IP Route

IP routes provide manually configured routing entries that define explicit forwarding paths for specific destination prefixes, supporting VRF-aware deployments on NX-OS for both default and non-default routing instances. Each route can specify one or more next-hop addresses with configurable preferences, tags, route names, and object tracking for conditional route installation based on reachability. Static route BFD sessions (ip route static bfd) are configured per VRF under ip_route_static_bfds and track next-hop reachability through a pinned interface. Routes are commonly used for default gateway configuration, stub network reachability, floating routes for backup paths, and management traffic steering.

IP routes provide manually configured routing entries that define explicit forwarding paths for specific destination prefixes, supporting VRF-aware deployments on NX-OS for both default and non-default routing instances. Each route can specify one or more next-hop addresses with configurable preferences, tags, route names, and object tracking for conditional route installation based on reachability. Routes are commonly used for default gateway configuration, stub network reachability, floating routes for backup paths, and management traffic steering.

Diagram

Classes

nxos

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
devices	List	devices	No
device_groups	List	device_groups	No
global	Class	global	No
templates	List	templates	No

devices (nxos)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
configuration	Class	configuration	No

device_groups (nxos)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
configuration	Class	configuration	No

global (nxos)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
configuration	Class	configuration	No

templates (nxos)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
configuration	Class	configuration	No

configuration (nxos.devices)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
routing	Class	routing	No

routing (nxos.devices.configuration)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
ip_routes	List	ip_routes	No
ip_route_static_bfds	List	ip_route_static_bfds	No

routing (nxos.devices.configuration)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
ip_routes	List	ip_routes	No

ip_routes (nxos.devices.configuration.routing)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
vrf	String		No
prefix	IP		Yes
preference	Integer	min: `1`, max: `255`	No
tag	Integer	min: `0`, max: `4294967295`	No
bfd	Boolean	`true`, `false`	No
next_hops	List	next_hops	No

ip_routes (nxos.devices.configuration.routing)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
vrf	String		No
prefix	String		Yes
preference	Integer	min: `1`, max: `255`	No
tag	Integer	min: `0`, max: `4294967295`	No
bfd	Boolean	`true`, `false`	No
next_hops	List	next_hops	No

ip_route_static_bfds (nxos.devices.configuration.routing)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
vrf	String		No
interface_type	Choice	`ethernet`, `loopback`, `mgmt`, `port-channel`, `vlan`, `vni`	Yes
interface_id	Any	String or Integer[min: `0`]	Yes
next_hop	IP		Yes

next_hops (nxos.devices.configuration.routing.ip_routes)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
interface_type	Choice	`ethernet`, `loopback`, `mgmt`, `port-channel`, `vlan`, `vni`	No
interface_id	Any	String or Integer[min: `0`]	No
address	IP		No
vrf	String		No
track	Integer	min: `0`, max: `4294967295`	No
preference	Integer	min: `0`, max: `255`	No
tag	Integer	min: `0`, max: `4294967295`	No
name	String		No

Examples

Example 1: Default route for out-of-band management traffic in the management VRF

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: LEAF1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: MGMT-GW

Example 2: Multiple routes — management VRF default, infrastructure monitoring, and a floating backup route

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: SPINE1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            # Management VRF default route
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: MGMT-DEFAULT-GW
            # Route to NTP/Syslog servers via management
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 10.50.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: TO-INFRA-SERVICES
            # Floating route as backup (higher preference = less preferred)
            - prefix: 10.1.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.1.10.1
                  preference: 10
                  name: BACKUP-VIA-LEAF1
                  tag: 100

Example 3: VRF-aware routes for tenant VRFs with ECMP next hops and object tracking

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: BORDER-LEAF1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            # Tenant VRF BLUE — default route with ECMP to firewalls
            - vrf: BLUE
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              tag: 1000
              next_hops:
                - address: 192.168.1.1
                  name: FW-PRIMARY
                  track: 1
                - address: 192.168.1.2
                  name: FW-SECONDARY
                  preference: 5
                  track: 2
            # Tenant VRF GREEN — route to shared services
            - vrf: GREEN
              prefix: 10.50.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 172.17.1.1
                  name: TO-SHARED-SVC
            # VPC keepalive route in default VRF
            - prefix: 10.1.50.0/24
              next_hops:
                - interface_type: mgmt
                  interface_id: "0"
                  address: 10.50.202.1

Example 4: Static route with BFD and the static BFD session for its next hop

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: BORDER-LEAF1
      configuration:
        feature:
          bfd: true
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            - vrf: BLUE
              prefix: 10.200.0.0/16
              bfd: true
              next_hops:
                - address: 192.168.10.2
          ip_route_static_bfds:
            - vrf: BLUE
              interface_type: ethernet
              interface_id: 1/10
              next_hop: 192.168.10.2

Examples

Example 1: Default route for out-of-band management traffic in the management VRF

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: LEAF1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: MGMT-GW

Example 2: Multiple routes — management VRF default, infrastructure monitoring, and a floating backup route

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: SPINE1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            # Management VRF default route
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: MGMT-DEFAULT-GW
            # Route to NTP/Syslog servers via management
            - vrf: management
              prefix: 10.50.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.50.202.1
                  name: TO-INFRA-SERVICES
            # Floating route as backup (higher preference = less preferred)
            - prefix: 10.1.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 10.1.10.1
                  preference: 10
                  name: BACKUP-VIA-LEAF1
                  tag: 100

Example 3: VRF-aware routes for tenant VRFs with ECMP next hops and object tracking

nxos:
  devices:
    - name: BORDER-LEAF1
      configuration:
        routing:
          ip_routes:
            # Tenant VRF BLUE — default route with ECMP to firewalls
            - vrf: BLUE
              prefix: 0.0.0.0/0
              tag: 1000
              next_hops:
                - address: 192.168.1.1
                  name: FW-PRIMARY
                  track: 1
                - address: 192.168.1.2
                  name: FW-SECONDARY
                  preference: 5
                  track: 2
            # Tenant VRF GREEN — route to shared services
            - vrf: GREEN
              prefix: 10.50.100.0/24
              next_hops:
                - address: 172.17.1.1
                  name: TO-SHARED-SVC
            # VPC keepalive route in default VRF
            - prefix: 10.1.50.0/24
              next_hops:
                - interface_type: mgmt
                  interface_id: "0"
                  address: 10.50.202.1