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Do you have to use the 'unicast' keyword on the 'address-family vpnv4 unicast' command? 

Please explain the scenario when you would use it and when you would not.  Thanks.

Example Router 5:

 address-family vpnv4
 neighbor 24.1.4.4 activate
 neighbor 24.1.4.4 send-community extended
 neighbor 24.1.4.4 next-hop-self
 neighbor 24.1.56.6 activate
 neighbor 24.1.56.6 send-community extended
 exit-address-family

Rack1R5#show ip bgp vpnv4 all summary
BGP router identifier 24.1.5.5, local AS number 200
BGP table version is 1, main routing table version 1

Neighbor        V    AS MsgRcvd MsgSent   TblVer  InQ OutQ Up/Down  State/PfxRcd
24.1.4.4        4   200     176     173        1    0    0 00:19:30        0
24.1.56.6       4   100     179     137        1    0    0 00:15:06        0
Rack1R5#

It depends on IOS, if you do or don't have unicast keyword. However it does nothing, as all VPNv4's are unicast, so address-family vpnv4 unicast does exactly the same thing as address-family vpnv4.

Maybe in the future they will create a new SAFI for AFI VPNv4 :)