OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a link-state routing protocol that dynamically calculates the shortest path between routers using Dijkstra’s algorithm. It operates within an autonomous system (AS) and supports hierarchical network design through the use of areas, reducing routing overhead and improving scalability. OSPF exchanges link-state advertisements (LSAs) to maintain a synchronized and loop-free topology. It supports equal-cost multipath (ECMP), fast convergence, and features like authentication, route summarization, and stub areas for optimized performance. OSPF runs directly over IP (protocol number 89) and is widely used in enterprise and service provider networks for its efficiency and flexibility.
You will practice these in this lab:
- Configure single area and multi area OSPF implementation
- Configure area types (Normal, Stub, Totally stubby, NSSA, Totally NSSA)
- LSA types
- Redistribution and metric types
- Authentication (Area-wide and interface level)
- OSPFv3 and address-families
- Tunnels and virtual-links
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