OSPF Introduction Link-state routing protocols perform differently from distance vector protocols.

One essential difference between distance vector and link state routing protocols is that distance vector protocols use a simpler method to exchange route information. The following outlines the characteristics of both distance vector and link-state routing protocols. Link-state routing algorithms maintain a complex database of topology information. While the distance vector algorithm has nonspecific information about distant networks and no knowledge of distant routers, a link-state routing algorithm maintains full knowledge of distant routers and how they are interconnected.

Link-State Algorithm
OSPF is a link-state protocol. We could think of a link as being an interface on the router. The state of the link is a description of that interface and of its relationship to its neighbouring routers. A description of the interface would include, for example, the IP address of the interface, the mask, the type of network it is connected to, the routers connected to that network and so on. The collection of all these link-states would form a link-state database. OSPF uses a link-state algorithm in order to build and calculate the shortest path to all known destinations. The algorithm by itself is quite complicated. The following is a very simplified way of looking at the various steps of the algorithm: 1. Upon initialization or due to any change in routing information, a router will generate a link-state advertisement. This advertisement will represent the collection of all linkstates on that router. 2. All routers will exchange link-states by means of flooding. Each router that receives a link-state update should store a copy in its link-state database and then propagate the update to other routers. 3. After the database of each router is completed, the router will calculate a Shortest Path Tree to all destinations. The router uses the Dijkstra algorithm to calculate the shortest path tree. The destinations, the associated cost and the next hop to reach those destinations will form the IP routing table. 4. In case no changes in the OSPF network occur, such as cost of a link or a network being added or deleted, OSPF should be very quiet. Any changes that occur are communicated via link-state packets, and the Dijkstra algorithm is recalculated to find the shortest path. The following are advantages of link-state routing protocols:

Link-state protocols use cost metrics to choose paths through the network. The cost metric reflects the capacity of the links on those paths. Link-state protocols use triggered updates and LSA floods to immediately report changes in the network topology to all routers in the network. This leads to fast convergence times. Each router has a complete and synchronized picture of the network. Therefore, it is very difficult for routing loops to occur.

Routers use the latest information to make the best routing decisions. The link-state database sizes can be minimized with careful network design. This leads to smaller Dijkstra calculations and faster convergence. Every router, at the very least, maps the topology of its own area of the network. This attribute helps to troubleshoot problems that can occur. Link-state protocols support CIDR (Classless routing) and VLSM (Variable length subnet masking).

The following are some disadvantages of link-state routing protocols:

They require more memory and processor power than distance vector protocols. This makes it expensive to use for organizations with small budgets and legacy hardware. They require strict hierarchical network design, so that a network can be broken into smaller areas to reduce the size of the topology tables. They require an administrator who understands the protocols well. They flood the network with LSAs during the initial discovery process. This process can significantly decrease the capability of the network to transport data. It can noticeably degrade the network performance.

OSPF overview OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that is based on open standards. It is described in several standards of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The Open in OSPF means that it is open to the public and is non-proprietary. OSPF, when compared to RIP v1 and v2, is the preferred IGP (Interior Gateway Protocol) because it is scalable. RIP is limited to 15 hops, it converges slowly, and it sometimes chooses slow routes because it ignores critical factors such as bandwidth in route determination. OSPF networks use a hierarchical design. Multiple areas connect to a distribution area, or area 0 which is also called the backbone. The design approach allows for extensive control of routing updates. Area definition reduces routing overhead, speeds up convergence, confines network instability to an area, and improves performance.

Link - an interface on a router Link State The status of link between two routers. It shows an intrface and its relationship to its neighbour routers. OSPF gathers information from neighbour routers about the link status of each OSPF router. This information is flooded to all its neighbours. An OSPF router advertises its own linkstates and passes on received link-states. LSA - The router link LSA includes the Router_ID of the router that originated the message (called the advertising router) and a description of each of the links connected to it. Link descriptions vary by the type of connected network. However, in this example the information in the LSA about a synchronous link includes: IP address of the link. Subnet mask used on the link.

 The router ID of the remote end router. The type of the link ( eg point-to-point). Metric or cost assigned to the link.

Link-state Database - also called the topological database. A list of information about all other routers on the network. The routers process the information about link-states and build a link-state database. Every router in the OSPF area will have the same link-state database. Therefore, every router has the same information about the state of the links and the neighbours of every other router. Area A collection of routers and networks that have the same area identification. Areas are used by an administrator to reduce the amount of traffic exchanged by routers. This in effect reduces the amount of information in the router data base and hence the complexity of calculations. Each router within an area has the same link-state information. OSPF gives each router and each area an Identification (ID). This is usually a decimal number. Cost A value assigned to a link. OSPF assigns cost based on the bandwidth of a link. Each router then applies the SPF algorithm on its own copy of the database. This calculation determines the best route to a destination. The SPF algorithm adds up the cost, the lowest cost path is added to the routing table, which is also known as the forwarding database.

Adjacency database - Each router keeps a list of adjacent neighbours, called the adjacency database. The adjacency database is a list of all the neighbour routers to which a router has established bidirectional communication. This is unique to each router. Designated Router (DR) -To reduce the number of exchanges of routing information among several neighbours on the same network, OSPF routers elect a designated router (DR) and a backup designated router (BDR) that serve as focal points for routing information exchange.

Autonomous System (AS) An AS is a collection of networks under a common administration that share a common routing strategy. To the outside world, an AS is viewed as a single entity. The AS may be run by one or more operators while it presents a consistent view of routing to the external world. Autonomous systems divide the global internetwork into smaller and more manageable networks. Each AS has its own set of rules and policies and an AS number that will distinguish it from all other autonomous systems. Routers within an AS all use the same IGP (interior gateway protocol). IGP Interior routing protocols are designed for use in a network that is controlled by a single organization (AS). The design criteria for an interior routing protocol require it to find the best path through the network (AS).

EGP An exterior routing protocol is designed for use between two different networks (ASs) that are under the control of two different organizations. These are typically used between ISPs or between a company and an ISP. For example, a company would run BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), an exterior routing protocol, between one of its routers and a router inside an ISP. IP exterior gateway protocols require the following three sets of information before routing can begin:

A list of neighbour routers with which to exchange routing information A list of networks to advertise as directly reachable The autonomous system number of the local router

EGPs allow interconnection of networks using different routing protocols.