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 Enterprise Networking, Security, and Automation v7.02

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 /  Single-Area OSPFv2 Concepts /  OSPF Features and Characteristics

Enterprise Networking,
Security, and Automation

OSPF Features and Characteristics

Single-Area OSPFv2
1 
Concepts
1.1.1

1.0 Introduction 
Introduction to OSPF 

OSPF Features and

1.1
Characteristics 

This topic is a brief overview of Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), which includes single-area and multiarea. OSPFv2 is used
1.1.1 Introduction to OSPF
for IPv4 networks. OSPFv3 is used for IPv6 networks. The primary focus of this entire module is single-area OSPFv2.

1.1.2 Components of OSPF OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that was developed as an alternative for the distance vector Routing Information
Protocol (RIP). RIP was an acceptable routing protocol in the early days of networking and the internet. However, the RIP
reliance on hop count as the only metric for determining best route quickly became problematic. Using hop count does not
1.1.3 Link-State Operation
scale well in larger networks with multiple paths of varying speeds. OSPF has significant advantages over RIP in that it
offers faster convergence and scales to much larger network implementations.
1.1.4 Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that uses the concept of areas. A network administrator can divide the routing domain
into distinct areas that help control routing update traffic. A link is an interface on a router. A link is also a network segment
1.1.5 Multiarea OSPF
that connects two routers, or a stub network such as an Ethernet LAN that is connected to a single router. Information
about the state of a link is known as a link-state. All link-state information includes the network prefix, prefix length, and
1.1.6 OSPFv3 cost.

Check Your Understanding - OSPF This module covers basic, single-area OSPF implementations and configurations.
1.1.7
Features and Characteristics

1.2 OSPF Packets 

1.1.2
1.3 OSPF Operation 
Components of OSPF 

1.4 Module Practice and Quiz 

Single-Area OSPFv2 All routing protocols share similar components. They all use routing protocol messages to exchange route information. The
2 Configuration  messages help build data structures, which are then processed using a routing algorithm.

3 Network Security Concepts 

 Click each OSPF component below for more information.

4 ACL Concepts 
Routers running OSPF exchange messages to convey routing information using five types
Routing Protocol
Messages of packets. These packets, as shown in the figure, are as follows:

5 ACLs for IPv4 Configuration  Hello packet

Data Structures
Database description packet
Link-state request packet
6 NAT for IPv4  Algorithm Link-state update packet
Link-state acknowledgment packet

7 WAN Concepts  These packets are used to discover neighboring routers and also to exchange routing
information to maintain accurate information about the network.

8 VPN and IPsec Concepts 

Hello packets
Database description packets
9 QoS Concepts  Link-state Request packets
Link-state Update packets
Link-state Acknowledgement packets
10 Network Management 

11 Network Design 

  

12 Network Troubleshooting 
 13 Network Virtualization 

Link-State Operation 

14 Network Automation 

To maintain routing information, OSPF routers complete a generic link-state routing process to reach a state of
Enterprise Networking, convergence. The figure shows a five router topology. Each link between routers is labeled with a cost value. In OSPF, cost
Security, and Automation is used to determine the best path to the destination. The following are the link-state routing steps that are completed by a
router:

Single-Area OSPFv2 1. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies

1 Concepts  2. Exchange Link-State Advertisements
3. Build the Link State Database
4. Execute the SPF Algorithm
1.0 Introduction  5. Choose the Best Route

OSPF Features and

1.1
Characteristics 
Click each button for an illustration of the steps in the link-state routing process that R1 uses to reach
1.1.1 Introduction to OSPF  convergence.

1.1.2 Components of OSPF

1. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies
1. Establish Neighbor
Adjacencies
1.1.3 Link-State Operation OSPF-enabled routers must recognize each other on the network before they can share
information. An OSPF-enabled router sends Hello packets out all OSPF-enabled
2. Exchange Link-
interfaces to determine if neighbors are present on those links. If a neighbor is present,
1.1.4 Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF State Advertisements
the OSPF-enabled router attempts to establish a neighbor adjacency with that neighbor.

