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VPP Bridge Configuration

VPP bridge interfaces provide Layer 2 switching functionality, allowing multiple interfaces to be connected at the data link layer.

VPP bridges operate as learning bridges, automatically discovering MAC addresses and building forwarding tables to efficiently switch traffic between member interfaces. This provides transparent connectivity between different network segments while maintaining the performance benefits of VPP’s optimized data plane.

Supported Member Interface Types:

VPP bridges support various interface types as members:

This flexibility allows you to create complex Layer 2 topologies combining different networking technologies.

Basic Configuration

Creating a Bridge Interface

set vpp interfaces bridge <brN>

Create a bridge interface where <brN> follows the naming convention br1, br2, etc.

Note

Bridge domain br0 is reserved by VPP and cannot be configured through VyOS. Start with br1 for your bridge configurations.

Example:

set vpp interfaces bridge br1

Interface Description

set vpp interfaces bridge <brN> description <description>

Set a descriptive name for the bridge interface.

Example:

set vpp interfaces bridge br1 description "Main campus bridge"

Administrative Control

set vpp interfaces bridge <brN> disable

Administratively disable the bridge interface. By default, bridge interfaces are enabled when created.

Member Interface Configuration

Adding Member Interfaces

set vpp interfaces bridge <brN> member interface <interface-name>

Add an interface as a member of the bridge.

Examples:

# Add physical interfaces
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth0
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth1

# Add other VPP interfaces
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface bond0
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface gre1

Important

Bridge members can include various interface types such as:

Bridge Virtual Interface (BVI)

A Bridge Virtual Interface (BVI) provides Layer 3 connectivity to a bridge domain, allowing the bridge to have an IP address and participate in routing.

Configuring BVI

set vpp interfaces bridge <brN> member interface <loopback-interface> bvi

Designate a loopback interface as the Bridge Virtual Interface for the bridge domain.

Example:

# Create a loopback interface first
set vpp interfaces loopback lo1

# Add it to the bridge as BVI
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface lo1 bvi

Important

BVI Restrictions:

  • Only loopback interfaces can be configured as BVI

  • Each bridge domain can have only one BVI interface

Configuration Examples

Basic Bridge Setup

# Create bridge interface
set vpp interfaces bridge br1
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 description "Office network bridge"

# Add member interfaces
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth0
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth1
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth2

Bridge with BVI

# Create bridge and loopback for BVI
set vpp interfaces bridge br2
set vpp interfaces bridge br2 description "Server segment with gateway"
set vpp interfaces loopback lo1

# Configure bridge members
set vpp interfaces bridge br2 member interface eth3
set vpp interfaces bridge br2 member interface eth4
set vpp interfaces bridge br2 member interface lo1 bvi

Multi-Technology Bridge

# Create bridge combining different interface types
set vpp interfaces bridge br3
set vpp interfaces bridge br3 description "Hybrid network bridge"

# Add various interface types
set vpp interfaces bridge br3 member interface bond1
set vpp interfaces bridge br3 member interface gre1
set vpp interfaces bridge br3 member interface vxlan1
set vpp interfaces bridge br3 member interface lo2 bvi

Integration with Kernel Interfaces

Bridge interfaces can be integrated with kernel interfaces for management and compatibility with standard Linux networking services. This is accomplished by binding a kernel interface to the Bridge Virtual Interface (BVI).

For detailed information about kernel interface integration, see VPP Kernel Interfaces Configuration.

Example Integration:

# Create VPP bridge with member interfaces
set vpp interfaces bridge br1
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth1
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface eth2

# Create loopback interface and configure as BVI
set vpp interfaces loopback lo1
set vpp interfaces bridge br1 member interface lo1 bvi

# Bind kernel interface to the BVI loopback
set vpp interfaces loopback lo1 kernel-interface 'vpptun1'
set vpp kernel-interfaces vpptun1 address '192.0.2.1/24'

This configuration creates a kernel interface bound to the BVI, allowing standard Linux applications and routing daemons to interact with the VPP bridge. The kernel interface provides Layer 3 access to the bridge domain.