BMP

What Is BMP?

BMP serves as a protocol designed for real-time monitoring of BGP operations and the route processing trajectory on network devices. BGP's operational status, encompassing the initiation and termination of peer relationships, along with route updates, is scrutinized by BMP. The trajectory of BGP route processing reveals the intricate steps involved, such as the handling of routes based on import/export policies.

In the absence of BMP, acquiring the BGP operational status necessitates manual queries, leading to inefficiencies in monitoring. By activating BMP, a monitored device can establish a connection with a monitoring server, configured to relay its BGP operational status promptly. This integration significantly enhances monitoring efficiency. BMP streamlines the process of overseeing BGP operations, promptly detecting and reporting security threats in real-time, enabling swift preventive actions to bolster network stability.

Why Do We Need BMP?

Without BMP, accessing the Local-RIB content of devices or viewing the protocol updates received through standard mechanisms is unattainable. The manual querying of BGP running status is the only option, leading to inefficiency. As a pivotal network monitoring protocol, BMP obviates the need for manual queries and offers several advantages:

• More Detailed Routing Information: BMP delivers comprehensive real-time routing information and event notifications, empowering network administrators with a deeper understanding of the network status. By monitoring routing information from neighboring routers, BMP provides accurate insights into the routing table.

• Lower Impact of Network Faults: BMP swiftly detects and reports errors and abnormal events, such as connection interruptions and retransmission failures. This proactive approach enables network administrators to promptly identify and address issues, minimizing the impact of network faults on services.

• Higher Network Performance and Security: Through the analysis of routing information and events, BMP aids network administrators in refining network design and optimizing routing policies. This optimization contributes to improved network performance and security.

• Enhanced Network Scalability: Supporting multiple router models and vendors, BMP enhances network s

From a high-level perspective, BMP acts as the culmination of multiplexed messages from various monitored BGP sessions, offering a more convenient method for monitoring BGP routing protocol information. BMP empowers network administrators to better manage and control the network, enhance performance and availability, and reduce the risks of faults and security breaches. With the increasing scale and complexity of networks, BMP is poised to become even more valuable, holding substantial application prospects.

Key Information Provided by BMP:

• Route Selection Process: Records how each BGP router selects the optimal path and updates the routing table, including the BGP prefix, AS number, and path attributes.

• Routing Policy Verification: Checks and verifies the correctness and consistency of routing policies, facilitating improved network management and optimization.

• Route Decision Analysis: Compares and analyzes the route processing trajectory between different BGP routers, identifying bottlenecks and issues to enhance network stability and reliability.

From a high-level perspective, BMP acts as the culmination of multiplexed messages from various monitored BGP sessions, offering a more convenient method for monitoring BGP routing protocol information. BMP empowers network administrators to better manage and control the network, enhance performance and availability, and reduce the risks of faults and security breaches. With the increasing scale and complexity of networks, BMP is poised to become even more valuable, holding substantial application prospects.

How Does BMP Work?

Related Concepts

Adj-RIB-In: The Adjacency-Routing Information Base-In is a repository that retains routing details received by the local BGP speaker.

End-of-RIB: This marker and specialized route attribute signify the conclusion of routing information within each address family. It serves to indicate the completion of the routing information for the current address family and the impending commencement of the next. Its primary function is to precisely identify the boundary between different address families.

Local-RIB: The Local Routing Information Base is the storage location where routing information from Adj-RIB-In is transferred. Before this transfer, the routing information for each address family is annotated using the End-of-RIB marker.

Initial table: It comprises network addresses directly linked to the local router and the associated routing information. Typically computed by the router itself, this information is stored in the Local-RIB, forming the foundational data for routing processes.

Dump table: This repository contains all routing information received from neighboring routers. Initially stored in the Adj-RIB-In, this information may be duplicated to the Local-RIB or Adj-RIB-Out after undergoing additional processing. In the event of lost or damaged routing information, neighboring routers resend the data to maintain the completeness, integrity, and accuracy of the dump table.

BMP Message Types

A BMP session encompasses various messages transmitted in packets, including Initiation, Peer Up Notification (PU), Route Monitoring (RM), Peer Down Notification (PD), Stats Reports (SR), Termination, and Route Policy and Attribute Trace (ROFT) messages. It's important to note that BMP sessions operate unidirectionally, meaning the monitored device sends messages to the monitoring server but disregards any incoming messages from the server. Each message serves a distinct purpose:

Initiation Message: Conveys information such as the device vendor and software version to the monitoring server.

PU Message: Notifies the monitoring server about the successful establishment of a BGP peer relationship.

RM Message: Informs the monitoring server in real-time about all routes received from BGP peers, including additions or deletions.

PD Message: Alerts the monitoring server when a BGP peer connection has been terminated.

SR Message: Dispatches running statistics of the router to the monitoring server.

Termination Message: Communicates the cause of BMP session closure to the monitoring server.

ROFT Message: Real-time reporting of the route processing trajectory to the monitoring server, providing insights into how BGP routes are being processed.

Implementation

Following the establishment of a BMP session, the monitored device initiates the transmission of BMP messages to the monitoring server, adhering to the subsequent process:

• The BMP session commences with the transmission of an Initiation message by the monitored device.

• The monitored device continuously reports Peer Up (PU) and Route Monitoring (RM) messages.

• A Route Policy and Attribute Trace (ROFT) message is sent by the monitored device through the configured BMP session.

• Closure of the TCP session, due to any reason, results in the termination of the BMP session over the TCP session. Before the TCP session is concluded, the monitored device may proactively send a termination mess

Application and Deployment

BMP finds extensive applicability across diverse network scales, encompassing ISPs, enterprise networks, and data centers. Its versatility allows seamless integration with existing monitoring systems, enabling it to listen to standard TCP ports and accumulate BGP information for a comprehensive understanding of the network's status. In the illustrated scenario, a TCP connection is established between the monitoring server and PE1, and another between the monitoring server and PE2. Both PE1 and PE2 autonomously dispatch unsolicited BMP messages to the monitoring server, reporting BGP running statistics. Upon receipt of these BMP messages, the monitoring server diligently parses the content, presenting the BGP running status within the monitoring view. Through a meticulous analysis of the headers embedded in the BMP messages, the monitoring server can discern the specific BGP peers responsible for advertising the routes conveyed within these messages. This capability enhances the monitoring server's capacity to provide detailed insights into the BGP dynamics within the network.

Development Trend

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies, including cloud computing, IoT, and 5G, is significantly expanding network scale and complexity, leading to heightened demands for advanced network monitoring and management. In the realm of network monitoring protocols, BMP is poised for development in the following key areas:

• Enhanced Data Transmission Efficiency: To accommodate the escalating volume of network traffic, BMP will evolve to employ more efficient data transmission mechanisms, ensuring prompt acquisition and processing of routing information.

• Diversification of Data Types: Beyond fundamental routing information, BMP is designed to support additional data types, such as AS paths and notification timestamps, with potential expansions to include even more diverse data types in the future.

• Flexible Configuration Options: To adapt seamlessly to varied network environments and requirements, BMP will necessitate more flexible and user-friendly configuration options.

• Fine-Grained Routing Control: BMP's commitment to providing detailed and precise routing information will likely lead to future collaborations with other technologies, enabling the implementation of fine-grained routing control and management.

In essence, as a groundbreaking network monitoring protocol, BMP exhibits vast application prospects and significant development potential. It is expected to undergo further optimization to cater to the increasingly intricate and diversified demands of network monitoring in the ever-evolving landscape of technology.