Link State Routing

In particular OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)

Link State Protocol

Complete information about network topology Uses Dijkstras Shortest Path Tree algorithm Replaces RIP for more complex topologies Faster convergence time

Link State Packets

LSPs represent the state of a router and its links to the rest of the network Works directly for point to point links Broadcast networks (LANs) and NBMA networks are represented by virtual nodes inside the topology Designated routers speak on their behalf

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Non-broadcast networks
NBMA Non-broadcast Multiple Access Full mesh of connectivity (with DR) Point-to-Multipoint Collection of point-to-point links No full mesh of connectivity (without DR)

Learn to know your neighbours

Easy on point to point links Just send out greetings (hello packets) to the other side A little more advanced on broadcast networks Send out HELLOs using multicast Not all neighbours will become adjacent

LSP generation
Periodic announcements (long period) Triggered updates when there are changes New neighbour Change of link cost Link failure

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LSP distribution
LSPs are distributed throughout the network Cannot use the routing database (chicken/egg problem) Ordinary ooding is problematic Needs TTL to prevent loops Generates exponential behavior Smart ooding recognizes identical LSPs

Most recent LSP problem

LSPs may arrive out of order Needs a mechanism to recognize older packets Timestamps? Can lock up if clocks are not synchronised or out of order! Sequence numbers with an aging procedure

Pitfalls
Sequence numbers may wrap Sequence number comparison is not a total linear order Cyclic behaviour is possible

c a<b<c<a a b
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Intermezzo
The devilish dice There are three dice, A, B and C such that A is better than B B is better than C C is better than A

A:333333

B:222255

C:114444
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ARPANET lockup
ba ac cb S xcba P ab ca bc Q c b a c b a R
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Lockup solution
Large sequence number space Wait for timeouts after overow Age eld Always increase at least by one Increase periodically

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OSPF advantages (1)

Introduces hierarchical routing Supports load balancing Supports subnets Supports unnumbered interfaces/networks

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OSPF advantages (2)

Built in authentication Uses multicast for ooding Metrics built on cost, per interface, per TOS This is optional and not used much Chicken/egg problem again Easily extendable for multicast routing (MOSPF)

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OSPF fun :)
IETF T-shirt IS - IS = 0 Old time IETF versus ISO controversy But OSPF really builds on BBNs research on SPF Early versions of OSIs IS-IS

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Some OSPF facts

OSPF builds directly upon IP Uses protocol type 89 Current version is 2 RFC 2328 (Moy, 1998) RFC 2740 (OSPF for IPv6) -> version 3 OSPF uses LSA (Link State Advertisement) terminology in stead of LSP

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Timers and Overow

These must be the same for all OSPF routers HelloInterval (default 10 sec) RouterDeadInterval (default 40 sec) In case of database overow external routing information is dropped rst

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Consistent LSP databases

LSPs must be acknowledged LSPs are queued/agged for transmission LSPs must time out at about the same time triggered distribution of age MaxAge packets which must be honored

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(Backup) Designated Router

A Designated Router (DR) and a Backup Designated Router (BDR) is elected on every multi-access network using Hello packets The (B)DR represents the network as a (virtual) node and acts on its behalf The DR/BDR election process is sticky The priority of routers can be congured

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Multicast usage
On LANs every router becomes adjacent to the Designated Router
Link State Update Link State Ack

R Multicast to AllDRouters (224.0.0.6)

DR (BDR)

Multicast to AllSPFRouters (224.0.0.5)

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Hierarchical routing
Backbone Area 0 Limbs (non-backbone subsystems) Areas 0

Backbone (area 0) ABRs 1 2 3 4

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Virtual links
Area 5 Not physically linked to the backbone Virtual link created to a real ABR Behaves as an unnumbered point to point link inside the backbone area

Backbone (area 0) 5 1 2 3 4
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Inter area summaries

Injected by ABRs Hub and spoke topology Summary information is spread RIP-like No loops or slow convergence Virtual links maintain hub and spoke point to point tunneled through an area

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Router roles
Backbone router Has an interface to the backbone Internal router All interfaces inside a single area Area Border Router (ABR) Has an interface in two or more areas Autonomous System Border Router (ASBR) Participates in other (external) routing protocol

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ASBR
Can be part of any area Interfaces with other routing protocols BGP, RIP, IS-IS, Injects external routes into OSPF ASBR notion is independent of backbone, internal or ABR router

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Stub area
Area into which no external routing information is injected by the ABRs Uses a default route for all external destinations A default route is injected by all ABRs If even inter-area summaries are not injected the stub area is totally stubby

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OSPF packet header

version packet type router ID area ID checksum authentication type packet length

authentication data

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OSPF packet types

Hello Database Description Link State Request Link State Update Link State Acknowledgement

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OSPF hello packet

network mask hello interval options priority router dead interval designated router backup designated router neighbor #1 neighbor #N

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OSPF DD packet
MTU options ags DD sequence number LSA header #1 LSA header #N

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OSPF LS request packet

LS type #1 link state ID #1 advertising router #1 LS type #N link state ID #N advertising router #N

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OSPF LS update packet

Number of LSAs LSA #1 LSA #N

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OSPF LS Ack packet

LSA header #1

LSA header #N

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Link State Advertisements

Multiple LSAs may be found inside a Link State Update packet Every LSA consists of LSA Header (20 bytes) LSA type specic content

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LS(A) header
LS age options link state ID advertising router LS sequence number LS checksum length LS type

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LSA types
Router LSA (type 1) Network LSA (type 2) Network Summary LSA (type 3) AS Boundary Router Summary LSA (type 4) AS External LSA (type 5)

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NSSA
Not So Stubby Area Support for certain external routes throughout the area itself Uses its own special type (7) Translated at the ABR into ordinary external route for the rest of the OSPF AS

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Router LSA (LS type = 1)

reserved E B reserved link ID link data link type TOS #1 TOS #N # of TOS reserved reserved metric #N repeat for every link TOS 0 metric metric #1 number of links

Originated by every router Flooded throughout the area(s)

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Network LSA (LS type = 2)

network mask attached router #1 attached router #N

Originated by Designated Router Flooded throughout the area

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Summary LSA (type = 3, 4)

network mask for type 3 (0 for type 4) TOS #1 TOS #N metric #N metric #1

Originated by Area Border Router Flooded throughout the area(s)

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External LSA (LS type 5)

E TOS #1 network mask metric #1 forwarding address #1 external route tag #1 E TOS #N metric #N forwarding address #N external route tag #N

Originated by AS Border Router Flooded throughout the whole AS

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