1.1.5 Multiarea OSPF 3. Build the Link State

Database
Routers Exchange Hello Packets
1.1.6 OSPFv3
4. Execute the SPF 10.5.0.0/16
Algorithm
Check Your Understanding - OSPF
1.1.7
Features and Characteristics 10.2.0.0/16 10.9.0.0/16
5. Choose the Best R2
Route
10.1.0.0/16 10.11.0.0/16
1.2 OSPF Packets 
10.6.0.0/16
R1 10.3.0.0/16 R3 R5
1.3 OSPF Operation  10.7.0.0/16

10.4.0.0/16 10.10.0.0/16
1.4 Module Practice and Quiz 
R4

Single-Area OSPFv2
2  10.8.0.0/16
Configuration

3 Hello Packets
Network Security Concepts 

4 ACL Concepts 
  

5 ACLs for IPv4 Configuration 

1.1.4

6 NAT for IPv4 

Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF 

7 WAN Concepts 

To make OSPF more efficient and scalable, OSPF supports hierarchical routing using areas. An OSPF area is a group of
routers that share the same link-state information in their LSDBs. OSPF can be implemented in one of two ways, as follows:
8 VPN and IPsec Concepts 
Single-Area OSPF - All routers are in one area. Best practice is to use area 0.
Multiarea OSPF - OSPF is implemented using multiple areas, in a hierarchical fashion. All areas must connect to the
9 QoS Concepts  backbone area (area 0). Routers interconnecting the areas are referred to as Area Border Routers (ABRs).

The focus of this module is on single-area OSPFv2.

10 Network Management 

 Click each button to compare single-area and multiarea OSPF.

11 Network Design 

Single-Area OSPF Multiarea OSPF

12 Network Troubleshooting 
 13 Network Virtualization 

OSPF Area 0
14 Network Automation 

Enterprise Networking,
Security, and Automation

Single-Area OSPFv2
1 
Concepts
R1 R2 R3
1.0 Introduction 

OSPF Features and

1.1
Characteristics 

1.1.1 Introduction to OSPF

  

1.1.2 Components of OSPF

1.1.5
1.1.3 Link-State Operation

1.1.4 Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF

Multiarea OSPF 

1.1.5 Multiarea OSPF

With multiarea OSPF, one large routing domain can be divided into smaller areas, to support hierarchical routing. Routing
still occurs between the areas (interarea routing), while many of the processor intensive routing operations, such as
1.1.6 OSPFv3
recalculating the database, are kept within an area.

Check Your Understanding - OSPF For instance, any time a router receives new information about a topology change within the area (including the addition,
1.1.7
Features and Characteristics deletion, or modification of a link) the router must rerun the SPF algorithm, create a new SPF tree, and update the routing
table. The SPF algorithm is CPU-intensive and the time it takes for calculation depends on the size of the area.
1.2 OSPF Packets 
Note: Routers in other areas receive updates regarding topology changes, but these routers only update the routing table,
not rerun the SPF algorithm.
1.3 OSPF Operation 
Too many routers in one area would make the LSDBs very large and increase the load on the CPU. Therefore, arranging
1.4 Module Practice and Quiz  routers into areas effectively partitions a potentially large database into smaller and more manageable databases.

The hierarchical-topology design options with multiarea OSPF can offer the following advantages.
Single-Area OSPFv2
2 Configuration  Smaller routing tables - Tables are smaller because there are fewer routing table entries. This is because network
addresses can be summarized between areas. Route summarization is not enabled by default.
Reduced link-state update overhead - Designing multiarea OSPF with smaller areas minimizes processing and
3 Network Security Concepts  memory requirements.
Reduced frequency of SPF calculations - Multiarea OSPF localize the impact of a topology change within an area. For
instance, it minimizes routing update impact because LSA flooding stops at the area boundary.
4 ACL Concepts 
For example, in the figure R2 is an ABR for area 51. A topology change in area 51 would cause all area 51 routers to rerun
the SPF algorithm, create a new SPF tree and update their IP routing tables. The ABR, R2, would send an LSA to routers in
the area 0, which would eventually be flooded to all routers in the OSPF routing domain. This type of LSA does not cause
5 ACLs for IPv4 Configuration 
routers in other areas to rerun the SPF algorithm. They only have to update their LSDB and routing table.

6 NAT for IPv4 

Link Change Impacts Local Area Only

7 WAN Concepts  Area 1 Area 0 Area 51

8 VPN and IPsec Concepts 

9 QoS Concepts 
R1 R2

10 Network Management 
X

11 Network Design 

Link failure affects the local area only (area 51).

12 Network Troubleshooting  The ABR (R2) isolates the flooding of a specific LSA to area 51.
Routers in areas 0 and 1 do not need to run the SPF algorithm.
 13 Network Virtualization 

14 Network Automation 
1.1.6

Enterprise Networking,
Security, and Automation OSPFv3 

OSPFv3 is the OSPFv2 equivalent for exchanging IPv6 prefixes. Recall that in IPv6, the network address is referred to as the
Single-Area OSPFv2
1  prefix and the subnet mask is called the prefix-length.
Concepts

Similar to its IPv4 counterpart, OSPFv3 exchanges routing information to populate the IPv6 routing table with remote
1.0 Introduction  prefixes.

