Smarts NPM for BGP: If only one device is accessible, can Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP build and monitor a BGP Session (BGPSession) between the two devices?

Products

• VMware

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:


Can Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP build and monitor a BGP Session (BGPSession) between two devices if only one device is accessible?

Environment

VMware Smart Assurance - SMARTS

Resolution

The more common use of BGP is using EBGP (External BGP) between two different autonomous systems that the Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP has access (see Note statement). In this typical use of EBGP, the Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP builds the BGP Session (BGPSession) between two BGP End points (BGPProtocolEndpoint) on two different BGP-enabled devices. However, if the Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP has access to just one autonomous system running EBGP which makes only one BGP-enabled device accessible, it can create one BGP End point and build a "half" BGP Session based on this one end point. Using a half BGP session, Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP can monitor the BGP session status.

Additional Information

If two devices are running IBGP (Internal BGP) in the same autonomous system, then both devices should be accessible and this question is not relevant. Also if neither device is accessible, they would not be in the topology so it would not be possible for Smarts Network Protocol Manager for BGP to discover and monitor those devices and their BGP session.