Added by Antonio Quartulli almost 10 years ago. Updated about 7 years ago.

Status:

Rejected

Priority:

High

Assignee:

Simon Wunderlich

Target version:

Start date:

05/28/2014

Due date:

% Done:

Estimated time:

Description

In case of an asymmetric VLAN configuration as shown in the picture it is possible to generate a loop even if BLA is enabled.

The loop is triggered by the fact that the two potential backbone nodes won't recognize each other. This can be understood by looking at the steps taken by a BLA ANNOUNCE message:

is generated at node B for VLAN y
is broadcast'd over eth0.x
reaches eth0 on node A and does not get decapsulated
enters bat0.y and gets encapsulated once again
batman-adv does not find the BLA message because the "encapsulated_proto" field is not ARP
the message gets forwarded in the mesh because the node thinks to be alone on the LAN
the message reaches node B the loop starts

I don't see a clear solution to this problem because even if we make batman-adv decapsulate any packet until we get to the inner layer, we still have the problem that node A won't be recognized by nodeB (nodeA will always send with no VLAN header).

Any thought?

Files

bla-loop.png (4.99 KB) bla-loop.png

Antonio Quartulli, 05/28/2014 07:53 AM

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Updated by Antonio Quartulli almost 10 years ago

File bla-loop.png bla-loop.png added

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Updated by Antonio Quartulli almost 10 years ago

File deleted (~~bla-loop.png~~)

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Updated by Simon Wunderlich almost 10 years ago

that's an interesting corner case, and I think you are right about your conclusion. This would loop, although not endlessly because a new VLAN header is added in each round until the MTU is reached, but still ...

We wouldn't have this problem if we BLA would be able to work on VLANs in VLANs (QinQ), but it works on only one layer of VLANs. It would also work if there wasn't a VLAN ontop of batman (since BLA would kick in for that specific VLAN x then), but there is most probably a reason for that too.

Some ideas:

forbid QinQ or stacked VLANs on batman, or make that as selectable option to allow it. Some switches do that do AFAIR
add QinQ for BLA, allowing to operate on multiple stacked VLANs
accept it and fix the config on the APs - why are batman-VLANs connected to different ethernet VLANs in the first place anyway? that seems broken by design ...

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Updated by Simon Wunderlich about 9 years ago

Status changed from New to Closed

the firmware showing that problem was probably fixed - unless someone else has that problem in any non-artificial setup, I'm closing this ticket - please reopen if necessary

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