BFD (Bidirectional Forwarding Detection)

BFD runs independent from any other (routing) protocols.

When BFD is up and running, you can configure protocols like OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, HSRP, ETC. to use BFD for link
failure detection instead of their own mechanisms.
When the link fails, the BFD will inform the protocol.
How BFD works?
BFD modes of operation
1. Asynchronous mode
2. Demand mode
BFD configuration
Two step processes
3. Enable BFD on interface
4. Configure routing protocols/clients to use BFD
BFD modes
There are two operating modes to BFD, asynchronous mode and demand mode.
Asynchronous mode is similar to the hello and holddown timers, BFD will keep sending hello packets (called
BFD control packets) and when you don’t receive some of them, the session is teared down.
The demand mode is different, once BFD has found a neighbor it won’t continuously send control packets but
only uses a polling mechanism.
Another method has to be used to check reachability, for example, it could check the receive and transmit
statics of the interface.
Both modes also support something called echo mode. When a device sends BFD echo packets then the
receiver will return them without processing them. When the sender doesn’t send the BFD echo packets back,
it knows something is wrong and will tear down the session.
BFD packets processed at the line cards.