Greetings
Am have tried to find out what is the abbreviation for SOVC with no luck.
#sh bgp ipv4 unicast rpki servers
BGP SOVC neighbor is X.X.X.47/323 connected to port 323
Anyone have encountered this?
Thanks!
I’m not sure what the acronym is, but I believe it’s an origin validator connection.
(bap rpki server)
Owen
ChatGPT says:
SOVC in the context of RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) on a Cisco router stands for “Stale Origin Validation Cache”. RPKI is a security framework designed to secure the Internet’s routing infrastructure, primarily through route origin validation. It ensures that the Internet number resources (like IP addresses and AS numbers) are used by the legitimate owners or authorized AS (Autonomous System).
In RPKI, Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) are used to define which AS is authorized to announce a specific IP address block. Network devices, like Cisco routers, use these ROAs to validate the authenticity of BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) route announcements.
The term “stale” in SOVC refers to a situation where the router’s RPKI-to-Router protocol client has lost its connection to the RPKI server, or when the RPKI cache data is outdated and not refreshed for some reason. This can happen due to network issues, configuration errors, or problems with the RPKI server itself. When the RPKI cache is stale, the router cannot reliably validate BGP route announcements against the latest ROA data, potentially affecting routing decisions.
In a network security context, maintaining an up-to-date RPKI cache is crucial for ensuring that the network only accepts legitimate routing announcements, thereby reducing the risk of routing hijacks or misconfigurations. As a network security engineer, managing and monitoring the RPKI status on routers is an important aspect of ensuring network security and integrity.
I see it mentioned in this doc:
I'd be curious to know why it thinks that the S is "Stale". I don't suppose it cites its sources?
I see it mentioned in this doc:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/iproute_bgp/configuration/15-s/irg-15-s-book/irg-origin-as.pdf
You see SOVC mentioned, yes. But you don’t see the word ‘stale’.
Please don’t just paste what ChatGPT says. It’s not an authoritative source. I can find no Cisco document stating what the acronym MEANS. But the context they use it seems to imply the word ‘stale’ isn’t appropriate.
SOVC appears to be a Cisco-specific acronym and it’s pretty certain that the OVC stands for Origin Validation Cache. My best intuition based on the research I’ve been able to do is that the S stands for Secure (on the pretense that RPKI and Origin Validation have something to do with security and because X.509 certificate and encryption and marketing buzzwords YAY!)
Juniper refers to their equivalent database simply as “Route Validation (RV) Records in the RV Database.
Hope that helps.
Owen
I think it hallucinated.
When asked to site its sources:
“I apologize for the confusion, but my response about “SOVC” in the context of RPKI on Cisco routers was based on general knowledge of RPKI and networking principles, not from a specific source. The explanation combined standard practices and concepts in network security and routing, especially as they relate to RPKI and BGP.
Since the acronym “SOVC” is not a standard or widely recognized term in the context of RPKI, it’s possible that it might be specific to certain environments or proprietary to certain Cisco router models or software versions. For the most accurate and detailed information, it’s always best to consult the official Cisco documentation or support resources, especially for terms that might be specific to their products.”
How polite of it to apologize!!
I asked Bing’s Copilot and it says SOVC stands for “Signed Object Validation Cache” but I wasn’t able to get a source for that either 
Oh these AI times…
Warm regards,
Sofía
I can confirm that the official abbreviation is: Secured Origin Validate Cache
Kind Regards,
Dominik Dobrowolski
Thanks all for the kind reply and feedback. I guess Sofia listed the needed : )