OSPF Features and Note: With the OSPFv3 Address Families feature, OSPFv3 includes support for both IPv4 and IPv6. OSPF Address Families
1.1
Characteristics 
is beyond the scope of this curriculum.

1.1.1 Introduction to OSPF OSPFv2 runs over the IPv4 network layer, communicating with other OSPF IPv4 peers, and advertising only IPv4 routes.

OSPFv3 has the same functionality as OSPFv2, but uses IPv6 as the network layer transport, communicating with OSPFv3
1.1.2 Components of OSPF
peers and advertising IPv6 routes. OSPFv3 also uses the SPF algorithm as the computation engine to determine the best
paths throughout the routing domain.
1.1.3 Link-State Operation
OSPFv3 has separate processes from its IPv4 counterpart. The processes and operations are basically the same as in the
IPv4 routing protocol, but run independently. OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 each have separate adjacency tables, OSPF topology
1.1.4 Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF
tables, and IP routing tables, as shown in the figure.

1.1.5 Multiarea OSPF The OSPFv3 configuration and verification commands are similar to those used in OSPFv2.

1.1.6 OSPFv3 OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 Data Structures

Check Your Understanding - OSPF
1.1.7
Features and Characteristics
Neighbor Topology Routing Neighbor Topology Routing Table
Table Table Table Table Table
1.2 OSPF Packets 

R1 - OSPFv2 R2 - OSPFv2
1.3 OSPF Operation 

IPv4 Network
1.4 Module Practice and Quiz 

R1 R2
Single-Area OSPFv2
2 Configuration  IPv6 Network

R1 - OSPFv3 R2 - OSPFv3
3 Network Security Concepts 

Neighbor Topology Routing Neighbor Topology Routing Table

Table Table Table Table Table
4 ACL Concepts 

5 ACLs for IPv4 Configuration 

1.1.7
6 NAT for IPv4 
Check Your Understanding - OSPF Features and 

7 WAN Concepts  Characteristics

8 VPN and IPsec Concepts 

Check your understanding of OSPF features and characteristics by choosing the BEST answer to the
 following questions.
9 QoS Concepts 

1. Which of the following OSPF components is associated with the neighbor

10 Network Management  table?

Dijkstra's algorithm
11 Network Design  Link-State database

Routing protocol messages

12 Network Troubleshooting  Adjacency database

Forwarding database
 13 Network Virtualization  2. Which of the following OSPF components is responsible for computing the
cost of each route?

14 Dijkstra's algorithm
Network Automation 
Link-State database

Enterprise Networking, Routing protocol messages

Security, and Automation Adjacency database

Forwarding database

Single-Area OSPFv2
1  3. Which of the following OSPF components is associated with the topology
Concepts
table?

1.0 Introduction  Dijkstra's algorithm

Link-State database
OSPF Features and
1.1
Characteristics 
Routing protocol messages

Adjacency database
1.1.1 Introduction to OSPF
Forwarding database

1.1.2 Components of OSPF

4. Which of the following OSPF components is associated with the routing
table?
1.1.3 Link-State Operation
Dijkstra's algorithm
1.1.4 Single-Area and Multiarea OSPF Link-State database

Routing protocol messages

1.1.5 Multiarea OSPF
Adjacency database

1.1.6 OSPFv3 Forwarding database

Check Your Understanding - OSPF 5. What is the correct order in the steps for Link-State operation?
1.1.7
Features and Characteristics
1. Execute the SPF Algorithm
1.2 OSPF Packets  2. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies
3. Exchange Link-State Advertisements
4. Choose the Best Route
1.3 OSPF Operation  5. Build the Topology Table

1.4 Module Practice and Quiz  1. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies

2. Choose the Best Route
3. Build the Topology Table
Single-Area OSPFv2 4. Execute the SPF Algorithm
2 Configuration  5. Exchange Link-State Advertisements

1. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies

3 Network Security Concepts  2. Exchange Link-State Advertisements
3. Execute the SPF Algorithm
4. Choose the Best Route
4 ACL Concepts  5. Build the Topology Table

1. Establish Neighbor Adjacencies

Check
5 2. Exchange Link-State Advertisements
ACLs for IPv4 Configuration 
3. Build the Topology Table
4. Execute the SPF Algorithm Show Me
5. Choose the Best Route
6 NAT for IPv4 
Reset

7 WAN Concepts 

 Introduction 
1.0 1.2
OSPF Packets
8 VPN and IPsec Concepts 

9 QoS Concepts 

10 Network Management 

11 Network Design 

12 Network Troubleshooting 