Route leaking using static route

Question

I have 2 routers R1 and R2 linearly connected. R1's lo0 is in a vrf. R1 has the below config:

R1#sho run int lo0
Building configuration...

Current configuration : 81 bytes
!
interface Loopback0
 ip vrf forwarding TEST
 ip address 3.3.3.3 255.0.0.0
end



R1#sho ip int brief | i up
FastEthernet0/0            1.1.1.1         YES manual up                    up
Loopback0                  3.3.3.3         YES manual up                    up
R1#
R1#
R1#sho run | sec route
ip route vrf TEST 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 1.1.1.2 global
R1#
R1#sho run | sec vrf
ip vrf TEST
 ip vrf forwarding TEST
ip route vrf TEST 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 1.1.1.2 global

R2 has the below config:

R2#sho ip int bri | i up
FastEthernet0/0            1.1.1.2         YES manual up                    up
Loopback0                  100.0.0.1       YES manual up                    up
R2#
R2#sho run | sec route
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 1.1.1.1
R2#

I want to ping from R2 to vrf lo0 of R1; but it fails, even though i have configured static route leaking. Please suggest why it fails

Answer 1

The global table on R1 has no idea how to get to 3.3.3.3 in vrf TEST. You will have to import the loopback into the global table.

Answer 2

Think of your VRF as another router and draw it out that way. If R2 needs to ping 3.3.3.3, you've configured it to send the traffic to 1.1.1.1. Which is great, however, 1.1.1.1 (R1 - global VRF) does not have a route to 3.3.3.3 and will drop the traffic. You will need to tell R1 to send traffic for 3.3.3.3 into the VRF, and then tell the VRF to send traffic out to 1.1.1.1 to reply.

You may also need a route in the R1 Global table for 100.0.0.1 pointing to 1.1.1.2 if you want to ping 3.3.3.3 from R2's loopback.