As discussed in [
RFC 8986], an SRv6 Segment Identifier (SID) is 128 bits and consists of locator, function, and argument parts.
A node is provisioned with topology-/algorithm-specific locators for each of the topology/algorithm pairs supported by that node. Each locator is a covering prefix for all SIDs provisioned on that node that have the matching topology/algorithm.
Locators
MUST be advertised in the SRv6 Locator TLV (see
Section 7.1). Forwarding entries for the locators advertised in the SRv6 Locator TLV
MUST be installed in the forwarding plane of receiving SRv6-capable routers when the associated topology/algorithm is supported by the receiving node. The processing of the prefix advertised in the SRv6 Locator TLV, the calculation of its reachability, and the installation in the forwarding plane follows the process defined for the Prefix Reachability TLV 236 [
RFC 5308] or TLV 237 [
RFC 5120].
Locators associated with algorithms 0 and 1 (for all supported topologies)
SHOULD also be advertised in a Prefix Reachability TLV (236 or 237) so that legacy routers (i.e., routers that do not support SRv6) will install a forwarding entry for algorithms 0 and 1 SRv6 traffic.
In cases where the same prefix with the same prefix length, Multi-Topology Identifier (MTID), and algorithm is received in both a Prefix Reachability TLV and an SRv6 Locator TLV, the Prefix Reachability advertisement
MUST be preferred when installing entries in the forwarding plane. This is to prevent inconsistent forwarding entries between SRv6-capable and SRv6-incapable routers. Such preference of Prefix Reachability advertisement does not have any impact on the rest of the data advertised in the SRv6 Locator TLV.
Locators associated with Flexible Algorithms (see
Section 4 of
RFC 9350)
SHOULD NOT be advertised in Prefix Reachability TLVs (236 or 237). Advertising the Flexible Algorithm locator in a regular Prefix Reachability TLV (236 or 237) would make the forwarding for it follow the algorithm 0 path.
SRv6 SIDs are advertised as sub-TLVs in the SRv6 Locator TLV, except for SRv6 SIDs that are associated with a specific neighbor/link and are therefore advertised as sub-TLVs in TLVs 22, 23, 25, 141, 222, and 223.
SRv6 SIDs received from other nodes are not directly routable and
MUST NOT be installed in the forwarding plane. Reachability to SRv6 SIDs depends upon the existence of a covering locator.
Adherence to the rules defined in this section will ensure that SRv6 SIDs associated with a supported topology/algorithm pair will be forwarded correctly, while SRv6 SIDs associated with an unsupported topology/algorithm pair will be dropped. NOTE: The drop behavior depends on the absence of a default/summary route covering a given locator.
In order for forwarding to work correctly, the locator associated with SRv6 SID advertisements must be the longest match prefix installed in the forwarding plane for those SIDs. In order to ensure correct forwarding, network operators should take steps to make sure that this requirement is not compromised. For example, the following situations should be avoided:
-
Another locator associated with a different topology/algorithm is the longest match.
-
Another prefix advertisement (i.e., from TLV 236 or 237) is the longest match.