TechTip: Decypher Avaya ERS 8600 VRRP State Transition Trap Messages

If you see something like this in your Avaya ERS (Nortel Passport) 8600 device logs (usually after some alerts, or depending on your configuration, timeouts):

CPU6 [12/13/10 12:24:26] SNMP INFO VRF name: GlobalRouter (VRF id 0): Vrrp State Transition Trap(Port/Vlan=5, Type=3, Cause=5, VrId=5,VrIpAddr=10.1.1.1, Addr=10.1.1.2)

CPU6 [12/13/10 12:24:28] SNMP INFO VRF name: GlobalRouter (VRF id 0): Vrrp State Transition Trap(Port/Vlan=5, Type=3, Cause=1, VrId=5,VrIpAddr=10.1.1.1, Addr=10.1.1.2)

CPU6 [12/13/10 12:24:29] SNMP INFO VRF name: GlobalRouter (VRF id 0): Vrrp State Transition Trap(Port/Vlan=5, Type=2, Cause=2, VrId=5,VrIpAddr=10.1.1.1, Addr=10.1.1.2)

Decyphering the above can be somewhat of a challenge, without digging through device-specific MIB's (I couldn't find the descriptions anywhere in Nortel/Avaya documentation, only reference there, is to the SNMP OID of 1.3.6.1.2.1.46.1.3.0.3). After much searching and looking through MIB codes, this is what I could gather.

Vrrp State Transition Trap Types

1 - N/A
2 - State change from Master to Backup
3 - State change from Backup to Master
4 - State change from Initializing to to Master
5 - State change from Master to Initializing
6 - State change from Initializing to Backup
7 - State change from Backup to Initializing
8 - State change from Backup to Backup Master
9 - State change from Backup Master to Backup

Vrrp State Transition Trap Causes:
1 - N/A
2 - Higher priority advertisement received
3 - Shutdown command received
4 - VRRP address and physical address matched
5 - Master down interval exceeded
6 - VRRP state preempted
7 - Critical IP failed
8 - User initiated state change
9 - Synchronization from primary
10 - IP interface is down
11 - Lower priority advertisement received
12 - Equal priority but higher source IP advertisement recevied
13 - Equal priority but lower source IP advertisement recevied
14 - Virtual router startup
15 - N/A

So, therefore above error messages could be interpreted as:
 

12/13/10 12:24:26 - VLAN 5 VRRP - state change from Backup to Master due to Master being down

12/13/10 12:24:28 - VLAN 5 VRRP - state change from Backup to Master repeat trap (no reason given)

12/13/10 12:24:29 - VLAN 5 VRRP - state change back from Master to Backup, Master doesn't appear to be down

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Appendix - SNMP Trap Information

OID: 1.3.6.1.2.1.46.1.3.0.3

Notification Type: vrrpTrapStateTransition

Objects: ifIndex, vrrpTrapStateTransitionType, vrrpTrapStateTransitionCause, vrrpOperVrId, vrrpOperIpAddr, ipAdEntAddr

Description: A vrrpTrapStateTransition trap signifies a state transition has occurred on a particular vrrp interface. Implementation of this trap is optional. ’vrrpOperIpAddr’contains the IP address of the vrrp interface while ipAdEntAddr’ contains the IP address assigned  to physical interface.

Source Excerpt:

bsveVrrpTrapStateTransitionType OBJECT-TYPE
    SYNTAX        INTEGER {
        none(1),
        masterToBackup(2),
        backupToMaster(3),
        initializeToMaster(4),
        masterToInitialize(5),
        initializeToBackup(6),
        backupToInitialize(7),
        backupToBackUpMaster(8),
        backUpMasterToBackup(9)
    }
bsveVrrpTrapStateTransitionCause OBJECT-TYPE
    SYNTAX        INTEGER {
        none(1),
        higherPriorityAdvertizeReceived(2),
        shutdownReceived(3),
        vrrpAddrAndPhysicalAddrMatch(4),
        masterDownInterval(5),
        preempted(6),
        criticalIPFail(7),
        usrConfig(8),
        syncFromPrimary(9),
        iPInterfaceDown(10),
        lowerPrioAdvReceived(11),
        higherSrcIPEqualPrioAdvReceived(12),
        lowerSrcIPEqualPrioAdvReceived(13),
        startVR(14),
        other(15)
    }