Specifications
Implementing IS-IS on Cisco IOS XR Software
Information About Implementing IS-IS on Cisco IOS XR Software
RC-173
Cisco IOS XR Routing Configuration Guide
Overload Bit Configuration During Multitopology Operation
Because the overload bit applies to forwarding for a single topology, it may be configured and cleared 
independently for IPv4 and IPv6 during multitopology operation. For this reason, the overload is set 
from the router address family configuration mode. If the IPv4 overload bit is set, all routers in the area 
do not use the router for IPv4 transit traffic. However, they can still use the router for IPv6 transit traffic.
Single-Topology IPv6 Support
Single-topology IPv6 support on Cisco IOS XR software allows IS-IS for IPv6 to be configured on 
interfaces along with an IPv4 network protocol. All interfaces must be configured with the identical set 
of network protocols, and all routers in the IS-IS area (for Level 1 routing) or the domain (for Level 2 
routing) must support the identical set of network layer protocols on all interfaces. 
When single-topology support for IPv6 is used, only narrow link metrics, also known as old-style type, 
length, and value (TLV) arguments, may be employed. During single-topology operation, one shortest 
path first (SPF) computation for each level is used to compute both IPv4 and IPv6 routes. Using a single 
SPF is possible because both IPv4 IS-IS and IPv6 IS-IS routing protocols share a common link topology.
Multitopology IPv6 Support
Multitopology IPv6 support on Cisco IOS XR software for IS-IS assumes that multitopology support is 
required as soon as it detects interfaces configured for both IPv6 and IPv4 within the IS-IS stanza.
Because multitopology is the default behavior in the software, you must explicitly configure IPv6 to use 
the same topology as IPv4 to enable single-topology IPv6. Configure the single-topology command in 
IPv6 router address family configuration submode of the IS-IS router stanza.
IS-IS Authentication
Authentication is available to limit the establishment of adjacencies by using the hello-password 
command, and to limit the exchange of LSPs by using the lsp-password command.
IS-IS supports plain-text authentication, which does not provide security against unauthorized users. 
Plain-text authentication allows you to configure a password to prevent unauthorized networking devices 
from forming adjacencies with the router. The password is exchanged as plain text and is potentially 
visible to an agent able to view the IS-IS packets. 
When an HMAC-MD5 password is configured, the password is never sent over the network and is 
instead used to calculate a cryptographic checksum to ensure the integrity of the exchanged data.
IS-IS stores a configured password using simple encryption. However, the plain-text form of the 
password is used in LSPs, sequence number protocols (SNPs), and hello packets, which would be visible 
to a process that can view IS-IS packets. The passwords can be entered in plain text (clear) or encrypted 
form.
To set the domain password, configure the lsp-password command for Level 2; to set the area password, 
configure the lsp-password command for Level 1.










