OSPF Mechanics

OSPF Router ID
Each router selects an OSPF Router ID when the OSPF process starts. The Router ID is a 32 bit number, usually written in dotted decimal format. The selection process is:
1.Manually configured Router ID
R(config-router)# router-id ROUTER-ID
2.Highest Loopback IP address
3.Highest non-Loopback “up/up” IP address
The interface used for Router ID doesn’t have to run OSPF and the router ID chosen when OSPF starts will remain even if the interface changes status or is deleted.
To use a new Router ID, type:
R# clear ip ospf process
OSFP Network Types
Feature
Broadcast
Non-Broadcast
Point-to-point
Point-to-multipoint
Point-to-multipoint non-broadcast
Default for
Ethernet
FR physical, FR MP
FR P2P, PPP, HDLC, Tunnels
–
–
DR?
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
Hello Timer
10 sec
30 sec
10 sec
30 sec
30 sec
Dead Timer
40 sec
120 sec
40 sec
120 sec
120 sec
Hellos to
224.0.0.5
Unicast
224.0.0.5
224.0.0.5
Unicast
Other packets to
224.0.0.5 (B)DR 224.0.0.6 DRO
Unicast
224.0.0.5
224.0.0.5
Unicast
Static Neighbor
CAN
MUST
NO
CAN
MUST
Multiple adjacencies
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
Next hop for same segment
Advertising Router
Advertising Router
Self
Self
Self
Next hop for diff segment
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
224.0.0.5 is the All OSPF routers multicast address
224.0.0.6 is the OSFP DRs mulsticast address
In addition to these network types there is the stub network type that is the default for loopback interfaces. The stub networks will be advertised as /32 routes regardless of the interface mask. To advertise the network according to the mask, the network type should be changed to point-to-point.
The network type is independent of the interface type, and the default values can be changed with:
R(config-if)# ip ospf network {broadcast|non-broadcast|point-to-point|point-to-multipoint [non-broadcast]}
To verify the network type, use:
R# show ip ospf interface INTERFACE
See this article about running OSPF over Frame Relay.
Routers can become neighbors even if the network type is different, as long as they agree on 2 things: If a DR is required or not, and if the HELLO/DEAD timers are the same. You can’t change weather a DR is required or not, but you can change the timers with the following commands:
R(config-if)# ip ospf hello-interval SEC
R(config-if)# ip ospf dead-interval SEC
To summarize, here’s what you need to remember:
Keyword
What it means
Network Type
If it contains the word POINT
No DR Election
Changes the next hop to self
Point-to-point
Point-to-multipoint
Point-to-multipoint non-broadcast
If it contains the word NON-BROADCAST
Sends packets as unicast
Requires static neighbors
Non-Braodcast
Point-to-multipoint non-broadcast
If it is usually used for Frame Relay
Slow Timers
Non-Braodcast
Point-to-multipoint
Point-to-multipoint non-broadcast
Designated Router (DR) Election
When an OSPF router becomes active, it checks for an active DR and BDR on the networks that have a type that requires such a process (broadcast and non-broadcast). The router will wait for WaitTimer (=RouterDead Interval) for a DR and BDR to be advertised in a Hello packet before starting an election process.
If a DR and BDR exist, the router accepts them
If there is no DR, but there is a BDR, the BDR becomes the DR and an election for BDR is held
If there is no BDR and no DR, an election is held for both DR and BDR
If an election takes place, this is how the DR is chosen:
The router with the highest priority becomes the DR/BDR (depending on the election type)
R(config-if)# ip ospf priority PRI
!Default: 1
!0 = never become a DR
In case of a tie, the next criteria is highest Router ID
Since an existing DR and BDR is accepted, the first 2 routers that initialize on a Broadcast network will be selected as DR and BDR.
Interface Status
Down
Point-to-point – The router sends Hellos and will attempt to establish an adjacency with the other end of the link. Option is available for Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and virtual links
Waiting – The router sends Hellos and waits for a Hello from DR and BDR. Option is available for Broadcast and NBMA networks
DR – The router is the DR and will establish adjacencies with the DROthers
Backup – The router is the BDR and will establish adjacencies with the DROthers
DROther – The router is neither DR nor BDR and will establish adjacencies only with the DR and BDR, but will send Hellos to all routers
Loopback – The interface is still advertised in Router LSAs even though packets cannot transit such an interfac
Router Types
Internal – All interfaces are in the same area
ABR (Area Border Router) – Has at least one interface in area 0 and one in another area
Backbone Routers – Routers with at least one interface in area 0
ASBR (AS Boundary Router – Gateways for external trafic, injecting routes form other protocols into OSPF
Virtual Links
Normally, traffic from one area to another must pass through Area 0. Sometimes, this is physically impossible, so the concept of virtual links was added. A virtual link can be used to create a neighbor adjacency for 2 routers that are not normally neighbors.
A virtual link extends area 0 from one ABR to another router in one of it’s non-zero areas. Therefore, the virtual link can only transit one area. A new adjacency will be formed over this virtual link so the area 0 extends to the other router, making it an ABR. The concept can be extended now, and a new virtual link can be created from this router to another router. Of course, the same rules apply.
Virtual Links cannot transit any flavor of stub areas.
To define a Virtual Link use the following command on the 2 ends of the virtual link. Of course, each router must reference the other router’s Router ID:
R(config-router)# area AREA virtual-link ROUTER-ID
If area 0 is set for authentication, then the virtual links must also be configured for authentication:
R(config-router)# area AREA virtual-link ROUTER authentication [message-digest]
! sets authentication as cleat text or MD5
R(config-router)# area AREA virtual-link ROUTER authentication-key CLEARTEXT-KEY
! sets clear text key
R(config-router)# area AREA_ID virtual-link ROUTER-ID message-digest-key KEY-ID md5 MD5-KEY
! sets md5 key
OSPF over Demand Circuits
Periodic Hellos are suppresed and periodic refreshes of LSAs are not flooded. The circuit is used only at the initial db sync and only when changes have occured, in order to send the updated LSAs. Hellos are still sent over multi-access networks, but are not sent on point to multipoint network types.
R(config-if)# ip ospf-demand-circuit
Only one end of the Poin-to-pont connection or the multipoint in a Point-to-multipoint need this setting
OSPF DNS Lookups
By default OSPF will not perform DNS lookup to translate the neighbor IP addresses to their hostnames. To enable, use:
R(config)#ip ospf name-lookup

OSPF LSAs

IS-IS

Last modified 10mo ago

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OSPF Router ID

OSFP Network Types

Designated Router (DR) Election

Interface Status

Router Types

Virtual Links

OSPF over Demand Circuits

OSPF DNS Lookups